Psychological Sense of Community

by Fisher, Adrian T.; Sonn, Christopher C.; Bishop, Brian J.

• ISBN13: 9780306472817
• ISBN10: 0306472813
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: Plenum Pub Corp

Summary

Psychological sense of community provides a sense of belonging, identity, emotional connection, and wellbeing. There are many positives that result from people experiencing and perceiving a sense of community. People are better adjusted, feel supported, have connections to other people and to goals that are above and beyond their own limited areas, and have stronger levels of social support and social connectedness. A strong sense of community acts as a buffer against threats, provides a place in which to express our identities, and helps us deal with changes in our world. In this book, the authors have explored a series of different types of communities - moving from the basic idea of those based at a specific location all the way to virtual communities of the internet. The ways in which the communities operate, positively and negatively, what people get out of them and what they have to put into them, and the notion of being members of more than one community at the one time are considered. Sense of community is a topic that captures the attention of people from all types of backgrounds. So, contributors from fields such as community psychology, clinical areas, community development, and urban planning have added their insights and knowledge. A key feature of this book is the research focus that emphasizes the theory-driven analyses and the diversity of contexts in which sense of community is applied. This book will make a significant contribution to our understanding of life in communities and to people's sense of community. It will be of great interest to those concerned with understanding various forms of community and how communities can be mobilized to achieve wellbeing.

Table of Contents

PART I: INTRODUCTION
Psychological Sense of Community: Theory, Research, so and Application	3	(22)
Kimberly D. Bess
Adrian T. Fisher
Christopher C. Sonn
Brian J. Bishop
PART II: LOCATIONAL COMMUNITIES
Psychological Home	25	(18)
Sandra T. Sigmon
Stacy R. Whitcomb
C. R. Snyder
Presumptive Planning: From Urban Design to Community Creation in One Move?	43	(26)
Jean Hillier
Community, Sense of Community, and Networks	69	(18)
Joseph Hughey
Paul W. Speer
PART III: SPECIFIC SETTINGS
Sense of Community of Young Women in Custody	87	(22)
Tomi Redman
Adrian T. Fisher
Sense of Community Among Oxford House Residents Recovering From Substance Abuse: Making a House a Home	109	(14)
Joseph R Ferrari
Leonard A. Jason
Bradley D. Olson
Margaret I. Davis
Josefina Alvarez
Sense of Community in a University Setting: Campus as Workplace	123	(18)
Beverly B. Mahan
Wendy M. Garrard
Susan E Lewis
John R. Newbrough
Being Church and Community: Psychological Sense of Community in a Local Parish	141	(20)
Ron Miers
Adrian T. Fisher
Sense of Community in the School: Listening to Students' Voices	161	(22)
Helen vrailis Bateman
PART IV: SPECIFIC GROUPS
Young People's Development of the Community-Minded Self: Considering Community Identity, Community Attachment and Sense of Community	183	(22)
Grace M. H. Pretty
Immigrant Adaptation: Understanding the Process Through Sense of Community	205	(18)
Christopher C. Sonn
Mooing Till the Cows Come Home: The Search for Sense of Community in Virtual Environments	223	(24)
Lynne Roberts
Leigh Smith
Clare Pollock
Contemporary Aboriginal Perceptions of Community	247	(24)
Pat Dudgeon
John Mallard
Darlene Oxenham
John Fielder
PART V: METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Sense of Community in Rural Communities: A Mixed Methodological Approach	271	(20)
Brian J. Bishop
Sheridan Coakes
Pam D'Rozario
Neighborhood Sense of Community and Social Capital: A Multi-Level Analysis	291	(28)
Douglas D. Perkins
D. Adam Long
Expanding the Conceptualization of PSOC	319	(18)
Anne E. Brodsky
Colleen Loomis
Christine M. Marx
Index	337