Abstract
The concept of sense of place has received considerable attention by social scientists in recent years. Research has indicated that a person’s sense of place is influenced by a number of factors including the built environment, socio-economic status (SES), well-being and health. Relatively few studies have examined sense of place at the neighbourhood level, particularly among communities exhibiting different levels of SES. This article investigates sense of place among three neighbourhood groups in Hamilton, Ontario representing areas of low, mixed and high SES. It analyses data from a 16-point sense of place scale derived from the Hamilton Household Quality of Life Survey carried out in 2010–2011 among 1,002 respondents. The paper found that sense of place was highest among residents of the high SES neighbourhood group as well as among home owners, people residing in single-detached homes, retired residents and those living in their neighbourhood for more than 10 years. From a health perspective, the paper found that a strong association existed between sense of place and self-perceived mental health across the three neighbourhood groups. Furthermore, by way of regression modeling, the paper examined the factors influencing health-related sense of place. Among the sample of respondents, a strong connection was found between housing, particularly home ownership, and high levels of health-related sense of place.
Highlights
People simultaneously experience numerous risk and protective factors reflecting the sum total of natural, built and socio-cultural environmental factors
The paper found that sense of place was highest among residents of the high socio-economic status (SES) neighbourhood group as well as among home owners, people residing in single-detached homes, retired residents and those living in their neighbourhood for more than 10 years
This paper answers the following research question: How does sense of place vary between residents of three contrasting neighbourhoods and how does sense of place relate to health outcomes in these neighbourhoods? The impetus for this research has been the dearth of empirical work on sense of place at the neighbourhood level
Summary
People simultaneously experience numerous risk and protective factors reflecting the sum total of natural, built and socio-cultural environmental factors. Kitchen socio-economic deprivation is associated with health and that significant differences exist within urban areas (Ross et al 2004; Heisz and McLeod 2004; CPHI 2006). With about 80 % of Canada’s population living in urban areas, it is important to investigate these issues, especially at the neighbourhood level. We recognize that physical and social environments impact health, but know very little about how different aspects of these local environments interact in influencing health (Macintyre et al 2002). One way to understand these complex processes is to examine the mechanisms or pathways through which place and the social relations within it shape the health status of individuals and populations. One novel conceptual approach that is missing from current studies examining health effects of local environments is the subjective meaning and importance that individuals give to where they reside. The perceptions residents have of their own environments, encompassing social and structural features; this is known as the place-based construct named sense of place
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