Abstract
Family processes and child development unfold in a physical context. Research suggests that housing quality, community services, and neighborhood characteristics shape parenting practices and child cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. In the present chapter, main theoretical frameworks recognizing the influence of the environment on parenting and child development are presented. Among them, is the Ecological Systems Theory proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner in 1979. Several empirical studies have also demonstrated that contextual factors, such as noise level, crowding, poverty levels, and residential stability, impact children and their families. In this chapter, this evidence is reviewed from a critical perspective, recognizing its strengths and limitations. The chapter finishes with a discussion on the directions for future research and the implications of current evidence for policy and practice. It is concluded that investing in the implementation of interventions to prompt adequate housing and positive networks in neighborhoods and communities is key for human development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aaronson, D. (1999). A note on the benefits of homeownership. Chicago, IL: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Working paper series no. WP-99-23. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fip/fedhwp/wp-99-23.html
Adam, E. K., & Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (2002). Home sweet home(s): Parental separations, residential moves, and adjustment problems in low-income adolescent girls. Developmental Psychology, 38(5), 792–805. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.38.5.792
Alesina, A., & Ferrara, E. L. (2002). Who trusts others? Journal of Public Economics, 85(2), 207–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(01)00084-6
Anderson, S., & Leventhal, T. (2016). Residential mobility and adolescent achievement and behavior: Understanding timing and extent of mobility. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27(2), 328–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12288
Aneshensel, C. S., & Sucoff, C. A. (1996). The neighborhood context of adolescent mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37(4), 293–310. https://doi.org/10.2307/2137258
Armstrong, M. I., Birnie-Lefcovitch, S., & Ungar, M. T. (2005). Pathways between social support, family well being, quality of parenting, and child resilience: What we know. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 14(2), 269–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-005-5054-4
Barker, D., & Miller, E. (2009). Homeownership and child welfare. Real Estate Economics, 37(2), 279–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6229.2009.00243.x
Bartlett, S. (1998). Does inadequate housing perpetuate children’s poverty? Childhood, 5(4), 403–420. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568298005004004
Belsky, J. (1984). The determinants of parenting: A process model. Child Development, 55(1), 83–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1984.tb00275.x
Boyle, M. H. (2002). Home ownership and the emotional and behavioral problems of children and youth. Child Development, 73(3), 883–892. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00445
Brody, G. H., Ge, X., Conger, R., Gibbons, F. X., Murry, V. M., Gerrard, M., & Simons, R. L. (2001). The influence of neighborhood disadvantage, collective socialization, and parenting on African American children’s affiliation with deviant peers. Child Development, 72(4), 1231–1246. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00344
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979a). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979b). Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34(10), 844–850. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.844
Brooks-Gunn, J., Duncan, G. J., & Aber, J. L. (1997). Neighborhood poverty, volume 1: Context and consequences for children. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/9781610440844
Browning, C. R., & Cagney, K. A. (2002). Neighborhood structural disadvantage, collective efficacy, and self-rated physical health in an urban setting. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43(4), 383–399. https://doi.org/10.2307/3090233
Byrnes, H. F., & Miller, B. A. (2012). The relationship between neighborhood characteristics and effective parenting behaviors: The role of social support. Journal of Family Issues, 33(1), 1658–1687. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X12437693
Byron, K. (2005). A meta-analytic review of work–family conflict and its antecedents. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67(2), 169–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2004.08.009
Ceballo, R., & McLoyd, V. C. (2002). Social support and parenting in poor, dangerous neighborhoods. Child Development, 73(4), 1310–1321. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00473
Chetty, R., Hendren, N., & Katz, L. F. (2016). The effects of exposure to better neighborhoods on children: New evidence from the Moving to Opportunity experiment. American Economic Review, 106(4), 855–902. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20150572
Cleland, V., Timperio, A., Salmon, J., Hume, C., Baur, L. A., & Crawford, D. (2010). Predictors of time spent outdoors among children: 5-Year longitudinal findings. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 64(5), 400–406. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2009.087460
Coldwell, J., Pike, A., & Dunn, J. (2006). Household chaos: Links with parenting and child behaviour. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 47(11), 1116–1122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01655.x
Corapci, F., & Wachs, T. D. (2002). Does parental mood or efficacy mediate the influence of environmental chaos upon parenting behavior? Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 48(2), 182–201. https://doi.org/10.1353/mpq.2002.0006
Coulton, C. J., Korbin, J. E., Su, M., & Chow, J. (1995). Community level factors and child maltreatment rates. Child Development, 66(5), 1262–1276. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00934.x
Dietz, R. D., & Haurin, D. R. (2003). The social and private micro-level consequences of homeownership. Journal of Urban Economics, 54(3), 401–450. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-1190(03)00080-9
Drazen, Y. N. (2015). Child behavior and the home environment: Are crowding and doubling-up bad for kids? Presented at the Society for Social Work and Research 19th Annual Conference: The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity, SSWR. Retrieved from https://sswr.confex.com/sswr/2015/webprogram/Paper23510.html
Drukker, M., Kaplan, C., & Os, J. V. (2005). Residential instability in socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods, good or bad? Health and Place, 11(2), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2004.02.002
Ennett, S. T., Flewelling, R. L., Lindrooth, R. C., & Norton, E. C. (1997). School and neighborhood characteristics associated with school rates of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.2307/2955361
Evans, G. W. (2003). A multimethodological analysis of cumulative risk and allostatic load among rural children. Developmental Psychology, 39(5), 924–933. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.39.5.924
Evans, G. W., & Ricciuti, A. (2010). Crowding and cognitive development: The mediating role of maternal responsiveness among 36-month-old children. Environment and Behavior, 42(1), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916509333509
Evans, G. W., Gonnella, C., Marcynyszyn, L. A., Gentile, L., & Salpekar, N. (2005). The role of chaos in poverty and children’s socioemotional adjustment. Psychological Science, 16(7), 560–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.01575.x
Evans, G. W., Lepore, S. J., Shejwal, B. R., & Palsane, M. N. (1998). Chronic residential crowding and children’s well-being: An ecological perspective. Child Development, 69(6), 1514–1523. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06174.x
Evans, G. W., Maxwell, L. E., & Hart, B. (1999). Parental language and verbal responsiveness to children in crowded homes. Developmental Psychology, 35(4), 1020–1023. https://doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.35.4.1020
Evans, G. W., Rhee, E., Forbes, C., Allen, K., & Lepore, S. J. (2000). The meaning and efficacy of social withdrawal as a strategy for coping with chronic residential crowding. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 20(4), 335–342. https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.1999.0174
Fisher, L., & Shirley, S. (1998). Familial antecedents of young adult health risk behavior: A longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology, 12(1), 66–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.12.1.66
Galster, G., Marcotte, D. E., Mandell, M., Wolman, H., & Augustine, N. (2007). The influence of neighborhood poverty during childhood on fertility, education, and earnings outcomes. Housing Studies, 22(5), 723–751. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673030701474669
Garbarino, J., & Crouter, A. (1978). Defining the community context for parent-child relations: The correlates of child maltreatment. Child Development, 49(3), 604–616. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1978.tb02360.x
Gasper, J., DeLuca, S., & Estacion, A. (2010). Coming and going: Explaining the effects of residential and school mobility on adolescent delinquency. Social Science Research, 39(3), 459–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.08.009
Goux, D., & Maurin, E. (2005). The effect of overcrowded housing on children’s performance at school. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5–6), 797–819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.06.005
Gracia, E., & Musitu, G. (2003). Social isolation from communities and child maltreatment: A cross-cultural comparison. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27(2), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(02)00538-0
Groves, W. B., & Sampson, R. (1989). Community structure and crime: Testing social-disorganization theory. American Journal of Sociology, 94(4), 774–802. https://doi.org/10.1086/229068
Hagan, J., MacMillan, R., & Wheaton, B. (1996). New kid in town: Social capital and the life course effects of family migration on children. American Sociological Review, 61(3), 368–385. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096354
Haines, M. M., Stansfeld, S. A., Job, R. F., Berglund, B., & Head, J. (2001). Chronic aircraft noise exposure, stress responses, mental health and cognitive performance in school children. Psychological Medicine, 31(2), 265–277. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291701003282
Hardaway, C. R., Wilson, M. N., Shaw, D. S., & Dishion, T. J. (2012). Family functioning and externalizing behaviour among low-income children: Self-regulation as a mediator. Infant and Child Development, 21(1), 67–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.765
Haurin, D. R., Parcel, T. L., & Haurin, R. J. (2000). The impact of home ownership on child outcomes. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network SSRN scholarly paper no. ID 218969. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=218969
Haurin, D. R., Parcel, T. L., & Haurin, R. J. (2002). Does homeownership affect child outcomes? Real Estate Economics, 30(4), 635–666. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6229.t01-2-00053
Izzo, C., Weiss, L., Shanahan, T., & Rodriguez-Brown, F. (2000). Parental self-efficacy and social support as predictors of parenting practices and children’s socioemotional adjustment in Mexican immigrant families. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 20(1–2), 197–213. https://doi.org/10.1300/J005v20n01_13
Janowitz, M. (1975). Sociological theory and social control. American Journal of Sociology, 81(1), 82–108.
Jencks, C., & Mayer, S. E. (1989). The social consequences of growing up in a poor neighborhood: A review. Evanston, IL: Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Northwestern University Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/1539/chapter/6
Kim, P., Evans, G. W., Angstadt, M., Shaun Ho, S., Sripada, C. S., Swain, J. E., … Luan Phan, K. (2013). Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotion regulatory brain function in adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(46), 18442–18447. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1308240110
Klatte, M., Bergström, K., & Lachmann, T. (2013). Does noise affect learning? A short review on noise effects on cognitive performance in children. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 578. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00578
Klebanov, P. K., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. J. (1994). Does neighborhood and family poverty affect mothers’ parenting, mental health, and social support? Journal of Marriage and Family, 56(2), 441–455. https://doi.org/10.2307/353111
Korbin, J. E. (1995). Social networks and family violence in cross-cultural perspective. In G. B. Melton (Ed.), The individual, the family, and social good: Personal fulfillment in times of change (Vol. 42, pp. 107–134). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
Kotchick, B. A., Dorsey, S., & Heller, L. (2005). Predictors of parenting among African American single mothers: Personal and contextual factors. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(2), 448–460. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00127
Kotchick, B. A., & Forehand, R. (2002). Putting parenting in perspective: A discussion of the contextual factors that shape parenting practices. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 11(3), 255–269. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016863921662
Kristiansen, J., Lund, S. P., Persson, R., Shibuya, H., Nielsen, P. M., & Scholz, M. (2014). A study of classroom acoustics and school teachers’ noise exposure, voice load and speaking time during teaching, and the effects on vocal and mental fatigue development. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 87(8), 851–860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0927-8
Leighton, J., Klitzman, S., Sedlar, S., Matte, T., & Cohen, N. L. (2003). The effect of lead-based paint hazard remediation on blood lead levels of lead poisoned children in New York City. Environmental Research, 92(3), 182–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(03)00036-7
Lepore, S. J., Evans, G. W., & Schneider, M. L. (1991). Dynamic role of social support in the link between chronic stress and psychological distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61(6), 899–909. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(03)00036-7
Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003). Moving to opportunity: An experimental study of neighborhood effects on mental health. American Journal of Public Health, 93(9), 1576–1582. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1576
Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). The neighborhoods they live in: The effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent outcomes. Psychological Bulletin, 126(2), 309–337. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.2.309
Li, L. H. (2016). Impacts of homeownership and residential stability on children’s academic performance in Hong Kong. Social Indicators Research, 126(2), 595–616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-0915-8
Liddell, C., & Kruger, P. (1987). Activity and social behavior in a South African township nursery: Some effects of crowding. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 33(2), 195–211.
Lleras, C. (2017). Race, racial concentration, and the dynamics of educational inequality across urban and suburban schools. American Educational Research Journal, 45(4), 886–912. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831208316323
Ludwig, J., Duncan, G. J., Gennetian, L. A., Katz, L. F., Kessler, R. C., Kling, J. R., & Sanbonmatsu, L. (2013). Long-term neighborhood effects on low-income families: Evidence from moving to opportunity. American Economic Review, 103(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224648
Luster, T., & Okagaki, L. (1993). Multiple influences on parenting: Ecological and life-course perspectives. In T. Luster & L. Okagaki (Eds.), Parenting: An ecological perspective (pp. 227–250). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Maguire-Jack, K., & Showalter, K. (2016). The protective effect of neighborhood social cohesion in child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect, 52, 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.12.011
Maimon, D., Browning, C. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Collective efficacy, family attachment, and urban adolescent suicide attempts. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(3), 307–324. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510377878
Matsui, T., Stansfeld, S., Haines, M., & Head, J. (2004). Children’s cognition and aircraft noise exposure at home: The West London schools study. Noise and Health, 7(25), 49–58 Retrieved from: http://www.noiseandhealth.org/text.asp?2004/7/25/49/31647
Maxwell, L. E. (2003). Home and school density effects on elementary school children: The role of spatial density. Environment and Behavior, 35(4), 566–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503035004007
McCulloch, A., & Joshi, H. E. (2001). Neighbourhood and family influences on the cognitive ability of children in the British National Child Development Study. Social Science and Medicine (1982), 53(5), 579–591. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00362-2
Montalvo, J. G., & Reynol-Querol, M. (2005). Ethnic diversity and economic development. Journal of Development Economics, 76(2), 293–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2004.01.002
Odgers, C. L., Moffitt, T. E., Tach, L. M., Sampson, R. J., Taylor, A., Matthews, C. L., & Caspi, A. (2009). The protective effects of neighborhood collective efficacy on British children growing up in deprivation: A developmental analysis. Developmental Psychology, 45(4), 942–957. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016162
Ortiz, S. E., & Zimmerman, F. J. (2013). Race/ethnicity and the relationship between homeownership and health. American Journal of Public Health, 103(4), e122–e129. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300944
Pennant, R. (2005). Diversity, trust and community participation in England. London: Home Office.
Petrill, S. A., Pike, A., Price, T., & Plomin, R. (2004). Chaos in the home and socioeconomic status are associated with cognitive development in early childhood: Environmental mediators identified in a genetic design. Intelligence, 32(5), 445–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2004.06.010
Pickett, K. E., & Wilkinson, R. G. (2008). People like us: Ethnic group density effects on health. Ethnicity and Health, 13(4), 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557850701882928
Polansky, N. A., Gaudin, J. M., Ammons, P. W., & Davis, K. B. (1985). The psychological ecology of the neglectful mother. Child Abuse and Neglect, 9, 265–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(85)90019-5
Pribesh, S., & Downey, D. B. (1999). Why are residential and school moves associated with poor school performance? Demography, 36(4), 521–534. https://doi.org/10.2307/2648088
Putnam, R. (1993). The prosperous community. The American Prospect, 4(13), 35–42.
Raver, C. C., Blair, C., & Garrett-Peters, P. (2015). Poverty, household chaos, and interparental aggression predict children’s ability to recognize and modulate negative emotions. Development and Psychopathology, 27(3), 695–708. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579414000935
Repetti, R. L., & Wood, J. (1997). Effects of daily stress at work on mothers’ interactions with preschoolers. Journal of Family Psychology, 11(1), 90–108. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.11.1.90
Ross, C. E., Reynolds, J. R., & Geis, K. J. (2000). The contingent meaning of neighborhood stability for residents’ psychological wellbeing. American Sociological Review, 65(4), 581–597. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657384
Samson, R. J. (2008). Moving to inequality: Neighborhood effects and experiments meet structure. American Journal of Sociology, 114(11), 189–231. https://doi.org/10.1086/589843
Sampson, R. J., Raudenbush, S. W., & Earls, F. (1997). Neighborhoods and violent crime: A multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science, 15(5328), 918–924. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5328.918
Sharfstein, J., Sandel, M., Kahn, R., & Bauchner, H. (2001). Is child health at risk while families wait for housing vouchers? American Journal of Public Health, 91(8), 1191–1192. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.91.8.1191
Shaw, C. R., & McKay, H. D. (1942). Juvenile delinquency and urban areas (Vol. xxxii). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Shaw, M. (2004). Housing and public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 25(1), 397–418. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.25.101802.123036
Shenassa, E. D., Stubbendick, A., & Brown, M. J. (2004). Social disparities in housing and related pediatric injury: A multilevel study. American Journal of Public Health, 94(4), 633–639. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.94.4.633
Shonkoff, J. P. (2010). Building a new biodevelopmental framework to guide the future of early childhood policy. Child Development, 81(1), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01399.x
Silk, J. S., Sessa, F. M., Morris, A. S., Steinberg, L., & Avenevoli, S. (2004). Neighbourhood cohesion as a buffer against hostile maternal parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 135–146. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.18.1.135
Simons, R. L., Simons, L. G., Burt, C. H., Brody, G. H., & Cutrona, C. (2005). Collective efficacy, authoritative parenting and delinquency: A longitudinal test of a model integrating community-and family-level processes. Criminology, 43(4), 989–1029. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2005.00031.x
Stack, S. (1994). The effect of geographic mobility on premarital sex. Journal of Marriage and Family, 56(1), 204–208. https://doi.org/10.2307/352714
Supplee, L. H., Unikel, E. B., & Shaw, D. S. (2007). Physical environmental adversity and the protective role of maternal monitoring in relation to early child conduct problems. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 166–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2006.12.001
Taylor, R. D., Casten, R., & Flickinger, S. M. (1993). Influence of kinship social support on the parenting experiences and psychosocial adjustment of African-American adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 29(2), 382–388. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.29.2.382
Valiente, C., Lemery-Chalfant, K., & Reiser, M. (2007). Pathways to problem behaviors: Chaotic homes, parent and child effortful control, and parenting. Social Development, 16(2), 249–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00383.x
Williams, D. R., & Collins, C. (2001). Racial residential segregation: A fundamental cause of racial disparities in health. Public Health Reports, 116(5), 404–416. https://doi.org/10.1093/phr/116.5.404
Wilson, W. J. (1991). Studying inner-city social dislocations: The challenge of public agenda research: 1990 Presidential address. American Sociological Review, 56(1), 1–14.
Youssef, R. M., Attia, M. S.-E.-D., & Kamel, M. I. (1998). Children experiencing violence I: Parental use of corporal punishment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22(10), 959–973. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(98)00077-5
Zuravin, S. J. (1986). Residential density and urban child maltreatment: An aggregate analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 1(4), 307–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00978275
Disclosure
The authors declare that they have no disclosure.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mejia, A. (2018). Communities, Neighborhoods, and Housing. In: Sanders, M., Morawska, A. (eds) Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94598-9_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94598-9_23
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94597-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94598-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)