Place Attachment and Social Ties – Migrants and Natives in Three Urban Settings in Vienna

Abstract

With ongoing immigration from 'all over the world', European cities are realising that the local level is gaining importance as a setting for interethnic coexistence. In this article, we investigate the attachment of migrants and natives to their local context in three neighbourhoods (one better-off, two more deprived) in Vienna that differ in contextual, structural, and socio-economic characteristics. We ask how the place attachment of natives and migrants is related to weak and strong social ties. In all three neighbourhoods, we found a majority of residents reported high or medium levels of attachment proving that urban neighbourhoods are still important contexts for local residents. A closer look revealed differences across groups and research areas: The strongest place attachment is displayed by natives in the middle-class area of Laudongasse, with migrants being significantly less attached, but still more than migrants (and natives) in the two deprived settings. In social housing (Am Schöpfwerk), migrants are more attached than natives, whereas in Ludo-Hartmann-Platz, the difference is not significant. The first result is that obviously deprivation reduces individual place attachment. In contrast to previous studies we found that socio-demographic factors are not relevant, it is social contacts that are important in explaining local attachment. For natives and migrants alike, close ties in the neighbourhood raise local attachment. Small talks are relevant for migrants but not for natives. This is in line with previous studies emphasising the special relevance of weak ties for migrants in supporting the integration process in a new environment.

Sense of place attitudes and quality of life outcomes among African residents in a multicultural Australian society

“…It is also possible that the strong SOP felt by residents with more than 5 years residency may be due to family and business commitments compared with newly arrived temporary residents who may not have the needed resources to own their own businesses or immediately start a family in Australia. Kohlbacher, Reeger, and Schnell () suggest such social ties as another important factor contributing to SOP among migrant groups.…”

Reflections on Migration, Community, and Place

“…In conclusion, Kohlbacher et al . () echo the call of other papers in the special issue for greater attention to different aspects of place in an effort to explain these outstanding neighbourhood differences. In particular, they argue for more attention to be given to the physical attributes of place.…”

“…Kohlbacher et al . () rise to the challenge laid down by McGhee et al . () through comparative analysis of the role of social encounters and contacts in shaping the neighbourhood attachments of migrants and natives living in three different areas of Vienna – one affluent and two more deprived.…”

“…Concluding that context matters, they argue for research to look beyond reified group dispositions, to focus on the places in which migrants find themselves and to explore the conditions and constraints perceived, experienced, and negotiated in their daily lives. Kohlbacher et al (2015) rise to the challenge laid down by McGhee et al (2015) through comparative analysis of the role of social encounters and contacts in shaping the neighbourhood attachments of migrants and natives living in three different areas of Viennaone affluent and two more deprived. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from a large-scale international survey of interethnic tolerance and neighbourhood integration, the authors investigate the role of weak and strong social ties in forming both place attachments and a sense of belonging.…”

Love in the Time of Nokia: Cultural Change as Compromise in a Cambodian Migrant Enclave

“…Such critiques, highlighting ‘the need for a more complete theory of migration that incorporates notions of cultural dynamics as they relate to behaviour and societal outcomes’ (Curran & Saguy, : 54), have been proactively received in the recent geographic literature, where various authors (e.g. Netto, ; Hickman et al ., ; Hickey, ; Hickman & Mai, ; Kohlbacher et al ., ; Neal et al ., ; Phillips & Robinson, ; Platts‐Fowler & Robinson, ) have begun to reconceptualise the linkages between migration and place. In doing so, their work has sought to move beyond primarily descriptive accounts of migrant integration ‘which say little about causal pathways between the nature of place and the process of migrant incorporation’ (Phillips & Robinson, : 415) towards more analytical examinations of the processes and feedbacks linking migration – and in particular that undertaken by younger people (Skelton & Gough, ) – to cultural change.…”