Researching resilience: the need for networked methods

This paper stands from the idea that resilience might be better understood by using Social Network Analysis (SNA). This theoretical and methodological approach allows us to see how individual actors are connected with one another, and to explore different representations of their social worlds and get narratives about it. Both "resilience" and "networks" have been extensively used in a wide range of disciplines. However, the term "network resilience" has been paradoxically coined in the field of computer engineering as an ability to tolerate (resist and autonomically recover from) sever impacts on the network. In this paper we advocate for the use of this concept in education, taking into account that just how at risk a child really is, cannot be easily discerned without understanding him/her in context. We want to demonstrate social network approach value to deeply analyse young people's contexts and their motivation to seek well-being. It is at this intersection (individual motivation and environment) where youth hidden resilience lies [1]. To do so, we direct our attention to some points which may help us to examine how resilient youth might be upon the analysis of their networks: this is how networks function and how the loss of ties may negatively impact resilience development. Finally, we discuss some strategies to improve network resilience and, as a consequence, decrease vulnerability.