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How Neighborhood Structural and Institutional Features Can Shape Neighborhood Social Connectedness: A Multilevel Study of Adolescent Perceptions

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

According to the norms and collective efficacy model, the levels of social connectedness within a local community are a function of neighborhood structural characteristics, such as socioeconomic status and ethnic composition. The current work aims to determine whether neighborhood structural and institutional features (neighborhood wealth, percentage of immigrants, population density, opportunities for activities and meeting places) have an impact on different components of neighborhood social connectedness (intergenerational closure, trust and reciprocity, neighborhood-based friendship and personal relationships with neighbors). The study involved a representative sample of 389 early and middle adolescents aged 11–15 years old, coming from 31 Italian neighborhoods. Using hierarchical linear modeling, our findings showed that high population density, ethnic diversity, and physical and social disorder might represent obstacles for the creation of social ties within the neighborhood. On the contrary, the presence of opportunities for activities and meeting places in the neighborhood was associated with higher levels of social connectedness among residents.

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Notes

  1. Although data have been collected from adolescents and their parents, for the purpose of the current study we only considered adolescents’ responses.

  2. Data on the families’ socioeconomic conditions (including census-type data on neighborhood median income) in Italy are not accessible for research purposes due to privacy issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, via Belzoni, 80, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Michela Lenzi, Alessio Vieno & Massimo Santinello

  2. Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Douglas D. Perkins

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  1. Michela Lenzi
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  2. Alessio Vieno
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  3. Massimo Santinello
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  4. Douglas D. Perkins
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Correspondence to Michela Lenzi.

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Lenzi, M., Vieno, A., Santinello, M. et al. How Neighborhood Structural and Institutional Features Can Shape Neighborhood Social Connectedness: A Multilevel Study of Adolescent Perceptions. Am J Community Psychol 51, 451–467 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-012-9563-1

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