Mobility, belongingness and schooling experiences of Chinese cross-border students

Do people feel they belong? Socio‐political factors shaping the place attachment of Hong Kong citizens

“…Although people–place bonds have been studied in the context of Hong Kong through the use of concepts or factors relevant to place attachment, such as belongingness and sense of community, the broader concept of place attachment has rarely been adopted (Chan et al, 2020; Guo et al, 2021; Kuah‐Pearce & Fong, 2010). The under‐utilisation of this concept reflects a general problem regarding studies of people–place bonds, which have tended to define the relevant concepts using varying features and dimensions across disciplines.…”

“…To our knowledge, few studies on the case of Hong Kong have focused on the concept of place attachment. Instead, existing literature has generally explored the connection of people to place through concepts associated with place attachment, such as belonging, sense of community, and sense of identity (Chan et al, 2020, 2022; Guo et al, 2021). For example, Guo et al (2021) adopted a physical perspective on place attachment and found that features of the local built environment, including vegetation and the availability of health facilities, influenced the sense of community of Hong Kong residents.…”

“…For example, Guo et al (2021) adopted a physical perspective on place attachment and found that features of the local built environment, including vegetation and the availability of health facilities, influenced the sense of community of Hong Kong residents. To study the social and behavioural dimensions of place attachment, Chan et al (2020) adopted a social and behavioural perspective to explore the associations between belongingness, schooling experience, and educational mobilities among Chinese cross‐border students in Hong Kong. They found that better social relationships and higher levels of engagement in extra‐curricular activities were associated with higher levels of belongingness.…”