The impact of immigrants on the sense of community

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated the sense of community among residents in the Spanish city of Malaga and the relationship between the components of the sense of community and the quality of life. Given that the phenomenon of immigration is a fact of city life, the authors examine how such coexistence could affect the sense of community and the quality of life as perceived by the residents in different city neighborhoods. The study was conducted in an urban context; 1,600 residents were included in the sample. The sense of community is measured using six dimensions: connection, belonging, support, safety, empowerment, and participation.The results indicate that there are significant differences between most of the components of the sense of community. These results also prove that the increase of the sense of community and quality of life in the residents living with immigrants in the same block of apartments is related to an increase in the contact with immigrants. Implications of the study are described and directions for future research discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.