The bright and dark sides of length of residence in the neighbourhood: Consequences for local participation and openness to newcomers

Abstract

Length of residence in a neighborhood has been shown to have positive outcomes for local participation. However, long-term residency can also make people less welcoming of potential newcomers. In two nationwide surveys among the Dutch (Study 1) and Brits (Study 2) we examined these bright and dark sides of length of residence in the neighbourhood, and we considered two underlying mechanisms: place attachment and perceived group entitlements. In Study 1, we measured entitlements in terms of autochthony beliefs (first-comers in places are generally entitled) and in Study 2 we more directly assessed the sense that the residents own the neighborhood (collective psychological ownership, CPO). In both studies we found that more established residents were more attached to the neighborhood and perceived more entitlements. Place attachment was conducive to stronger local participation, and did not form a barrier (Study 1) or it even served as a bridge (Study 2) for openness to newcomers. In contrast, perceived entitlements were linked to less openness to international newcomers in both studies, but more openness to natives moving in from other regions of the country (Study 2). This indicates that at a local level, perceived entitlements to a given place are more strongly related to exclusion based on ethnicity of the newcomers than solely on later arrival. Entitlements in the form of CPO, however, motivated local participation and thus also had a bright side.