Abstract
Neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community have been associated with important outcomes for adolescents. However, the complex interplay between neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community among adolescents is not clear. Moreover, the studies showing an association between neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community have been cross-sectional. The present study investigated the directionality of the relationship between neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community using a longitudinal cross-lagged design. Using structural equation modeling, a cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that school sense of community at Time 1 significantly predicts neighborhood sense of community at Time 2 even after controlling for neighborhood sense of community at Time 1. However, neighborhood sense of community at Time 1 did not predict school sense of community at Time 2. Results of this study support the theory that school sense of community can provide students with a bridge between school and community.
Highlights
Neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community have been associated with important outcomes for adolescents
Neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community at Time 2 did not correlate with age and gender
We controlled for gender in the model. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the directionality of the association between neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community
Summary
Neighborhood sense of community and school sense of community have been associated with important outcomes for adolescents. Brodsky and Marx demonstrated the operation of quantitatively and qualitatively different multiple psychological senses of community between a macro territorial setting and a job-training and education center (which was considered a subcommunity of the territorial setting) Following these findings, we can consider the school as an example of a nested subcommunity that coexists within a territorial community toward which students may develop sense of belonging. Drawing from updated systemic social disorganization models, Cantillon, Davidson, and Schweitzer (2003) provided evidence for the hypothesis that neighborhood sense of community has important spillover effects on youths’ bonding and participation in school. Based on this perspective, neighborhood sense of community could be conceptualized as a predictor of school sense of community
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