Neighborhood Sense Of Community Research Articles

A Bibliometric Analysis of Neighborhood Sense of Community

The literature on neighborhood sense of community (NSOC) has undergone a period of rapid growth in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of knowledge on NSOC by mapping the knowledge domain and identifying the development trends of this field. A total of 1214 articles that were obtained from the Web of Science core collection between the years 1986 and 2022 served as the data sample, and Citespace was used as the tool for bibliometric analysis and visualization for this study. The results indicated: (1) NSOC research continued to attract the attention of scholars in recent years; (2) NSOC research covered a wide range of subject categories, including urban studies, public health, environmental studies, social work, and urban planning; (3) the Journal of Community Psychology appears to be among the most influential journals, with the greatest infiltration in NSOC research; (4) the collaboration networks of authors and institutions need to be strengthened, and the USA is the country that had the most publications and the strongest influence; (5) the knowledge framework was mainly based around 10 clusters, including place attachment; social life; urban form; community organization; exploring adolescents’ sense; psychological sense; cultural capital; Perth, Western Australia; mental well-being; and neighborhood planning. The scope of existing NSOC research covers a wide range of subject areas, including the concepts of NSOC, the measurement scales of NSOC, the impact of the neighborhood built environment on NSOC, the meditating role of NSOC between the built environment and residents’ mental health and subjective well-being, and the relationship between NSOC and other social factors. NSOC research in rural areas, NSOC research of immigration populations, NSOC research in the context of smart communities and cites, and the relationship between NSOC and health will be the focuses in future studies.

Neighborhood hotspot and community awareness: The double role of social network sites in local communities

Abstract There is a tendency in the literature on local digital media use and neighborhood outcomes to conceptualize Social Network Sites (SNSs) as mere transmission channels, thereby ignoring SNSs’ dynamics and limiting the understanding of their role in neighborhood life. Informed by Communication Infrastructure Theory and social media literature, we propose and test a model to investigate the association between the use of SNSs, appropriated as online neighborhood networks, and neighborhood sense of community. We administered a survey to Flemish online neighborhood network users (n = 590) and found that active localized SNS use brings about an online sense of community and community awareness, which both independently lead to a neighborhood sense of community. Based on these findings, we argue that SNSs, appropriated as online neighborhood networks, function simultaneously as neighborhood hotspots in a neighborhood’s communication action context as well as community awareness media in a neighborhood’s storytelling network.

A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of the Relationship Between Neighborhood Sense of Community and School Sense of Community.

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.

Validation of the Abbreviated Socio-Political Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) Among Urban Girls of Color

This study tested and validated the factor structure of the abbreviated Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) among a sample of urban girls of color. Participants include (N = 830) urban girls of color from a northeastern United States community. Confirmatory Factor analyses (CFA) were conducted using AMOS Structural Equation Modeling Software. Cluster groups were created using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA) and tested using Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with conceptually related variables. CFA results supported the two-factor structure of the abbreviated SPCS-Y among the sample. Following the creation of cluster groups, MANCOVA analyses revealed significant heterogeneity among cluster groups of participants on neighborhood sense of community, social support, ethnic identity, and lower levels of drug use. Findings support the factor structure of the SPCS-Y and its use to measure empowerment among girls of color. Results contribute significantly to the field of social work and encourages the importance of promoting strengths-based approaches among girls of color. Implications for social work practice with girls of color are conveyed in light of the need for reliable measurement tools for practitioners.

Age Related Differences in Neighborhood Sense of Community: Impacts of the Neighborhood Environment and Leisure Time Physical Activity

Emerging research has found that both perceptions of the environment and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) behavior can contribute to sense of community (SOC) in the neighborhood. The strength of these associations, however, may vary according to age. This research examined the influence of LTPA and environmental perceptions on SOC among adults in four age groups to determine whether age-related differences existed among the causal pathways. Quota sampling was utilized to survey residents (N = 597) in Phoenix, Arizona. A multi-group structural equation modeling analysis indicated that all structural paths were significantly associated, yet distinct patterns were revealed depending on age. Notably, the positive relationship between perceptions of the neighborhood environment and SOC was strongest among older adults. Furthermore, LTPA was found to mediate the relationship, suggesting that engaging in physical activity during leisure time may be a promising strategy to promote neighborhood cohesion, particularly among adults aged 65 and older.

Substance use among urban youth of color: Exploring the role of community-based predictors, ethnic identity, and intrapersonal psychological empowerment.

Advances in the etiology of substance use in ethnic minority youth over the last 30 years have not adequately addressed factors and conditions that protect youth from substance use. This research has also failed to consider the impact of ethnic identity and empowerment-based processes among urban youth of color. The aim of the present study was to uncover, first, the mediating effect of ethnic identity between community-based predictors (e.g., community participation and neighborhood sense of community) and 30-day substance use, and second, the mediating effect of intrapersonal psychological empowerment (PE) between ethnic identity and 30-day substance use. Data were from a sample (N = 1,480) of African-American/Black (30.4%) and Hispanic/Latinx (59.1%) urban adolescents, who were largely female (61%) and between 16 and 18 years of age (70.5%). Main analytic procedures were carried out through AMOS structural equation modeling software. Results from this study displayed the importance of ethnic identity and PE as mechanisms associated with reducing 30-day substance use. Both PE and ethnic identity mediated the effect community-based predictors had in reducing 30-day substance use. In addition, PE was observed to also mediate the effect between ethnic identity and 30-day substance use, providing insight into the relationship between ethnic identity and PE. The salience of ethnic identity and PE as mechanisms associated with reducing 30-day substance use are discussed. In addition, findings provide useful insight into the development of youth- and community-based prevention policies and programming to help reduce substance use and empower adolescents of color. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of the Brief Sense of Community Scale among youth of color from an underserved urban community.

Neighborhood sense of community (SOC) is a key construct in the community psychology literature. While the research on neighborhood SOC has progressed significantly, there is a need to further validate the Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) among youth. A critical area of scholarship, therefore, is to examine the factor structure of the BSCS among a cohort of adolescents, particularly from the United States. This study tested the factor structure of the BSCS among a sample of urban youth of color (N=383) using SPSS AMOS, a structural equation modeling software. After testing the factor structure, we examined the relationships between each of the BSCS subscales and conceptually related variables (e.g., psychological empowerment, relational power, and school importance). Results from this study confirm the first- and second-order factor structure of the BSCS among youth. BSCS and its underlying subscales were both correlated with one another and correlated with the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment, relational power, and school importance. Our findings have critical implications for the field of community psychology and the development and use of the BSCS among adolescents.

An examination of ethnic identity as a mediator of the effects of community participation and neighborhood sense of community on psychological empowerment among urban youth of color.

Empowerment research has made important contributions toward understanding youth development, well-being, and activism; however, it has failed to consider the impact that ethnic identity has on psychological empowerment (PE) and among related empowerment predictors (e.g., community participation and neighborhood sense of community [SOC]). The present study focuses on examining the mediating role of ethnic identity between community participation, neighborhood SOC, and PE. Using structural equation modeling path analysis techniques among a sample of Hispanic and Black youth (N=1,480) from an underresourced community, this study examines the mediating role of ethnic identity between community participation, neighborhood SOC, and PE. Community participation and neighborhood SOC had a positive direct effect on both ethnic identity and PE. Both community participation and neighborhood SOC also indirectly affected PE through ethnic identity. This study supports the mediating role of ethnic identity and the direct effect of ethnic identity on PE. Results point toward the importance of ethnic identity with PE and in the empowerment process. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The interacting effects of psychological empowerment and ethnic identity on indicators of well‐being among youth of color

AbstractDecades of legislative actions and power imbalances have limited African American/Black and Hispanic/Latina(o) urban youth's perceptions of empowerment and ability to rely upon social and institutional resources. Youth who have access to supportive resources and are connected to their ethnic–racial group perceive themselves as empowered and score higher on indicators of well‐being. Among a sample of African American/Black and Hispanic/Latina(o) urban youth (N = 383) and using multivariate analysis of variance, the current study examined the relationship between psychological empowerment (PE) and ethnic identity among conceptually relevant outcome variables: community participation, neighborhood sense of community (SOC), school importance, and perceived substance use risk. Results indicated that PE and ethnic identity profile groups differed significantly on measures of community participation, neighborhood SOC, school importance, and perceived risk of using substances. Results provide preliminary support for the empirical and theoretical relationship between PE and ethnic identity on related empowerment measures, as well as indicators of well‐being. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Measuring sense of community in the military: cross‐cultural evidence for the validity of the brief sense of community scale and its underlying theory

AbstractIn this article, the authors present a German Sense of Community (SOC) Scale for use in military settings. The scale is based on the translation and field‐testing of an existing U.S.‐based measure of neighborhood SOC (Peterson, Speer, & McMillan, 2008). The methodological intricacies underlying cross‐cultural scale development are highlighted, as are the strategies used to overcome them. Administered in a navy context (n=270), the newly developed German measure improves the psychometric credentials of the existing scale by confirming the principal theory of SOC and its applicability across borders and contexts. Future research is encouraged to build on the strength and flexibility of the existing U.S. instrument for further cross‐cultural scale development, thus enabling SOC theory to attain its full international potential. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sense of community and its relevance to adolescents of all ages

In this study, 234 white female and male 13 to 18 year olds were interviewed in informal social settings. They completed questionnaires regarding their neighborhood and school psychological sense of community (Sense of Community Index), experiences of social support (Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours) and loneliness (Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), and rated statements assessing subjective well-being. Multiple regression and correlation analyses indicated that social support and sense of community were distinctive aspects of the adolescent's community context. Neighborhood sense of community, followed by non-directive guidance, support, and age, predicted adolescent loneliness. Sense of community was the primary correlate with subjective evaluations of well-being. Sense of community scores for neighborhood and school settings were significantly lower for older adolescents. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental research implications and the importance of sense community in prevention programs to facilitate adolescent development. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Sense of community and its relevance to adolescents of all ages

In this study, 234 white female and male 13 to 18 year olds were interviewed in informal social settings. They completed questionnaires regarding their neighborhood and school psychological sense of community (Sense of Community Index), experiences of social support (Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours) and loneliness (Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), and rated statements assessing subjective well-being. Multiple regression and correlation analyses indicated that social support and sense of community were distinctive aspects of the adolescent's community context. Neighborhood sense of community, followed by non-directive guidance, support, and age, predicted adolescent loneliness. Sense of community was the primary correlate with subjective evaluations of well-being. Sense of community scores for neighborhood and school settings were significantly lower for older adolescents. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental research implications and the importance of sense community in prevention programs to facilitate adolescent development. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.