Author(s)

Debra J. Bolton¹, Francisco M. Hernandez²

¹Southwest Research Extension Center, Kansas State University, Garden City, KS, USA.
²University of Kansas, Fort Leavenworth, KS, USA.

Today, the greatest impacts on families stem from ongoing global conflicts and other natural or man-made disasters. Literature and multi-lingual research were examined and analyzed to determine fragility in rural and urban US communities with high immigrant populations, high poverty, and challenged social integration. Data came from international development and localized research. Literature review content was related to fragility, families emigrating to the US coming from those fragile states, and immigrants’ ability to adapt to new environments as evidenced in research analyses. Approaches that non-governmental, humanitarian and peace-building entities are taking to bridge research with application were also examined. A model of adaptive and culturally-relevant practices is offered as a logical way to address the effects of poverty and fragile conditions, and to move affected populations toward resilience.

Fragility, Poverty, Behavior, Conceptual Framework, Theory Development

Bolton, D. and Hernandez, F. (2017) Applying Global Perspectives on Fragility to Improve US Communities. Advances in Anthropology, 7, 22-33. doi: 10.4236/aa.2017.71003.