Abstract
Despite mixed expectations generated by existing theories and evidence, this analysis documents clear racial differences in urban neighboring behavior. Using data from a survey of Nashville, Tennessee, residents, we show that blacks interact with their neighbors more often than whites do, and in a greater variety of ways. The only noteworthy similarity between the two groups is the positive impact of neighboring on feelings of community affect. Overall, our results support the view that neighbor relations — like other kinds of informal participation — have helped blacks cope with constrained social opportunities and provided them with access to resources unavailable through formal institutional channels.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahlbrandt, Roger S., Jr. 1984 Neighborhoods, People, and Community. New York: Plenum.
Ahbrandt, Roger S., Jr. andJames V. Cunningham 1979 A New Public Policy for Neighborhood Preservation. New York: Praeger.
Anderson, Elijah 1976 A Place on the Corner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Antunes, George andCharles M. Gaitz 1975 “Ethnicity and participation: A study of Mexican-Americans, blacks, and whites.” American Journal of Sociology 80:1192–1211.
Bianchi, Suzanne M., Reynolds Farley, andDaphne Spain 1982 “Racial inequalities in housing: An examination of recent trends.” Demography 19:37–51.
Blauner, Bob 1989 Black Lives, White Lives: Three Decades of Race Relations in America. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Bradburn, Norman M., Seymour Sudman, andGalen L. Gockel 1970 Racial Integration in American Neighborhoods: A Comparative Survey. Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.
Campbell, Angus, Philip E. Converse, andWillard L. Rodgers 1976 The Quality of American Life: Perceptions, Evaluations, and Satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage.
Campbell, Karen E. andBarrett A. Lee 1990 “Gender differences in urban neighboring.” Sociological Quarterly 31:495–512.
Farley, Reynolds 1984 Blacks and Whites: Narrowing the Gap? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Feagin, Joe R. 1970 “A note on the friendship ties of black urbanites.” Social Forces 49:303–308.
Fischer, Claude S. 1982 To Dwell Among Friends: Personal Networks in Town and City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Gans, Herbert J. 1962 The Urban Villagers: Group and Class in the Life of Italian-Americans. New York: Free Press.
Gerson, Kathleen, C. Ann Stueve, andClaude S. Fischer 1977 “Attachment to place.” In Claude S. Fischer (ed.), Networks and Places: Social Relations in the Urban Setting: 139–161. New York: Free Press.
Greenbaum, Susan D. andPaul E. Greenbaum 1985 “The ecology of social networks in four urban neighborhoods.” Social Networks 7:47–76.
Greer, Scott 1962 The Emerging City: Myth and Reality. New York: Free Press.
1983a “Sentiment and evaluation as ecological variables.” Sociological Perspectives 26:159–184.
1983b “The social organization of local areas.” Urban Affairs Quarterly 19:217–240.
Guterbock, Thomas M. andBruce London 1983 “Race, political orientation, and participation: An empirical test of four competing theories.” American Sociological Review 48:439–453.
Hannerz, Ulf 1969 Soulside: Inquiries into Ghetto Culture and Community. New York: Columbia University Press.
Hays, William C. andCharles H. Mindel 1973 “Extended kinship relations in black and white families.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 35:51–57.
1974 Symbolic Communities: The Persistence and Change of Chicago's Local Communities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
1975 “The loss of community: An empirical test through replication.” American Sociological Review 40:537–552.
Hunter, Albert andGerald D. Suttles 1972 “The expanding community of limited liability.” In Gerald D. Suttles, The Social Construction of Communities: 44–81. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hyman, Herbert H. andCharles Wright 1971 “Trends in voluntary association memberships of American adults: Replication based on secondary analysis of national sample surveys.” American Sociological Review 36:191–206.
Janowitz, Morris 1952 The Community Press in an Urban Setting. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
Jaynes, Gerald D. andRobin M. Williams, Jr., eds. 1989 A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Kasarda, John D. andMorris Janowitz 1974 “Community attachment in mass society.” American Sociological Review 39:328–339.
Keller, Suzanne 1968 The Urban Neighborhood: A Sociological Perspective. New York: Random House.
Klobus-Edwards, Patricia, John N. Edwards, andDavid L. Klemmack 1978 “Differences in social participation: Blacks and whites.” Social Forces 56:1035–1052.
Lane, Robert E. 1959 Political Life: Why and How People Get Involved in Politics. New York: Free Press.
Lee, Barrett A. 1985 “Racially mixed neighborhoods during the 1970s: Change or stability?” Social Science Quarterly 66:346–364.
Lee, Barrett A. and Karen E. Campbell 1990 “Neighbor networks of blacks and whites.” Paper presented at annual meeting of American Sociological Association, Washington, DC.
Lee, Barrett A., Karen E. Campbell, and Richard C. McCorkle 1990 “Patterns of urban neighboring.” Unpublished manuscript.
Liebow, Elliot 1967 Tally's Corner: A Study of Negro Streetcorner Men. Boston: Little, Brown.
Marsden, Peter V. 1987 “Core discussion networks of Americans.” American Sociological Review 52:122–131.
Martineau, William H. 1977 “Informal social ties among urban black Americans: Some new data and a review of the problem.” Journal of Black Studies 8:83–104.
Massey, Douglas S. andNancy A. Denton 1987 “Trends in the residential segregation of blacks, Hispanics, and Asians: 1970–1980.” American Sociological Review 52:802–825.
Merry, Sally Engle 1981 Urban Danger: Life in a Neighborhood of Strangers. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Moynihan, Daniel P. 1986 Family and Nation. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Murray, Charles 1984 Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950–1980. New York: Basic Books.
Myrdal, Gunnar, Richard Sterner, andArnold Rose 1944 An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy. New York: Harper and Brothers.
Nisbet, Robert A. 1953 The Quest for Community. New York: Oxford University Press.
Nohara, Shigeo 1968 “Social context and neighborliness: The Negro in St. Louis.” In Scott Greer, Dennis L. McElrath, David W. Miner, and Peter Orleans (eds.), The New Urbanization: 179–188. New York: St. Martin's.
Olsen, Marvin E. 1970 “Social and political participation of blacks.” American Sociological Review 35:682–697.
Orum, Anthony M. 1966 “A reappraisal of the social and political participation of Negroes.” American Journal of Sociology 72:32–46.
Rainwater, Lee 1970 Behind Ghetto Walls: Black Families in a Federal Slum. Chicago: Aldine.
Riger, Stephanie andPaul J. Lavrakas 1981 “Community ties: Patterns of attachment and social interaction in urban neighborhoods.” American Journal of Community Psychology 9:55–66.
Speare, Alden, Jr. 1974 “Residential satisfaction as an intervening variable in residential mobility.” Demography 11:173–188.
Stack, Carol B. 1974 All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community. New York: Harper & Row.
Stein, Maurice 1960 The Eclipse of Community: An Interpretation of American Studies. New York: Harper & Row.
Taeuber, Karl E. andAlma F. Taeuber 1965 Negroes in Cities: Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Change. Chicago: Aldine.
Taub, Richard P., George P. Surgeon, Sara Lindholm, Phyllis Betts Otti, andAmy Bridges 1977 “Urban voluntary associations, locality based and externally induced.” American Journal of Sociology 83:425–442.
1964 “Informal group participation and residential patterns.” American Journal of Sociology 70:28–35.
1967 “Informal participation in a metropolitan community.” Sociological Quarterly 8:85–102.
Unger, Donald G. andAbraham Wandersman 1982 “Neighboring in an urban environment.” American Journal of Community Psychology 10:493–509.
Warren, Donald I. 1975 Black Neighborhoods: An Assessment of Community Power. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Warren, Donald I. 1981 Helping Networks: How People Cope with Problems in the Urban Community. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
Warren, Donald I. 1986 “The helping roles of neighbors: Some empirical patterns.” In Ralph B. Taylor (ed.), Urban Neighborhoods: Research and Policy: 310–330. New York: Praeger.
White, Michael J. 1987 American Neighborhoods and Residential Differentiation. New York: Russell Sage.
Williams, Robin M., Jr. 1964 Strangers Next Door: Ethnic Relations in American Communities. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Wilson, James Q. 1975 Thinking About Crime. New York: Basic Books.
Wilson, William J. 1987 The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, The Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Wirth, Louis 1938 “Urbanism as a way of life.” American Journal of Sociology 44:1–24.
Wittberg, Patricia 1984 “The effects of local activity on neighborhood attitudes: A comparison of black and white urbanites.” Urban Affairs Quarterly 20:185–200.
Wright, Charles R. andHerbert H. Hyman 1958 “Voluntary association memberships of American adults: Evidence from national sample surveys.” American Sociological Review 23:284–294.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, B.A., Campbell, K.E. & Miller, O. Racial differences in urban neighboring. Sociol Forum 6, 525–550 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01114475
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01114475