Community attachment and satisfaction: the role of a community's social network structure

Abstract

This paper links the micro and macro levels of analysis by examining how different aspects of community sentiment are affected by one's personal ties to the community compared with the organizational network structure of the community. Using data collected from residents of six communities in Washington State, network analysis combined with negative binomial regression is used to determine the effect of personal networks and community networks on community attachment and satisfaction. Findings suggest that while individual‐level variables, such as length of residence and individual ties, affect one's attachment to community, a community's network structure does not significantly affect community attachment. However, a community's network structure significantly affects one's evaluation of community. Regardless of one's ties to the community, residents of cohesive communities are more likely to evaluate the community's social and physical environments more positively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Civic-Political Development in the Context of Economic Apartheid in Distressed Communities: A Theoretical Model

“…Further, civic-political development constitutes a range of civic-political attachment behaviors. These behaviors are voting, volunteerism, association membership or political and community activism, and serve to strengthen one's attachment to a community and its people (Crowe, 2010;Fogel, 2004;Hardina, 2003;Kelly, 2006;Pan, Littlefield, Valladolid, Tapping, & West, 2005) and relieve anxiety and stress in what some identify as a competitive economic jungle (Weber & Frederico, 2007).…”

“…This includes the fixed action patterns of social connectedness that enhance this evaluation of one's civic-political self-in-environment (DeNeve & Cooper, 1998;Huebner et al, 2004;Kelly, 2006). Finally, community attachment is an individual's attachment to a geographic community or specific social group (Crowe, 2010;Flanagan et al, 2009;Hardina, 2003;Kelly, 2006). It is significantly related to subjective well-being/quality of life satisfaction and the socio-economic factors relating to civic-political connectedness (Chavis & Wandersman, 1990;Finn & Checkoway, 1998;Hardina, 2003;Kelly, 2006;Perrier et al, 2010).…”

“…It is significantly related to subjective well-being/quality of life satisfaction and the socio-economic factors relating to civic-political connectedness (Chavis & Wandersman, 1990;Finn & Checkoway, 1998;Hardina, 2003;Kelly, 2006;Perrier et al, 2010). Even if one is working class, if they live in a cohesive community they are more likely to be attached to their community and evaluate their social and physical environment positively (Crowe, 2010). The theoretical model shows the connections between the fixed action patterns.…”

Evaluación de procesos comunitarios y análisis de redes inter-organizativas: elementos para mejorar la efectividad de las intervenciones comunitarias

“…De hecho, Lin (1999) afirma que el capital social está constituido básicamente por los recursos que portan las redes sociales (Lin, 1999, p. 28). La estructura social incide en la satisfacción de los individuos respecto a sus comunidades (Crowe, 2010). Este proceso supone que las redes sociales de las organizaciones y de los miembros de la comunidad influyen en procesos psicosociales como el spc, la cohesión social o la decisión de participar en actividades destinadas a mejorar el bienestar colectivo.…”

“…Recientemente, Crowe (2010) analizó cómo afecta la estructura comunitaria sobre la satisfacción de los individuos respecto a la comunidad. En un estudio anterior la misma autora (Crowe, 2007) puso de manifiesto la influencia que ejerce la manera como están estructuradas las organizaciones comunitarias sobre el desarrollo económico local.…”