Sense of community: Community resilient responses to oppression and change

Resilience refers to the positive ways in which people respond to adversity and stressful life events. Much of the research and writing in resilience has focused on how children respond to adversity. Community resilience, however, represents an extension of this focus. Often oppressed communities are represented as lacking in resilience and competence. Models that characterize group responses to intergroup and intercultural contact often simplify the responses of communities. Drawing on these concepts, it is argued that oppressed groups do not always capitulate or assimilate to oppressive systems, but in alternative settings these groups find ways to resist oppression and experience a sense of community. In settings such as church groups, sporting clubs, extended family networks and other organizations, groups find ways to protect and propagate what is valued and central for their survival. This has implications for how we interpret and understand the ways in which groups adapt to oppressive and changed contexts and alerts us to the dangers in underemphasizing and overlooking the positive functions of alternative settings. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.