Comparisons in Involvement with Their Residential Areas between Rural and Urban Residents

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the differences in various aspects of how to involve with their residential areas between rural and urban residents through the questionnaire survey conducted to people living in Jinseki-Kogen Town and Hiroshima City. Such comparative analyses provide fundamental and important information in progressing rural immigration. The main results are as follows. First, Jinseki-Kogen respondents more frequently participate in several kinds of residential activities. Second, they feel the participations as their duties than Hiroshima respondents, but not considering the duties as matters of course. Third, Jinseki-Kogen respondents have several kinds of friendly relationships with more neighbors. They also emphasize relation among families and are motivated to educate their children within a whole residential commitment. Especially they think the neighborhood associations as their irreplaceable social group. These high-level consciousness and active involvement with their residential area might become a hurdle for rural immigration, but not necessary so for those preferring such social ties.