Sense Of Community Research Articles

Sense of Community in the context of disease prevention and health promotion: A scoping review of the literature

BackgroundThe centrality of community engagement in disease prevention and health promotion interventions highlights the need to understand the contextual factors that shape participation. Sense of Community (SoC), characterized by feelings of belonging, connection, and interdependence among members of a community, has emerged as a key component of community capacity and is therefore expected to influence engagement outcomes. However, empirical evidence is needed to assess its actual impact on community engagement. Additionally, the literature lacks a broader synthesis of the role and implications of SoC in this context. This study aims to review the empirical literature on SoC in disease prevention and health promotion, with a special focus on its association with community engagement.MethodsA scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, searching for empirical studies published between 1974 and 2023 via Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed.ResultsNineteen studies were included in the review, revealing three key themes: (1) the community to which SoC refers – among intervention participants, within community coalitions, and defined by the place of residence; (2) the interpretation of SoC, either as a generic, intuitive concept or as a theoretically defined construct; (3) the ways in which SoC is studied – as a predictor of engagement but also as an outcome of the interventions. Generic SoC among intervention participants emerged as a positive outcome and a factor contributing to engagement. However, as the scope expanded to encompass broader communities and SoC became more theoretically grounded, these dynamics shifted. SoC related to the place of residence did not exhibit significant improvement after interventions. Broader community-level SoC showed positive associations with engagement among members of community coalitions, but evidence was less consistent among the individuals targeted by interventions.ConclusionsThe review highlighted a scarcity of empirical research on SoC despite its recognition as a key component of community capacity. Contextualizing SoC is crucial, as its interpretation significantly influences its role in disease prevention and health promotion interventions. Further research is needed to clarify whether SoC can foster engagement at all community levels, especially among the general population. This is particularly relevant amid the current context of escalating health needs and strained traditional resources, where community engagement is increasingly essential to ensuring the sustainable delivery of disease prevention and health promotion efforts. If SoC can drive widespread engagement, it could play a pivotal role in building more proactive and autonomous health-promoting communities.

Presence of meaning in life and subjective well-being as mediators of association between sense of community and academic engagement

We examined the associations between sense of community (SoC) and multidimensional academic engagement, including whether meaning in life and subjective well-being mediate the relationships. Participants were Nigerian students who completed the Classroom Sense of Community Inventory–School Form (CSCI-SF), Meaning in Life Questionnaire’s (MLQ) Presence subscale, Brief Adolescent Subjective Well-being in School Scale (BASWSS), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – Student Version (UWES-S-9). Data was analysed using Model 6 of Hayes’ regression-based PROCESS module. Results showed that both presence of meaning and subjective well-being mediated the effects of aspects of SoC on vigour, dedication and overall academic engagement. The effects of SoC on absorption was only mediated by subjective wellbeing. Mediation pathways were not significant for the effects of learning SoC on absorption. In all cases, the strongest mediation existed in the paths linking social SoC to academic engagement through subjective wellbeing. Promotion of classroom SoC may facilitate presence of meaning in life and subjective wellbeing thereby enhancing academic engagement

Mitigating the effect of COVID-19 in a postemergency phase: The role of sense of community and individual resilience.

To identify and confirm patterns of relationships connecting sense of community (SOC) and individual resilience with psychological well-being, via the mediation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts on life domains. An online survey was conducted with a sample of adults (n = 650) 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy and the United States (April-December 2021). Utilizing a Structural Equation Model, we tested a mediation model (n = 563) to identify the associations between SOC and individual resilience and the perceived impacts of the emergency situation and psychological well-being. Results revealed that during the crisis, SOC had an influence on psychological well-being, but only by mediating the effects of COVID-19 impacts on life domains. Independently, individual resilience had a direct influence on psychological well-being. The findings support the importance of the interaction of individual and collective variables that played different roles at different phases of the pandemic. The findings suggest for possible interventions to enhance well-being during crises.

Ubiquitous processes strengthening neighbourhood communities: How neighbourhood‐related social media can foster the active involvement of citizens and build resilient communities

AbstractModern local communities are undergoing deep changes due to modern social and cultural processes and to the widespread use of ubiquitous, neighbourhood‐related social media. Indeed, the latter shape citizens' experiences in terms of both local relationships and opportunities for shared aims and behaviours. Therefore, this study endeavours to unravel the impact of neighbourhood‐related social media on users' sense of community (SoC), sense of responsible togetherness (SoRT), and perceptions of community resilience via their potential in enhancing their informal neighbouring behaviours and civic engagement. Nine hundred and sixty‐five Italian citizens (30.1% males; Mage = 22.80; SDage = 4.88) answered an online questionnaire; Structural Equation Modelling was used to run a multiple sequential mediation model having community resilience as the final outcome. The results confirm the positive relationship of such social media with users' informal neighbouring behaviours and civic engagement but show that only civic engagement mediates its relationships with SoC, SoRT, and perceptions of community resilience. Altogether, this opens interesting venues for future developments in both research and intervention fields, with reference to (a) further unravelling the intertwinement between online and local social dynamics and environments, and (b) better understanding how such intertwinement and this kind of social media could represent tools for the promotion of community building processes and of local resilience in community interventions.

The Role of Intangible Features in Developing Open Spaces

this paper focuses on the role of intangibleelements of the public spaces in the residential areas such asa neighbourhood. The main emphasis is the significance ofthe factor of social satisfactions on developing public spaces.The research to date has tended to focus on examining thephysical quality of public space, particularly tangiblefeatures, but fewer have dealt with the intangible featuresthat related to the residents’ social life and communityinteraction. Consequently, in this research, the analysisincludes some important intangible elements such as a senseof community, social satisfaction and safety and security inthe public spaces and the local initiatives. The researchincludes two case studies in Misurata, Libya. Both cases areneighbourhoods type with similar in size, population,number of houses and distance from the city centre.However, one case is a Governmental Neighbourhood GNswhile the other one is a Traditional Neighbourhood TNs.This inquiry is a qualitative research, however, it adoptedmixed methods approach, and i.e. both questionnaires andin-depth interviews were utilized for data collection. Theresults of this study show that there are a several crucialfindings related to the importance of these intangibleelements, these findings suggest some practical guidelines tobe considered in new development projects.

Legal Protections Analysis for Physical Assault Victims and Their Impact on Public Safety: Case Study of Judge's Decision Number 399/Pid.B/2020/PN Dps

Demolition is a criminal act that not only violates the human rights of victims, but also has a serious impact on the community's sense of security. This study aims to examine the legal protection provided to victims of demolition in Judge Decision Number 399/Pid.B/2020/PN Dps and its implications for public safety. This study uses a normative juridical method with a case study approach. Primary data is obtained from judges' decisions, while secondary data is collected from laws and regulations, legal literature, and previous research. Data analysis is carried out qualitatively with legal interpretation and argumentation techniques. The decision of Judge Number 399/Pid.B/2020/PN Dps shows that there are efforts to protect the law for victims of demolition through the provision of compensation and rehabilitation. However, this ruling has not fully reflected the more comprehensive aspect of restorative justice. The implication of this decision on public security is that there is still potential vulnerability and public distrust of law enforcement. Legal protection for victims of demolition needs to be strengthened with a more comprehensive restorative justice approach, involving the active participation of victims, perpetrators, and the community. The strengthening of legal protection is expected to increase public security and prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future.

Interplay between greenspace interactions and sense of place in Seoul City

The intricate connection between urban residents and their surrounding greenspaces highlights the multifaceted relationship shaping individuals’ sense of place within urban environment. This study explores the influential relationship between greenspace interactions (GI) and the resultant greenspace sense of place (GSP) while considering four types of greenspaces (GT) as moderators. Employing partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data was gathered from 400 participants, encompassing different GT within Seoul City, South Korea, to investigate the nuanced associations among psychological, physical, social, and environmental dimensions of GI and their impacts on place attachment (PA), sense of community (SoC), and utilitarian sense of place (USoP) in the GSP framework. Findings confirm a significant relationship between GI and GSP, emphasizing the role of environmental consciousness as a predominant factor influencing individuals’ overall perception on urban nature. Notably, despite conceptual expectations, the study revealed no moderation effect of different GT on the GI-GSP relationship, underscoring the universal relevance of urban greenspaces in fostering residents’ GSP. The result emphasizes the intrinsic value of urban greenspaces in shaping the preference of urban residents regarding urban nature.

Sense of community (SOC) in gated urban neighborhoods: Empirical insights from Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT Despite gated communities becoming a prominent form of housing in the Global South cities, the extent to which these privatized neighborhoods foster a sense of community remains understudied. Most of the studies on sense of community are based on experiences from the Global North. To address this lacuna, this paper examines the extent to which residents of gated communities develop a sense of community and the different factors that are associated with this sense of community. We conducted regression analysis on cross-sectional survey data from Devtraco and Manet gated communities, to determine factors associated with a sense of community in these gated communities. Our findings demonstrate that residents of gated communities exhibit a stronger sense of community—shaped by different individual, household, and environmental characteristics. Interestingly, our study reveals that males have a higher sense of community compared to females. Age, length of residence, tenure status, household size, and proximity to community features were significant factors associated with sense of community. Our study adds to the extant literature on a sense of community among individuals living in gated communities in the Global South.

Community Archetypes: An Empirical Framework for Guiding Research Methodologies to Reflect User Experiences of Sense of Virtual Community on Reddit

Humans need a sense of community (SOC), and social media platforms afford opportunities to address this need by providing users with a sense of virtual community (SOVC). This paper explores SOVC on Reddit and is motivated by two goals: (1) providing researchers with an excellent resource for methodological decisions in studies of Reddit communities; and (2) creating the foundation for a new class of research methods and community support tools that reflect users' experiences of SOVC. To ensure that methods are respectfully and ethically designed in service and accountability to impacted communities, our work takes a qualitative and community-centered approach by engaging with two key stakeholder groups. First, we interviewed 21 researchers to understand how they study community" on Reddit. Second, we surveyed 12 subreddits to gain insight into user experiences of SOVC. Results show that some research methods can broadly reflect user experiences of SOVC regardless of the topic or type of subreddit. However, user responses also evidenced the existence of five distinct Community Archetypes: Topical Q&A, Learning & Perspective Broadening, Social Support, Content Generation, and Affiliation with an Entity. We offer the Community Archetypes framework to support future work in designing methods that align more closely with user experiences of SOVC and to create community support tools that can meaningfully nourish the human need for SOC/SOVC in our modern world.

Penegakan Hukum Tindak Pidana Pembunuhan Berencana terhadap Hakim

Premeditated murder is a crime (moord), it could be said that this is ordinary murder, but the difference is that it was planned in advance. The crime of murder is an act or deed committed by a person against another person so that the act can cause the loss of a person's life, this type of criminal act is a crime against a person's life, namely primarily assault and murder, both types of murder crimes are always preceded by torture which is always appears to be a charge after a charge of murder relating to evidentiary circumstances The research method used is the Normative Juridical research type, in accordance with the objectives the author wants to achieve, the methodology in designing the thesis research uses two types of approaches, namely the Statutory Approach and the Conceptual Approach. The Statute Approach is an approach carried out by examining all laws with the concept of law. Legal System Proving Premeditated Murder Against Judges: If the murder as intended in Article 338 is carried out immediately when the intention arises, whereas the implementation of premeditated murder is postponed after the intention is established, in order to regulate the plan, the manner in which the murder will be carried out. Upholding Justice Against Premeditated Murder of Judges, the judge's legal considerations before a decision is taken so the fuel is the values, principles, concepts, appropriate theories and evidence and facts revealed at trial. So that the decisions are good and in accordance with the community's sense of justice.

Penegakan Hukum Tindak Pidana Pembunuhan Berencana terhadap Hakim

Premeditated murder is a crime (moord), it could be said that this is ordinary murder, but the difference is that it was planned in advance. The crime of murder is an act or deed committed by a person against another person so that the act can cause the loss of a person's life, this type of criminal act is a crime against a person's life, namely primarily assault and murder, both types of murder crimes are always preceded by torture which is always appears to be a charge after a charge of murder relating to evidentiary circumstances The research method used is the Normative Juridical research type, in accordance with the objectives the author wants to achieve, the methodology in designing the thesis research uses two types of approaches, namely the Statutory Approach and the Conceptual Approach. The Statute Approach is an approach carried out by examining all laws with the concept of law. Legal System Proving Premeditated Murder Against Judges: If the murder as intended in Article 338 is carried out immediately when the intention arises, whereas the implementation of premeditated murder is postponed after the intention is established, in order to regulate the plan, the manner in which the murder will be carried out. Upholding Justice Against Premeditated Murder of Judges, the judge's legal considerations before a decision is taken so the fuel is the values, principles, concepts, appropriate theories and evidence and facts revealed at trial. So that the decisions are good and in accordance with the community's sense of justice.

Legal Analysis of the Decision on a Hit-and-Run Traffic Accident Case in Semarang: Case Study of District Court Decision No. 386/Pid.Sus/2023/PN.Smg

The hit-and-run case that killed Selvi Amalia Nuraeni by Kevin Meikacandra has attracted public attention. This research aims to analyze the judge's decision in this case (Decision Number 386/Pid.Sus/2023/PN.Smg.) and provide its implications for law enforcement and public safety. This research uses a normative method with a statutory approach and a case approach. Secondary data consisting of primary and secondary legal materials is analyzed using a deductive mindset. The judge's decision in the Kevin Meikacandra case shows that the judge considered various factors, including elements of negligence, intentionality and the community's sense of justice. The judge sentenced Kevin Meikacandra to 4 years in prison, which was considered a light sentence by some in the community. The judge's ruling in this case has important implications for law enforcement and public safety. On the one hand, this decision shows that the judge is trying to provide justice for all parties. On the other hand, this decision also shows that there are still gaps in the legal system that allow hit-and-run perpetrators to receive light sentences.

Sense of community and residential well-being among rural-urban migrants in China

This paper aims to provide an empirical prediction of residential well-being (RWB) and sense of community (SoC) among Chinese rural-urban migrants (RUMs). Multiple linear regressions are used with survey data derived from a representative sample of 15 migrant villages located in three major urban regions of China in order to evaluate the contributions of socioeconomic factors, living conditions, and neighborhood conditions to the SoC score and RWB score. The majority of the sample consists of middle-aged, married men who live in shared housing, are registered in the agricultural Hukou (household registration) system, and have subpar housing. Empirical analyses show that, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, living conditions, and community neighborhood conditions, Hukou status (urban or rural) significantly influences the RWB score rather than the SoC score. In the simultaneous equation models, the following factors can predict the SoC score and RWB score: age, gender, educational attainment, home ownership, number of housing facilities, monthly household income, number of living rooms, number of problem-solving channels, and converted residences. The SoC score and RWB score have a moderately strong correlation. Therefore, improving the living, institutional, socioeconomic, and neighborhood conditions will help to improve the SoC and RWB of RUMs.

The Effect of Familism Emotions on Post-Traumatic Growth Among the Elderly in China: The Mediating Roles of Taoist Personality and Sense of Community.

Post-traumatic growth is a significant social issue in the management of active aging in elderly people. This study investigates the influence of familism emotions on post-traumatic growth (PTG) of the elderly, and the mediating role of Taoist personality and sense of community (SOC) therein, to provide a scientific basis for the development of positive aging in the elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted in several communities of Hubei Province in China. A total of 338 elderly people were investigated with the Familism Emotion Scale, PTG Scale, Taoist Personality Scale and SOC Scale. SPSS 23.0 was used to derive descriptive statistics and conduct a common method bias test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple stepwise regression analysis. Mplus 7.3 was used for structural equation modeling to test the significance of parallel mediation effects on the data. The results show that: (1) Familism emotions, Taoist personality and SOC are positively correlated with PTG; (2) Familism emotions, Taoist personality and SOC can all positively predict PTG in the elderly; (3) Both Taoist personality and SOC partially mediated the link between familism emotions and PTG in the elderly. In the context of particularly constraining societal events such as COVID-19, it is necessary to pay careful attention to the impact of external environmental influences upon the elderly, such as family and community, and to encourage elderly people to cultivate a more Taoist personality. The formation of a Taoist personality offers a promising new focus for research in elderly healthcare.

Sense of community in roller derby

Sport can provide an important vehicle for experiencing a sense of community (SOC), however, limited research has explored SOC among players within non-mainstream sport contexts, such as roller derby. This study explored roller derby skaters’ experiences of SOC. Ten female roller derby players aged 25 to 57 completed photo elicitation interviews, which were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated that the accepting atmosphere and symbols enhanced a sense of membership and belonging. The self-governing nature of roller derby enabled players to exert influence on teams and leagues. As players provided emotional support for each other and engaged in competition, they experienced the fulfillment of needs. Through meaningful moments, players shared emotions and built connections, which developed SOC within the team and the sport. Findings are discussed in light of SOC theory as well as Sense of Community in Sport (SCS) theory.

Penguatan Moderasi Beragama Melalui Nilai-Nilai Pendidikan Islam Dalam Kearifan Lokal Sedekah Pedusunan

This service activity aims to strengthen attitudes of religious moderation through the values ​​of Islamic education contained in the local wisdom of alms from the villages of Embacang Kelekar village, Kelekar subdistrict, Muara Enim district. The method used is the training method of strengthening religious moderation through Islamic education values in the local wisdom of Sedekah Pedusunan. The people of Embacang Kelekar Village have their own reasons for implementing this local wisdom. These reasons include: 1) To refuse balak, keep away disease, ask for good fortune and be grateful for what was obtained during the previous year. 2) To strengthen the community's sense of family. 3) To bring distant families closer together. Village almsgiving is carried out with the aim of gathering again and giving each other, either in the form of money or energy to help carry out rural almsgiving. In rural alms there are Islamic educational values ​​contained in it, namely i'tiqodiyah values, khuluqiyah values, and amaliyah values. The value of i'tiqodiyah is the sense of faith of citizens when reciting dhikr and reciting Yasin. Khuluqiyah values ​​include helping, compassion, gratitude, courtesy, forgiveness, discipline, keeping promises, honesty and responsibility. Furthermore, the value of charity is charity to fellow citizens. Through these values, it can be strengthened that the Embacang community has implemented an attitude of religious moderation through the local wisdom of village alms. The results of this activity are that 80% of the community understands the attitude of religious moderation.

Leveraging the Cancellation of In-Person Sport Events for Sense of Community: The Case of the Illinois Marathon

The current study explored how the cancellation of an in-person sport event was leveraged for sense of community (SOC) among event participants and challenges faced by event managers when leveraging event cancellation. We employed document analysis and semistructured interviews with 6 event managers and 14 event participants. Findings showed that despite the cancellation of in-person sport events, event managers were able to develop some new, creative sport or event programs such as virtual race, virtual challenge, and a small-scale in-person race, to build SOC among participants. However, there were also challenges to leveraging event cancellation for SOC such as prioritizing other urgent matters over leveraging the event, and lacking knowledge, experience, and resources. Overall, this study extends the event leverage framework by examining if and how event cancellation can be leveraged, while providing implications for event managers to develop effective leverage strategies in the face of event cancellations.

Young- and adult-learner language teachers’ social justice-oriented practices and professional identity construction

In recent years, research on the professional development of young-learner language teachers has grown in an attempt to draw its boundaries in comparison to adult-learner teaching. However, little comparative research is available on the professionalism of young- and adult-learner teachers, especially on their social justice-oriented practices. Motivated by this conspicuous gap, the present study explored Iranian young- and adult-learner teachers’ social justice practices and the contributions of such practices for their professional identity construction. Data were collected from an open-ended questionnaire, narrative frames, and semi-structured interviews. Data analyses revealed that while the teacher groups were similar in relation to promoting social justice at the class (equal participation and group work) and institutional (developing communal sense of justice-oriented practices) levels, the young-learner teachers differed in focusing more on self-inquiry approaches to promoting just instruction. Such practices also defined the participants in claiming and adopting the identities of caring, supportive, powerful, and critical teachers. We conclude with implications for teacher educators regarding how to anchor the principles of social justice into teacher education programs in order to positively shape teachers’ developing identities relative to their proficiency level of teaching.

Meningkatkan Motivasi Masyarakat Terhadap Kesadaran Gotong Royong

Mutual cooperation is an activity that can reflect activities that are beneficial to other people. Therefore, the lack of public awareness in mutual cooperation activities can be a serious problem for building a society that cares about the environment. The location of this service is in Afdeling II Bukit Village, Aceh Province. The aim of this service is to increase community motivation towards mutual cooperation awareness in an effort to create community participation and create a healthy, clean and comfortable environment. The method used in this activity is a method of socialization regarding the importance of awareness of community participation in working together to create cleanliness and beauty of the surrounding environment. The real result of carrying out this service activity is that it can produce work in the form of installing signs with the names of Allah's obligatory attributes and hanging flower pots installed along the roads to create the beauty of the village. Apart from that, the community's sense of concern for the environment can grow and they can adapt further to routine habits of protecting the environment to help develop healthy, clean and comfortable villages.

Sense of Community among the Residents of Gated and Non-Gated Communities in Lahore, Pakistan

Planned gated and non-gated communities have appeared rapidly all over the world due to the public amenities and quality of life they offer. It is generally assumed that gated communities provide better security as compared to non-gated communities. However, population growth and urban sprawl have led to many social and physiological issues including the death of old city traditions, community identity, and lack of the sense of community (SOC). Thus, modern urban development faces the challenge of meeting the habitation and social needs of people with lesser face-to-face interaction and more mobile and fluid ways of communication. Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan. It has experienced the growth of private sector led gated communities over several years. This research aims to compare their physical characteristics, as well as the perception of security, extent of social interaction, and the sense of community among their residents. For this purpose, the data of interviews with the residents of 4 selected gated and non-gated communities of Lahore was collected. The findings revealed that the sense of community is strongly associated with the extent of social interaction in both gated and non-gated communities. Contrary to what the literature generally suggests, this study found a higher sense of security among the residents of non-gated communities than gated communities. Finally, it was concluded that the participation of the residents in community development and management activities would promote more socially cohesive and vibrant communities.