scholarly journals Diversity and Neighbourhood Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (624) ◽  
pp. 3219-3255
Author(s):  
Monica Langella ◽  
Alan Manning

Abstract This article investigates the impact of ethnic diversity on individuals’ satisfaction with their neighbourhoods. It uses panel data and a variety of empirical methods to control for potential endogeneity of diversity and of location choices. We find that a higher white share raises overall satisfaction with the neighbourhood in our (overwhelming white) sample, but has no significant impact on generalised trust or other commonly used measures of social capital. We suggest that part of the impact of diversity on overall neighbourhood satisfaction may be through an effect on fear of crime, though we find no effect on actual crime.

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-180
Author(s):  
Steven Lockey ◽  
Les Graham ◽  
Tom Redman ◽  
Yuyan Zheng ◽  
Gillian Routledge ◽  
...  

Policy-makers have called for community engagement to be made central to police operations in England and Wales, yet little empirical investigation has been undertaken in this context to support its efficacy. This article uses a quasi-experimental research design to review a community engagement intervention that aimed to develop citizens’ perceptions of social capital in their community, improve their perceptions the police, and reduce fear of crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) incidents. We also develop and test a conceptual model that explores the mechanisms by which social capital may influence citizens’ fear of crime and perceptions of the police, positing that local area potency; the belief that a group can be effective in achieving its goals, may be an important mediating mechanism. Results of independent samples t-tests indicate that the intervention was successful in meeting its objectives in the area it was trialled. There were significant increases in social capital, local area potency, confidence in the police and perceptions of police community focus, and decreases in fear of crime and ASB. These results were generally not evident in a control area. Structural equation modelling results supported the hypothesized model, indicating that local area potency mediates the relationships between social capital and the project outcomes. These findings contribute to the limited empirical evidence in support of the positive influence of community engagement in the United Kingdom, and indicate that social capital and local area potency are important antecedents of citizens’ positive attitudes toward crime and the police.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 757-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morris Levy

Has mass migration from Mexico since the 1980s contributed to a well-documented decline in US social capital? Theories linking ethnic diversity to lower social cohesion and participation (e.g., Putnam 2007, 30, 137) would strongly predict this effect. Yet the impact of immigration in particular, rather than ethno-racial diversity generally, on US social capital has not been examined. Assessing the impact of immigration is important because some have speculated that associations between measures of diversity and social capital found in the United States are a byproduct of the country's distinctively fraught history of black–white relations. This scope condition would greatly limit the applicability of Putnam's thesis. To assess the impact of Mexican immigration, this study leverages a dynamic measure of social capital and an instrumental variables design. The results address an important recent methodological critique of the broader literature and strongly corroborate the hypothesis that immigration erodes social capital.


Author(s):  
Linuz Aggeborn ◽  
Nazita Lajevardi ◽  
Pär Nyman

Abstract What is the effect of membership in civil associations on political participation? Membership has been linked to providing social capital and personal networks, which in turn help citizens more easily navigate politics. Yet this link is empirically complex, since politically interested individuals self-select into networks and associations. This research note addresses the impact of membership on different forms of political participation using a panel survey from Sweden that distinguishes between passive and active membership in various types of associations. The baseline results reaffirm a strong association between membership and political participation. The survey's panel dimension is exploited to reveal that earlier scholarship has likely overstated the robustness of membership's participatory effects. Rather, the remaining impact of association membership in the panel specification is mainly driven by types of associations for which the highest degree of selection behaviour is expected.


Author(s):  
Iris Glas ◽  
Roel Jennissen ◽  
Godfried Engbersen

AbstractThis study considers and simultaneously tests the role of ethnic diversity and out-group size in relation to individuals’ perceptions of neighborhood cohesion and fear of crime among natives in Dutch neighborhoods. We challenge the way the impact of diversity has been studied previously and propose an alternative measure to examine diversity effects. This results in a better understanding of how and why the ethnic composition of a neighborhood may impact levels of cohesion and fear, and thereby contributes to the literature on the societal effects of ethnic diversity. In addition, attention is paid to the association between cohesion and fear and whether neighborhood cohesion mediates the relationship between ethnic diversity and fear of crime. We apply multilevel equation modeling techniques to analyze the different relationships and use data of the Dutch Safety Monitor (N = 71,760) in combination with detailed register data. Our study is one of the first to detect a diversity effect on cohesion based on the modified diversity measure. We do not find support for the hypothesized diversity effect on fear of crime. Lastly, out-group size turned out to decrease cohesion and increase fear.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Economidou ◽  
Dimitris Karamanis ◽  
Alexandra Kechrinioti ◽  
Sofia Xesfingi

AbstractMigration has manifested itself to historic highs, creating divisive views among politicians, policy makers, and individuals. The present paper studies the Europeans’ attitudes toward immigration, focusing particularly on the role of social capital. Based on 267,282 respondents from 22 countries and over the period 2002–2014, we find that despite the eventful past years, Europeans, on average, are positive toward immigrants with the North European countries to be the least xenophobic. A salient finding of our analysis is that regardless of the impact of other contextual factors, namely, a country’s macroeconomic conditions, ethnic diversity, cultural origin, and individuals’ attributes, social capital associates with positive attitudes toward all immigrants, independent of their background. Furthermore, social capital moderates the negative effects of perceived threat on people’s opinions about immigrants.


2011 ◽  
pp. 46-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Polishchuk ◽  
R. Menyashev

The paper deals with economics of social capital which is defined as the capacity of society for collective action in pursuit of common good. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between social capital and formal institutions, and the impact of social capital on government efficiency. Structure of social capital and the dichotomy between its bonding and bridging forms are analyzed. Social capital measurement, its economic payoff, and transmission channels between social capital and economic outcomes are discussed. In the concluding section of the paper we summarize the results of our analysis of the role of social capital in economic conditions and welfare of Russian cities.


2019 ◽  
pp. 46-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir V. Klimanov ◽  
Sofiya М. Kazakova ◽  
Anna A. Mikhaylova

The article examines the impact of various socio-economic and financial indicators on the resilience of Russian regions. For each region, the integral index of resilience is calculated, and its correlation dependence with the selected indicators is revealed. The study confirms the relationship between fiscal resilience and socio-economic resilience of the regions. The analysis of panel data for 75 regions from 2007 to 2016 shows that there are significant differences in the dynamics of indicators in different periods. In particular, the degree of exposure to the negative effects of the crises of 2008—2009 and 2014—2015 in non-resilient regions is higher than in resilient ones.


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