Social Network Methodology in the Study of Disasters: Issues and Insights Prompted by Post-Katrina Research

Dynamic social networks, a key concept in modern social science research, are beginning to play a major role in understanding the ways in which individuals and communities respond to disasters. The authors of this paper review the relevant theory and research regarding how crises cause change in social networks, and how those changes may or may not facilitate recovery, as a function of the kinds of changes that occur. It applies the In/Out/Seeker/Provider (IOSP) framework to identify categories in which we might study disasters and the impact both on the networks and the impacts to the networks. This paper details options for applying social network analysis to research of both pre- and post-disaster settings and concludes by framing a research agenda for the future study of the dynamics of network change following a disaster.