Postforced eviction communities: The contribution of personal and environmental resources to the sense of belonging to the community

Abstract

This article aims to examine the contribution of personal and environmental resources to the sense of belonging to the community among postforced eviction communities. The study included 140 participants who experienced forced eviction, and ranged in age from 20 to 79 years. Slightly more than half were women (52.4%, 74). Nearly half of the participants continued living alongside their fellow community members, while others left for different communities. The participants filled out self‐report questionnaires assessing their sense of belonging, social and family support, sense of mastery, and self‐esteem. We used 2 complementary instruments: the stepwise regression and the mediation model. Results indicated that the level of social and family support was found to be higher in the unified communities. Lower levels of the sense of belonging were found in the split communities. The sense of mastery was found to positively contribute to the sense of belonging. The self‐esteem resource was not found to contribute to the sense of belonging, whereas social and family support was found to positively contribute to the sense of belonging. The mediation model presented an interesting finding insofar that an indirect positive association was found regarding the sense of belonging via social support within different types of communities. The discussion refers to the findings and their contribution to both theory and practice.

Mastery, Social Support, and Sense of Community as Protective Resources Against Psychological Distress Among Israelis Exposed to Prolonged Rocket Attacks

“…Respondents who expressed higher levels of connections to their neighborhoods reported higher levels of posttraumatic distress. This finding stands in direct contrast to the results of several other studies investigating mental health consequences of chronic exposure to traumatic threats associated with military confrontations and acts of terror (e.g., Dekel & Tuval-Mashiach, 2012;Gelkopf et al, 2012;Levy, & Friedman, 2019;Stein et al, 2018). Although we did not predict the possibility that stronger connections with one's community could be a social-psychological liability for the present respondents, there are reports in the literature documenting that various indicators of social capital may be implicated in negative health outcomes in addition to their usual beneficial health effects (for a review see Villalonga-Olives & Kawachi, 2017).…”

“…Heightened levels of distress may eventually be registered as a result of the cumulative impact of such events but in a longer timeframe (Goral et al., 2017; Nuttman‐Shwartz & Shoval‐Zuckerman, 2016; Pat‐Horenczyk & Schiff, 2019; Stein et al., 2018). Our results add to the well‐established evidence that recurring experiences of political violence and military clashes, routinely experienced by Israeli and Palestinian civilians caught in the never‐ending conflict, contribute each time affected individuals’ psychological suffering (e.g., Dekel & Tuval‐Mashiach, 2012; Gelkopf et al., 2012; Lahad & Leykin, 2010; Levy & Friedman, 2019).…”

“…A sense of belonging to a cohesive group and/or community has been shown to be associated with improved psychological outcomes among survivors of disasters and other collective upheavals (e.g., Drury, 2018; Gallagher et al., 2019). Several studies in Israel that investigated protracted exposure to ongoing threats, referred to in the literature as “continuous traumatic stress” (CTS; see Nuttman‐Shwartz & Shoval‐Zukerman, 2016), have documented that individuals who express more connections to their communities exhibit lower levels of distress (e.g., Dekel & Tuval‐Mashiach, 2012; Gelkopf et al., 2012; Levy, & Friedman, 2019; Stein et al., 2018).…”

Forced evictions and their social and health impacts in Southern Somalia: a qualitative study in Mogadishu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps

“…Qualitative studies suggest that eviction is often experienced by individuals as a personal failure and carries stigma. This can lead to feelings of insecurity, embarrassment, isolation, having a lack of control over key aspects of daily living and the loss of the sense of belonging which can lead to anxiety, depression or suicidal feelings [ 16–20 ]. The stress of eviction can also trigger the adoption of unhealthy behaviours particularly during pregnancy such as forgoing meals and prenatal care or engaging in physically demanding work [ 21 ].…”

Portland Oregon’s “Right to Return” Policy & its Relation to Urban Renewal: A Community Psychology Approach

“…Emotional distress is a common sensation one may experience due to indirect displacement in relation to gentrification. There is a sense of loss of control that leads to uncertainty in regards to the future (Evans & Oehler-Stinnet, 2006;Shamai & Lev, 1999); it impedes on sense of belonging that in turn provides emotional involvement and a sense of security and meaning (Levy & Friedman, 2019); and it contributes to a dissociation from the now transformed neighborhood (Shaw & Hagemans, 2015). Indirect displacement is as harmful, and perhaps is even more harmful than direct displacement.…”