SOCIETAL RESILIENCE IN THE ERA OF HAZARDS. THE CASE STUDY OF AN EXAMPLARY COMMUNITY.

Goal: The present pandemic situation has revealed system imperfections and gaps in holistic management of societal resilience. Yet it should be borne in mind that the catalogue of potential hazards is extensive and comprises an entire spectrum of threats that affect the functioning of societies. Safety management is a specific process, which should take into account building societal resistance based on flexibility and elasticity of its components. The goal of the paper is to present resilience indices/measures with coexistence of stability and change as well a specific homeostasis accompanied by dynamic evolution that guarantees sustainable development. Method: Methodology based on approaches adopted among others by the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)-SEPLS and selected literature sources allowed the establishment of a set of criteria meant to assist in compilation of input data for needs of analyses of mesoregions. In addition results of the research process were verified/subjected to testing during interviews carried out among community members and representatives of local authorities. All those materials were analysed in a synthetic manner and allowed achieving the assumed goal. Results: A developed catalogue of indices that may be used to measure local societal resilience aimed at facilitating the identification of shortcomings in security systems, subsystems and entities assigned with the implementation of tasks for the sustainable development of the community. According to the sociological approach, based on the theory of community development and trust culture as well as on an approach assuming the concept of system resilience, a wide set of indicators has been established which form a starting point for further studies in this field. The deliberations took into account not only a subjective perception of security, but also its measurable variables. Discussion: The paper has both a theoretical and a practical dimension, which may be useful in further stages of academic research and in utilitarian implementation in the security management process. The concept of resilience is quite effective under the general theory of systems. However, in situations when systemic formulations tens to hinder rather than help provide clarifications, a different interpretation may be justified. This may happen in case of building societal resistance, limiting the risk of hazards, which seems to be to a bigger extent related with transformation than with preserving "the state of the system". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]