Neighborhoods, People, and Community

ISBN-13: 9781461296836 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 238 str.

Roger Ahlbrandt

Opis

This book focuses on neighborhoods and the people living in them. It describes differences among neighborhoods in terms of their social and institutional structure, attitudes of the residents, quality of life, and the characteristics of the residents. The book is based on the results of a survey of almost 6,000 residents living throughout the city of Pittsburgh. As such it provides the basis for examining groups of people as well as whole neighborhoods. The communal aspects of urban living are discussed in Chapters 1 and 2; attachment toward the neighborhood in Chapter 3; importance of reli gion, life cycle, and race in Chapter 4; various aspects of individual social support systems and neighborhood social fabric in Chapters 5, 6, and 7; the contextual aspects of the neighborhood environment in Chapters 8 and 9; and the implications for urban policy in Chapter 10. The results of the analysis described in the book pro vide a detailed understanding of differences in the struc ture and composition of urban neighborhoods, and they show why some groups of people are drawn into their neighborhoods whereas others rely more upon the wider community to meet a variety of needs. The analysis pro vides the framework in which to address the implications for urban policy, particularly with respect to mental health prevention and neighborhood and community renewal."

Spis treści

1 A Community Focus.- Concept of Community.- The Research Context.- The Survey.- What Follows.- 2 The Community of Action.- Discussion of the Research Findings.- Personal Network.- Role of Place.- Socioeconomic Constraints.- Discussion.- Appendix A. Analysis of Various Aspects of Community by the Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Residents.- Utilization of Neighborhood Facilities.- Neighboring.- Organizational Involvement.- Kin in Neighborhood.- Friends in Neighborhood.- Work in Neighborhood.- Primary Social Relationships.- Intimate Ties.- 3 Attitudes about Neighborhoods.- Affective Sentiments.- Analysis.- Discussion of Results.- Quality of Life.- Social Fabric.- Respondent Characteristics.- Conclusion.- Appendix B. Description of the Independent Variables.- Quality of Life Variables.- Social Fabric Variables.- Respondent Characteristics.- 4 Religion, Life Cycle, and Race.- Reasons for Moving to the Neighborhood.- Things Liked Best about the Neighborhood.- Things Liked Least about the Neighborhood.- Planning to Remain in the Neighborhood.- Additional Analysis.- Conclusion.- 5 The Impact of Neighborhood Support Systems on the Individual.- The Model.- Description of the Variables.- Happiness and Life Satisfaction.- Health.- Socioeconomic and Demographic Characteristics.- Social Support System.- Neighborhood Attributes.- Satisfaction with Housing and Neighborhood.- Results.- Discussion.- 6 Neighborhood Social Fabric.- Internal and External Ties.- Relationships among the Variables.- Discussion.- Relationship to Neighborhood Attitudes.- Neighborhood Attachment.- Satisfaction.- Relationship to Life Happiness and Life Satisfaction.- Discussion.- 7 Social Fabric and Neighborhood Change.- The Model.- Analysis.- Lower-Income Neighborhoods.- Discussion.- 8 The Neighborhood Context.- Neighborhood Classification.- Affective Sentiments.- Use of Neighborhood Facilities.- Neighboring.- Social Supports.- Organizational Involvement.- Life Happiness.- Discussion.- 9 The Implications of Income.- High-Income Neighborhoods.- Discussion.- Middle-Income Neighborhoods.- Discussion.- Moderate-Income Neighborhoods.- Primary Ties.- Affective Sentiments.- Neighboring.- Participation.- Happiness and Life Satisfaction.- Use of Neighborhood Facilities.- Characteristics of Residents.- Discussion.- Lower-Income Neighborhoods.- Conclusion.- 10 The Neighborhood and Beyond.- Discussion.- Policy Implications.- Appendix C. Survey Questionnaire.