Making resilience useful for the social sciences and for policy-making: A theoretical framework and empirical analysis on the multi-dimensional, multi-level, and interacting determinants of individuals' resilience

Arnstein Aassve, Bocconi University
Samuel Plach , Carlo F. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
Tommaso Capezzone, Collegio Carlo Alberto
Elena Bastianelli, Bocconi University

Due to structural change and connected threats of recurrent and difficult-to-address crises, both inducing severe disturbances to societies and eventually to their citizens, policy-makers and scientists alike have widely acknowledged the importance of strengthening individuals' resilience. Previous social science literature using the concept was however criticized for ambivalent conceptualization and limited use for policy-driven change. We aim at changing this by, first, identifying the determinants of an individual's resilience through a theoretical framework which, second, conceptualizes resilience in terms of empirically testable life-course capitals, which help the individual to maintain desired outcomes by meeting changed resource needs and reduced access when facing disturbances. Third, we argue that life-course capitals are multi-dimensional and multi-level – including not only an individual's economic and human capital, but also her social capital and received support from public institutions (“institutional capital") – and that determinants interact as substitutes. Our empirical analysis employs multi-level models on longitudinal individual level data on 21,521 individual from 22 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic – a major shock for various life-course capitals – and country level data measuring individuals institutional capital. We find that all life-course capital variables – lower economic arrears, housing insecurity, education, social inclusion, public social expenditure, and government effectiveness – are positively associated with an individual's resilience. In addition, there seems to be a tendency to substitution, particularly between economic capital and public spending but also between the latter and government effectiveness. Human and social capital, instead, seem to act complementary.

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 Presented in Session 33. Policy Effects on Health and Mortality