In times of adversity, the resilience of a community is what mitigates potential harm to the well-being of its members. Community resilience refers to the ability of a community to use available resources to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations.
Speaking on the topic of how a community can adapt in the aftermath of a disaster at this year’s NEPC Primary Colors of Education conference is Professor Karin Doolan of the University of Zadar.
Karin Doolan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, current head of the governing board of the Institute for Political Ecology and a member of the presidency of the Croatian Sociological Association. Her research work is focused on social class inequalities, education and disaster events. Professor Doolan’s research has been utilized in supporting policy interventions and has contributed to the work of organizations such as the Network of Experts on the Social Dimension of Education and Training, an advisory network to the European Commission.
A recent adverse situation affecting students worldwide was the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Doolan’s research showed how students’ emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic slightly worsened, with many of them reporting feelings of frustration, anxiety and boredom. When it comes to factors affecting general well-being, students who had a quiet place to study, a reliable Internet connection and material for studying at their disposal, as well as students with higher levels of social support, consistently reported greater adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings offer insights into how the readiness of a community to offer resources and services to its members could help support resilience during crises. Professor Doolan’s most recent work, a multiple-case study that explored how schools in Croatia coped with the effects of disasters will be presented at her keynote titled: “Post-disaster schools through the lens of organisational resilience: disruption and endurance”.
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