In a world that is increasingly characterized by ever more complex crises, resilient networking in social spaces is in demand. How well are the actors in the municipalities prepared for this? On behalf of the Department of Labor, Health, Social Affairs, Sport and Leisure of the City of Dortmund and the city's strategic social planning department, Fachhochschule Dortmund examined the resilience of network structures in selected social spaces in Dortmund.
The focus was on selected social spaces in Hörde and Scharnhorst-Ost, which were examined as examples of the resilience of networks. "Resilience here not only includes the ability to survive a crisis, but also to adapt to new circumstances and actively shape a transformation process," says Prof. Dr. Viola Hartung-Beck. She teaches empirical research methods with a focus on qualitative methods at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
For the analysis commissioned by the City of Dortmund, she and her team conducted interviews and focus group discussions with political decision-makers, welfare organizations, employees of various social institutions and employees of the city administration. In these discussions, the interviewees defined a crisis as a form of chronic stress that leads to uncertainty in routine actions. A crisis-proof network can reduce this uncertainty.
Modularity and diversity as key elements
A key finding of the study is the importance of modular structures for the resilience of a network made up of different actors. "Networks that consist of various independent modules have the advantage that disruptions to individual parts do not jeopardize the overall system," explains Professor Hartung-Beck. This makes them particularly resilient to unforeseeable crises. A certain degree of independence on the part of individual actors such as administrative bodies, social organizations or volunteer networks is therefore desirable.
Social structures are particularly crisis-proof if they are diverse. Different stakeholders contribute different perspectives, skills and approaches. This allows a broad base of ideas and resources to be mobilized, especially in the event of a crisis.
Challenges in everyday life
The requirements for modularity and diversity also pose challenges for the networks. In the interviews, it became clear that volunteers, for example, are not always sufficiently qualified and are often only available for a limited period of time. The fluctuation leads to stress for the full-time actors, whose situation is already exacerbated by the shortage of skilled workers. "This is why the working and communication structure among the stakeholders and in cooperation with the administration is particularly important," says Professor Hartung-Beck.
The researchers suggest that at least two actors should cover the same or at least a similar area of responsibility. This would strengthen resilience and flexibility. It is also necessary to establish clear feedback loops in order to improve the exchange of information in times of crisis. Discussions with local stakeholders revealed that, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, a lack of information sharing led to tensions among the residents of the action areas. In this context, the researchers suggest, among other things, that meeting places should be designed in such a way that they can be used as meeting points in acute moments of crisis. This would also turn them into contact points for volunteers who can compensate for central functions of the social network in such situations.
In addition to analog meeting places, the researchers also refer to digital communication channels. A combination of both could create structures that contribute to the flexibility of socio-spatial structures. Flexibility, in turn, is another building block of resilient networks. Overall, the research team believes that the networks of action spaces examined are very good examples of modular structures for dealing with crises that can continue to be reliably expanded.