Consigned to Resilience?
Françoise Duroch
Head of Research Unit of UREPH (Research Unit on Humanitarian Stakes and Practices) of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Geneva, Switzerland)
“An unfortunate illusion raised to the rank of therapeutic technique in the face of current and future disasters, resilience makes victims the co-managers of catastrophe. Those who prescribe it even call for a catastrophe whose destruction feeds our ability to overcome it.” Thierry Ribault, Contre la résilience, A Fukushima et ailleurs, Editions L’Échappée, 2021.
The notion of resilience, which originated in materials science, is now used in a wide range of fields, including psychology, ecology, physics, and the social sciences. It denotes the ability of individuals, groups, and systems to resist shocks, adapt, and rebuild themselves; its definition varies between a return to normal, adaptation, and transformation. Its use has become so common in so many fields that Time magazine named it the "Environmental Buzzword of 2013". With its vague contours“[translation: Resilience is not a set concept (…). It’s more an intuition that is both seductive and elastic, a notion employed more and more often as both a promise and a threat. But no longer a notion that provokes reflection, it is an injunction that dulls reason.”, Samuel Rufat, “Critique de la résilience pure”, 2011. URL: Critique de la résilience pure, the term “resilience” is readily criticized for its contradictory interpretations, how difficult it is to operationalizeGéraldine Djament-Tran and Magali Reghezza-Zitt (Eds.), Résiliences urbaines: Les villes face aux catastrophes, Éditions Le Manuscrit, 2012., and how often it is manipulated, for political purposes, to justify or deny funding.
From materials science to a Catch-All concept
The term “resilience” appeared in English in 1626. It is derived from the Latin resilentia and generally refers to the idea of “rebounding”.“[translation] But, in the sense of “to rebound” or “to get back up”, the word resilience was used far earlier in very different contexts: in 1688 More invoked resilience in the face of poverty and in 1751 Johnson spoke of resilience of the spirit.” Serban Ionescu and Colette Jourdan-Ionescu, “Résilience culturelle, culture de la résilience” Résiliences: Ressemblances dans la diversité, Odile Jacob, 2016. pp. 239-267.It has a more specific meaning in physics, where it refers to the kinetic energy needed to cause a metal to break. Expressed that way, resilience characterizes resistance to shock.
The concept of resilience expanded with the profound transformation in economic and social regulation, influenced by the shift from the welfare state toward market-based governance. Three key events contributed to that shift: the 1972 Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, and the 1973 and 1979 oil crises. Up to that point, the central aim of public policy was economic growth, with no regard for its ecological impacts. The Club of Rome-commissioned Meadows report in 1972 recommending “limits to growth” established a tipping point, spotlighting the planet’s physical limits in the face of overconsumption, pollution-related risks, and population pressure. Finally, the 1970s oil crises showed the structural fragility of natural resource-dependent societies. Those challenges to the productivist paradigm provided fertile ground for the notion of resilience as its influence in development policies and the scientific literature grew.
Since the early 2000s, it has been used in the institutional domains of international aid (emergency and development aid) and civil defense (prevention, population protection, risk management and crisis management).
In psychology, it describes the process by which an individual can overcome hardship. The opposite of determinism in that it depends on an individual’s intrinsic ability to overcome trauma and avoid its effects, the notion of resilience was popularized in France by psychiatrist Boris CyrulnikSee Boris Cyrulnik, Un merveilleux malheur, Odile Jacob, 1999., who was strongly influenced by the philosophy of Paul Ricœur.Paul Ricœur, Oneself as Another, The University of Chicago Press, 1992 (Translated by Kathleen Blamey).The authors stressed the value of giving meaning to difficult episodes by talking about them, that is, people’s ability to redefine themselves through narrative.
In ecology, it refers to an ecosystem’s ability to return to equilibrium after disruptions or crises. In the urban planning sector, so-called “resilient” cities are designed to cope with natural disasters and the effects of climate change. In sociology, resilience applies to groups that succeed in rebuilding themselves after social, economic, or political crises. In computer science, it designates systems that can continue to function despite crashes or cyberattacks. In engineering, it’s the ability of materials to absorb a shock without breaking. In economics, resilience reflects the solidity of a system or business in the face of crises. Finally, in medicine and biology, it illustrates an organism’s ability to recover.
Resilience vs. vulnerability
The concept of resilience has many connections to the concept of vulnerability.See the vulnerability/resilience diptych in Béatrice Quenault, “Retour critique sur la mobilisation du concept de résilience en lien avec l’adaptation des systèmes urbains au changement climatique”, Politiques et pratiques de la résilience, No. 24, 2013. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/echogeo/13403One of the main criticisms of the vulnerability concept is that it restricts groups to static categories and says nothing about their ability to overcome challenges. Mary B. Anderson, “The concept of vulnerability: beyond the focus on vulnerable groups”, International Review of the Red Cross, August 1994. Available online at: https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/S0020860400078645a.pdf The definition of vulnerability – like that of resilience – is imprecise, and some authors stress that using it treats social situations as natural, thus depoliticizing themMarlène Jouan, “Le concept de vulnérabilité: reconnaissance et imposition d’une condition floue”, Séminaire de l’équipe Justice Sociale de PACTE, October 2016, Grenoble, France. URL: https://hal.science/hal-01957140/document, and even stigmatizes groups of individuals. The gradual shift from the concept of vulnerability toward that of resilience is the result of both a political transformation and an ideological evolution“[translation]: The change in perspective reflected by the conceptual shift from vulnerability to resilience is the result of a radical (ideological) change in how we look at risk management. Far from reviving collective risk prevention at the international or national level, which an emphasis on vulnerability would assume, resilience calls for delegating responsibility to the local or individual level – which sometimes ends up stigmatizing those who fail to rebuild or adapt.” URL: https://journals.openedition.org/echogeo/13403; it reflects a willingness to think of crises not just in terms of fragilities and disruptions for the affected population, but also in terms of individuals’ and social groups’ ability to mobilize previously-unutilized resources. We should note that resilience presupposes irreducible vulnerability“[translation] Lastly, the two concepts are related; to claim an ability to recover from a disruption, resilience presupposes the existence of an irreducible fragility”, Bruno Barroca, Maryline DiNardo and Irène Mboumoua, “De la vulnérabilité à la résilience: mutation ou bouleversement ?”, Politiques et pratiques de la résilience, No. 24, 2013. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/echogeo/13439, while other analyses in the history field stress the value of resilience as a way of escaping the victimization narrative. Indeed, some authors feel that historical reconstruction of popular struggles should consider episodes of resistance and collective successes against the oppressor, so that it doesn’t portray social groups as total victims.Hema Preya Selvanathan, Jolanda Jetten and Alexis Umeh, “A history of collective resilience and collective victimhood: Two sides of the same coin that explain Black Americans’' present-day responses to oppression”, British Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2022, pp. 136-160. URL: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjso.12562
Resilience in the aid sector
In the aid sector, the notion of resilience appeared in the 1990s and was used even more in the 2000s, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Klein R. J., Nicholls R. J., Thomalla F., “Resilience to Natural Hazards: How Useful is the Concept?”, Environmental Hazards, Vol. 5, No. 1-2, 2003, pp. 35-45.Since 2006, resilience has become a key concept in humanitarian policies, driven by the UN and World Bank, first via the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) and then the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), both aimed at reducing disaster-related losses (in terms of human lives and social, economic, and environmental goods) and “strengthening the resilience” of societies in the event of disasters.
Resilience, initially promoted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), gained broad currency at UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations and with donors. That process was part of a context of post-structural adjustment policy in which the ability of countries of the Global South to cope with crises was weakened. Employing the concept of resilience then became an additional condition for obtaining funding, creating competition between projects.
After the 2008 crisis, the focus turned to optimizing resources and follow the “value for money” principal; Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID) launched the “3 Es” framework – Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness – followed by USAID and the European humanitarian funder ECHO via initiatives such as the Global Resilience Partnership and the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative (AGIR). The focus shifted to “hot spots”, including the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. It targeted certain groups, particularly women, children and minorities, aiming for “a reduction of at least 50% of people seeking humanitarian aid in high-risk zones”.The Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative (AGIR), European Commission – Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. URL: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/agir-global-alliance-resilience-initiative_enNGOs and institutional donors basically became advisors whose role was to promote accountability by local actors. For the European Union, use of the resilience concept was inseparable from the so-called “Nexus” approach. In its recent Strategic Foresight Report, it stressed that “Resilience 2.0” appears to be an appropriate approach in uncertain times, until 2040 and beyond.“The EU has shown strength, unity and transformative resilience in responding to recent crises. However, the scale and complexity of the challenges ahead require a proactive and forward-looking approach. 2025 Strategic Foresight Report presents ‘"Resilience 2.0’", an approach to ensuring the EU thrives in turbulent times through 2040 and beyond” European Commission, 2025 Strategic Foresight Report. Resilience 2.0: Empowering the EU to thrive amid turbulence and uncertainty, Luxembourg, 2025. URL: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/strategic-foresight/2025-strategic-foresight-report_en
MSF and resilience: new mentorship?
The term resilience is currently used in many domains within MSF, including environmental issuesMédecins Sans Frontières, “Solar power in Somalia: Sustainable care and climate resilience”, 20 May 2025. URL: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/solar-power-somalia-sustainable-care-and-climate-resilience, emergency responseGisela van Kessel et al., “Community resilience to health emergencies: a scoping review”, BMJ Global Health, No. 10(4), 2025. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40221140/, and the treatment of victims of sexual violenceParticularly in the use of the term “survivor”. “The term ‘survivor’, on the other hand, emphasises the person’s capacity for action and resilience to cope and recover.”, Médecins Sans Frontières, Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The critical need for a comprehensive response to address the needs of survivors. July 2021. URL: https://www.msf.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/MSF%20DRC_SEXUAL%20VIOLENCE%20REPORT.pdf . Also see Doris Burtscher, Appréciation anthropologique de la résilience et des adaptations des populations dans les camps Shabindu/Kashaka et Elohim à Goma, République démocratique du Congo, Vienna Evaluation Unit, 2025.. The resilience notion is also used as an achievement objective in some MSF job descriptions“identify existing protective factors, positive practices, strengths/coping mechanisms and resilience”, job description for “Community engagement manager”, Médecins Sans Frontières. URL: OM071000 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER – MSF International. Several MSF sections have established a set of measures, from recruitment to psychological support, to strengthen staff resilience in stressful situationsAnnick Filot and Carla Uriarte, “Resilience in MSF and its Personnel”, African Health Sciences, 8 Suppl 1, 2008, S44-5. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50934773_Resilience_in_MSF_and_its_Personnel . Finally, many publications mention the resilience of populations faced with crisesMédecins Sans Frontières and Faiz Abubakr, War in Sudan: the faces and stories of resilience, 2025. URL: https://msf.exposure.co/war-in-sudan-the-faces-and-stories-of-resilience, conflictsMédecins Sans Frontières, Emergency room, Yemen: Resilience in the face of war, 2023. URL: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/emergency-room-yemen-resilience-in-the-face-of-war/, migration situationsMédecins Sans Frontières, Faces of resilience: Refugees rebuilding lives in Greece, 20 June 2025. URL: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/faces-resilience-refugees-rebuilding-lives-greece , or that of patients with chronicMédecins Sans Frontières, Diabetes Care: Insulin Pens and Stories of Resilience. URL: https://msf-lebanon.org/news/diabetes-care-insulin-pens-and-stories-of-resilience/or infectiousMédecins Sans Frontières, Amid Phenomenal Resilience, MSF Able to Close Projects for Ebola Survivors in West Africa, 21 October 2016. URL: Amid Phenomenal Resilience, MSF Able to Close Projects for Ebola Survivors in West Africa | Doctors Without Borders - USAdiseases. During the Covid-19 pandemic, MSF’s Hong Kong section promoted the concept of family resilience, which (it hoped) would ultimately help individuals overcome adversity.Médecins Sans Frontières, Family resilience. URL: https://howareyou.msf.hk/en/family-resilience/In general, the concept seems easily adapted to the aid system’s customs and practices, thanks to the vagueness of its conceptualization.
Yet at MSF, a 2014 article had already raised several questions about the concept of resilience – in particular, the re-allocation of funds intended for emergency relief to structural reinforcement in our areas of operation.“Over the past 10 years, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has progressively seen a reduced capacity amongst the aid community to respond to emergencies. Recently we have been forced to invest more and more in our own capacity to do water and sanitation in emergencies – something that previously would have been handled by other organisations rapidly responding and working alongside MSF. However, we increasingly find ourselves alone in some of the biggest humanitarian crises – while aid agencies sit on the peripheries talking about building resilience, but doing nothing.”, Jonathan Whittal, Mit Philips and Michiel Hofman, “Opinion and debate: Building resilience by deconstructing humanitarian aid”, Médecins Sans Frontières, 2014. URL: https://www.msf-me.org/media-centre/news-and-stories/opinion-and-debate-building-resilience-deconstructing-humanitarianIts authors lamented the humanitarian sector’s diminished ability to respond effectively to crises and criticized resilience promotion as an ersatz bridge between emergency humanitarian aid and a developmentalist approach. In their opinion, that trend caused three sets of problems. First, it maintains an amalgam between independent humanitarian action and support for governments, even in contexts where the latter are parties to a conflict. Next, it tends to become a pretext for inaction, prioritizing sustainability and cost-effectiveness at the expense of critical emergency operations. Last, it has no empirical basis, relying more on political rhetoric than on proven effectiveness. Another contribution supporting that analysis emphasizes the dangers of a standardized approach that fails to consider the plurality of contexts and becomes a step toward a new diktat for the aid sector, undermining its diversity.“In this context, the danger is not so much that humanitarian actors engage in resilience building—by itself a laudable goal—but that this resilience agenda becomes a new context-blind diktat, a cover-up for a donor-imposed, one-size-fits-all approach that fails to take into account the specificities of the different contexts in which aid actors operate. Such a new diktat would reduce the comparative advantages of different humanitarian actors—especially the respective advantages of purely emergency aid organizations and multi-mandate organizations—and ultimately bulldoze the diversity of the humanitarian sector, which is its strength.”, Jérémie Labbé, “Humanitarian Aid vs Resilience Debate Should Put Priorities in Context”, The Global Observatory, 28 March 2014. URL: https://theglobalobservatory.org/2014/03/deliver-humanitarian-aid-or-build-resilience-the-answer-is-in-the-context/
Note that an article on MSF logistics from the Covid-19 period also criticized the concept“[translation] Via resilience, there is a new moral order that does not tolerate vulnerability. Hence resilience has become the new liberal injunction that camouflages the diktat for results at any price. That individual injunction has spread to organizations. […] That’s one of the reasons that led us to employ the concept of self-eco-organization to address such modalities.”, Sylvie Gerbaix, Michel Sylvie and Marc Bidan, “En quête de Résilience, l’Auto-Eco-Réorganisation de ‟Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique” face à une crise sanitaire mondiale, au prisme de la complexité d’E. Morin”, 2022, pp. 3-4. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363855472_En_quete_de_Resilience_l'Auto-Eco-Reorganisation_de_Medecins_Sans_Frontieres_Logistique_face_a_une_crise_sanitaire_mondiale_au_prisme_de_la_complexite_d'E_Morin, based in particular on its many different interpretations, preferring Edgar Morin’s notion of self-eco-re-organizationEdgar Morin proposed the term “self-eco-reorganization” to describe a system’s ability to reconstruct itself by incorporating the constraints and resources of its environment using a systemic approach., which it considered more dynamic and better suited to organizations.
Methodological challenges
After the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of the “food system resilience” notion quickly took off, especially in France, focusing mainly on questions of supply and relocalization“[translation] It seems to us, in any case, that it is still necessary to open the ‘black box’ of this now polysemous concept, in order to explain the consequences of framing food system resilience using the food supply as the (only) input and, as is often the case, using relocalization. Indeed, that framing leads to considering ‘local’ as ‘naturally’ more environmentally sustainable and socially just, in contrast with ‘global’, seen as non-sustainable and creating injustice. This would also enable us to compare such framing to other possible forms of collective evaluation or inquiry on transition pathways for agri-food systems, and to truly tackle the key issue of resilience of what, in the face of what, and for whom?”, Claire Lamine, Danièle Magda and Ika Darnhofer, “Quelle pertinence de l’usage de la notion de résilience pour les systèmes agri-alimentaires ?”, Natures Sciences Sociétés, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2024, pp.90-97. URL: https://stm.cairn.info/revue-natures-sciences-societes-2024-1-page-90, and replacing the concept of food sovereignty, which was considered obsolete and divisive. In contrast, some authors felt that the concept made it possible to consider the long-term when analyzing food security, especially since the 2005 Niger food crisis.Simon Vonthron et al., “L’intégration des concepts de résilience dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire: regards croisés”, Cahiers Agricultures, Vol. 25, No. 6, 2016. URL: https://www.cahiersagricultures.fr/articles/cagri/full_html/2016/06/cagri160043/cagri160043.html However, the problem of finding reliable methods for assessing the resilience of agrifood systems remains. “[translation] Resilience is understood not just as an approach to analyzing situations and designing actions, but also as a characteristic of systems and individuals that are being assessed, measured, or monitored via indicators. The difficulty in operationalization becomes clear when indicators for monitoring and evaluating resilience are proposed.”, Ancey, Véronique., et al. “Résilience et développement: complément, substitut ou palliatif ?: Le cas du pastoralisme au Sahel”. Revue internationale des études du développement, 2017/3 No. 231, 2017. p.57-89.
From a methodological standpoint, instruments for measuring resilience – whether individual (like the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale – CD-RISC) or collective (such as the Team Resilience Measure or the Conjoint Community Resiliency Assessment Measure) – face criticism on both the conceptual and ethical levels. Conceptually, those scales tend to reduce resilience to an unchanging trait or a one-time performance, while it is supposed to be a dynamic context-dependent process that is strongly influenced by relational, individual, and collective resources, as well as by social and cultural aspects.Michael Rutter, “Resilience as a dynamic concept”, Development and Psychopathology, Vol. 24, No. 2, 2012, pp. 335–44. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22559117/Moreover, those methodological approaches are based mainly on cross-cutting self-administered questionnaires, which are subject to social desirability bias and incapable of capturing how the process changes over time. On the ethical level, they place too much value on individual or group responsibility by masking the impact of structural factors – in particular, socioeconomic inequalities – on the ability to cope with crises. Finally, the impact of policies that use resilience as an objective – especially in reconstruction programs – are also difficult to assess, since social change is by its very nature unpredictable.“Moreover, as resilience deals with complex social change processes, resilient solutions are not straightforward, simple and clear from the beginning of our intervention. Social change does not follow a linear and predictable trajectory; there is uncertainty beforehand about the impact of the intervention and the most effective routes or ‘pathways’ to resilience.” in OXFAM, Monitoring, evaluation and learning for resilience, 2018. URL: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-for-resilience-a-companion-guide-620498/
Political challenges and the solutionist lie
The use of resilience as a focus of governance assumes that people or social groups must take care of themselves and relies, in particular, on the notions of responsibilization and budget rationalization, prioritizing a “self-help” culture that makes it possible to limit outside investment. Despite sometimes laudable intentions, in some cases pro-resilience discourse helps foster government disengagement. Shifting the politician’s or company’s responsibility onto citizens or employees raises questions“[translation] The work world has also seized on the notion of resilience. The ability to bounce back from being fired, from worsening working conditions is obviously useful.. ‘resilient’ personnel cost less in terms of care, tolerate stress better, and are less demanding. The Resilience Institute understood this well, and has taught its techniques to managers in order that their teams get over difficulties with greater calm, helped by effective resilience coaches […] But is the business questioned about its management as a whole, on the role of unions, about its pay policy, or on empowerment of its personnel? Ranking human beings by judging them in terms of their psychological ability to bounce back absolves institutions of responsibility for their institutional violence.” Élisabeth Maheu, “Résilience, ce mot à la mode !”, Alternatives non-violentes, 2023. URL: https://www.alternatives-non-violentes.org/Revue/Numeros/209_La_resilience_a_toutes_les_sauces/Resilience_ce_mot_a_la_mode, just as it is appropriate to question how “resilience” is currently used in the aid sector.
It diverts attention away from the political causes of disasters and focuses it on individual or collective responsibility and technical solutions.Samuel Rufat, “Critique de la résilience pure”, 2011. URL: Critique de la résilience pure - Archive ouverte HALFrom that perspective, resilience becomes a solutionist error when complex social or systemic problems are supposed to be solved via individual or technical adjustments, with no consideration of the structural or political factors that contribute to crises. According to Thierry Ribault,Thierry Ribault, Contre la résilience, A Fukushima et ailleurs, Editions L’Échappée, 2021.the notion of resilience makes victims “co-managers of their own misfortunes” by urging them to use their suffering as an opportunity for rebuilding. He speaks of it as a solutionist lie and an instrument of social domination. Hence disasters can essentially be blamed on a lack of preparation by the individuals or communities that suffer them: “Resilience’s coup is to argue that the disaster is not what happens, but rather the lack of individual and collective preparation for what happens”.Thierry Ribault, “La résilience est la nouvelle religion d’Etat”, Sciences Critiques, 2024. URL: Thierry Ribault: « La résilience est la nouvelle religion d’Etat » – Sciences Critiques
Thus a major criticism of resilience hinges on its interactions with neoliberal theories,Jonathan Joseph, “Resilience as embedded neoliberalism: a governmentality approach”, Resilience, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2013, pp. 38–52. URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/21693293.2013.765741where use of the notion masks political responsibility for adverse events and their management and places the burden for responding to crises on populations.Ancey, Véronique., et al. “Résilience et développement: complément, substitut ou palliatif ?: Le cas du pastoralisme au Sahel”. Revue internationale des études du développement, 2017/3 NO. 231, 2017. p.57-89. URL: Résilience et développement: complément, substitut ou palliatif ? | Cairn.info. Some authors feel that one must not mistake survival for resilience, that is, think that functioning in degraded conditions is good enough for aid beneficiaries and can thus justify reduced funding.
The moral injunction critique
It can be tempting to assume that individuals and groups possess these intrinsic resources, especially since that would offer a counterpoint to determinist paradigms and totalizing victimization processes. Not all misfortunes are “marvelous”,In reference to Boris Cyrulnik, Un merveilleux malheur, Odile Jacob, 1999.however, and that oxymoron shouldn’t obscure the fact that people, like societies, are often unable to overcome shocks and trauma. Authors like Judith Butler“[translation] The concept of resilience bothers me because it assumes collective and individual heroism. Yet sometimes people are so broken that resilience is impossible, because the socioeconomic conditions for livability are not there.” France Inter – Boomerang, “Judith Butler à la bonne heure”, 10 May 2021 broadcast. Excerpts from an interview on the release of her book Le vivable et l’invivable, PUF, 2021. [English edition: The Livable and the Unlivable, Fordham University Press, 2023]. Judith Butler à la bonne heure | France Inter.criticize resilience as a form of moral injunction, forcing individuals to be strong and flexible, even in extremely precarious contexts. Resilience thus becomes a social norm, a requirement for deserving help, even a form of social Darwinism, where only those individuals and societies most likely to bounce back are supported. In the humanitarian sector, that approach manifests itself as a new condition for resource allocation. Funding is aimed at projects deemed “resilient”, with an eye to cost-effectiveness and greater selectivity.
In addition, resilience is often thought of as a return to an earlier, supposedly stable – even desirable – state. Yet that return might be such that it prolongs structural weaknesses and thus perpetuates systems that were already failing. The cases of Haiti and New Orleans raised questions about practical measures aimed at promoting resilience among their populations – measures that ultimately resulted in an environment that was as dysfunctional as before.Hernandez J., ReNew Orleans ? Résilience urbaine, mobilisation civique et création d'un “capital de reconstruction” à la Nouvelle Orléans après Katrina, Doctoral thesis, Université Paris X – Nanterre, 2010.
Lastly, there is another type of criticism from authors who believe that resilience is a Western concept Laurence J. Kirmayer et al., “Rethinking Resilience From Indigenous Perspectives”, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2011, pp. 84-91. URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674371105600203and that its manifestation is culturally codedMichael Ungar, “Resilience across Cultures”, The British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 38, No. 2, February 2008, pp. 218–235. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcl343– that is, highly context-dependent. Indeed, the notion does invoke values related to the commitment of personal resources, that is, the primacy of the individual or group over broader metaphysical or religious dynamics.
Conclusion: triumph of a metaphor?
It is important to emphasize that while there are many reservations about the notion of resilience in the aid sector, particularly regarding the risks of de-politicizing the causes of crises or its manipulation for political purposes, those criticisms should not make us abandon the concept altogether. After all, the notion itself is not inherently normative; its original definition does not prescribe any particular, norm‑governed way of acting. As an analytical tool, resilience can help describe the adaptation process without holding people or societies responsible for the misfortunes they suffer and help re-politicize crisis situations by highlighting the structural inequalities that affect the ability of individuals and communities to adapt. In addition, the concept’s plasticity, often criticized as its Achilles heel, can also be seen as an asset, as it allows many dimensions and parameters to be included in the analysis of complex situations, provided its use is put into context and the objectives connected to its use are rigorously defined.
A critical reading of the concept is therefore essential if we are to avoid the trap of moralizing disasters or essentializing risk, which absolve government agencies and institutions of their responsibilities. Indeed, greater circumspection is no doubt needed when using the concept of resilience, by considering the political dynamics underlying its use – particularly in public messaging by aid actors. It remains, above all, a metaphor that should never help make tragedies acceptable, depoliticize the origins of crises, or make those that suffer them bear primary responsibility for solving them.
To cite this content :
Françoise Duroch, “Consigned to Resilience?”, 13 janvier 2026, URL : https://msf-crash.org/en/humanitarian-actors-and-practices/consigned-resilience
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