ABSTRACT
Part One consists of an extended essay that is intended to set the scene for the range of chapters that comprise Part Two. In this essay we seek to argue and illustrate the case for a much broader understanding of resilience than is currently captured by the existing literature. While individual, psychological factors are clearly at play and no doubt have a very significant role to play, we feel the need to emphasize the point that there are also sociological factors to take into account. Indeed, an understanding of resilience that limits itself to psychological factors without also exploring the role of the social context will be a partial and potentially misleading understanding.
