Abstract
Resilience, the ability to recover from difficult or challenging situations is inherent to healthy aging. Contextual and social determinants of health influence the cultural capital that communities can access and resources that individuals might use to respond to aging challenges. This is particularly important in communities that are managing the double burden of disease, outmigration of the young and environmental uncertainty. Three ethnographic community case studies are described and compared; an immigrant community in the rural United States, a multi-ethnic urban community in the United States, and a rural Caribbean village. A description of the contextual background, life experiences and social networks of typical elders within these communities highlight the importance of neighbors, friends, family, and social organizations (both formal and informal) to resilience and aging. Contextual factors of social, political and economic uncertainty are highlighted. Conversely, inflexible social structures and rigid rules, impact on resilience of communities and individuals. Discussion and comparison of evidence-based community capacity building programs provides insight into how local community capacity emerges within diverse cultural contexts. Recommendations for culturally informed research, policy, and practice are highlighted.