Conceptualizing Resilience: From Adaptation to Transformation

Abstract

Resilience has emerged as a pivotal concept across diverse disciplines, including psychology, sociology, ecology, healthcare, education, and organizational studies. Traditionally framed as the ability to recover or “bounce back” from adversity, resilience was initially viewed in terms of stability and restoration of pre-crisis functioning. However, contemporary scholarship increasingly recognizes that resilience extends beyond mere recovery to encompass adaptive flexibility and transformative potential. This expanded understanding highlights resilience not only as a reactive process but also as a proactive capacity that enables individuals, communities, and systems to anticipate, absorb, adapt, and even reorganize in the face of disruption. This review article traces the evolution of resilience theory, examining its conceptual shift from adaptation-focused frameworks to broader interpretations that emphasize transformation as an essential dimension. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, it integrates insights from ecological systems thinking, socio-cultural studies, mental health research, and organizational innovation to present resilience as a dynamic, multidimensional, and context-dependent construct. By synthesizing these perspectives, the article underscores how resilience functions across scales—ranging from personal coping strategies to institutional policies and global responses—while addressing the critical role of equity, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability. Ultimately, this work positions resilience as both a survival mechanism and a pathway toward innovation, growth, and thriving in an era characterized by uncertainty and rapid change. In doing so, it provides a conceptual foundation for reimagining resilience as a transformative force, with profound implications for research, practice, and policy.