Multiple sense of community, identity and wellbeing in a context of multi culture: A mediation model
Abstract
The theme “Belongingness” has a central role in the current debate on Community Psychology and in the daily life. Sense of Community (SOC) represents the focus of this article, as it has always been a central tool to study communities. The attention is focused on Multiple Sense of Community (Brodsky, 2009) and its role on Identities and Wellbeing in a context of multi culture, the Station Zone of Reggio Emilia (Italy). The principal aim of the research is to analyze Sense of Community in a context of multi culture, as a tool to study and understand changes in practical daily life among people from different cultures.
The research tries to analyze the role of Multiple Sense of Community as a mediator between residents’ Identities and their Wellbeing considering cultural differences. A mediation model was used (Hayes & Scharkow, 2013). Results indicate that Multiple Sense of Community is still fundamental to study multi cultural communities; the role of mediation of SOC it depends on which SOC has been considered. It is interesting to observe how the mediation role of Relational SOC change among ethnic groups and how it could have different practical implications in social and community projects and interventions.
References
Ali, L., & Sonn, C. C. (2010). Constructing identity as a second-generation Cypriot Turkish in Australia: The multi-hyphenated other. Culture & Psychology, 16, 416-436.
Baldassar, L. (1999). National and cultural identities. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 34(4), 291-299.
Barbieri, I. (2014). Sense of community in contexts of multi culture (Unpublished doctoral dissertation thesis). University of Bologna, Bologna.
Barbieri, I., Zani, B., & Sonn, C. C. (2014). Meaning of community in contexts of multi culture: The role of citizenship, identity, and cultural changes. Journal of Community Psychology, 42(8), 980-996.
Bhatia, S. (2002). Acculturation, dialogical voices and the construction of the diasporic self. Theory & Psychology, 12(1), 55-77.
Bhatia, S. (2007/2008). Rethinking Culture and identity in psychology: Towards a transnational cultural psychology. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 27(2) & 28(1), 301-321.
Binning, K. R., Unzueta, M. M., Huo, Y. J., & Molina, L. E. (2009). The interpretation of multiracial status and its relation to social engagement and psychological well-being. Journal of Social Issues, 65(1), 35-49.
Blunt, A., & Varley, A. (2004). Introduction. Geographies of home. Cultural Geographies, 11, 3-6.
Brodsky, A. E. (2009). Multiple psychological sense of community in Afghan context: Exploring Commitment and sacrifice in an underground resistance community. American Journal of Community Psychology, 44, 176-187.
Brodsky, A. E. & Marx, C. M. (2001). Layers of identity: Multiple psychological senses of community within a community setting. Journal of Community Psychology, 29 (2), 161-178.
Butcher, M. (2008). FOB Boys, VCs and Habibs: Using language to navigate difference and belonging in culturally diverse Sydney. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 34(3), 371-387.
Canovi, A., & Sigman, N. (2009). L’Emilia Romagna e le grandi migrazioni [Emilia Romagna an the great migrations]. Milano, Italy: Nicola Teti Editore.
Castle, S. (2002). Migration & community formation under conditions of globalization. International Migration Review, 36(4), 1143-1168.
Cecchini, R. (2009). Lanterne amiche. Immigrazione cinese e mediazione interculturale a Reggio Emilia [Friendly lanterns. Chinese immigration and intercultural mediation in Reggio Emilia]. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Edizioni Diabasis.
Chavis, D. M., Hogge, J., McMillan, D. & Wandersman A. (1986). Sense of community through Brunswick’s lens: A first look. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 24-40.
Cunningham, G. B. (2005). The importance of a common in-group identity in ethnically diverse groups. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 9(4), 251-260.
Fisher, A. T. & Sonn, C. C. (1999). Aspiration to community: Community responses to Rejection. Journal of Community Psychology, 27 (6), 715-725.
Harris, A. (2009). Shifting boundaries of cultural spaces: Young people and everyday multiculturalism. Social Identities, 15(2), 187-205.
Hayes, A. F., & Scharkow, M. (2013). The relative trustworthiness of inferential tests of the indirect effect in statistical mediation analysis: Does method really matter? Psychological Science, 24, 1918-1927.
Hombrados-Mendieta, M. I., Gomez-Jacinto, L., Dominguez-Fuentes, J. M., & Garcia-Leiva, P. (2013). Sense of community and satisfaction with life among immigrants and native population. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(5), 601-614.
Kenyon, D.B., Carter, J.D. (2010). Ethnic identity, sense of community, and psychological well-being among Northern Plains American Indian youth. Journal of Community Psychology, 39 (1), 1-9.
Keyes, C. L. M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61 (2), 121-140.
Liebkind, K. (2006). Ethnic identity and acculturation. In D.L. Sam & J.W. Berry (Eds.) The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (pp. 78-96). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mannarini, T., Rochira, A., & Talò, C. (2012). How identification processes and inter-community relationships affect sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 40(8), 951-967.
Maya-Jariego, I., & Armitage, N. (2007). Multiple senses of community in migration and commuting. International Sociology, 22, 743-766.
McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 16-23.
McNamara, N., Stevenson, C., & Muldoon, O. T. (2013). Community identity as resource and context: A mixed method investigation of coping and collective action in a disadvantaged community. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(5), 393-403.
Municipality of Reggio Emilia (2012). Statistic data of the municipality of Reggio Emilia. Unpublished data.
Municipality of Reggio Emilia (2013). Statistic data of the municipality of Reggio Emilia. Unpublished data.
Negy, C., Shreve, T. L., Jensen, B. J., & Uddin, N. (2003). Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and ethnocentrism: A study of social identity versus multicultural theory of development. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 9(4), 333-344.
Noy, C. (2008). Sampling knowledge: The hermeneutics of snowball sampling in qualitative research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 11(4), 327-344.
Phinney, J. S. (1991). Ethnic identity and self-esteem: A review and integration. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 13, 193-208.
Phinney, J. S., & Ong, A. D. (2007). Conceptualization and measurement of ethnic identity: Current status and future directions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(3), 271-281.
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Method, 40(3), 879-891.
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717-731.
Pretty, G. H., Chipuer, H. M. & Bramston, P. (2003). Sense of place amongst adolescents and adults in two rural Australian towns: The discriminating features of place attachment, sense of community and place dependence in relation to place identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23, 273-287.
Pretty, G. H., Andrewes, L., & Collett, C. (1994). Exploring adolescents’ sense of community and its relationship to loneliness. Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 346-358.
Prezza, M., Pacilli, M. G., Barbaranelli, C., Zampatti, E. (2009). The MTSOCS: A Multidimensional sense of community scale for local communities. Journal of Community Psychology, 37(3), 305-326.
Proescholdbell, R. J., Roosa, M. K., & Nemeroff, C. J. (2006). Competent measures of psychological sense of community among gay men. Journal of Community Psychology, 34(1), 9-24.
Roccas, S., & Brewer, M. B. (2002). Social identity complexity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 6(2), 88-106.
Sarason, S. B. (1974). The psychological sense of community: Perspectives for community psychology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Shih, M., & Sanchez, D. T. (2009). When race becomes even more complex: Toward understanding the landscape of multiracial identity and experiences. Journal of Social Issues, 65(1), 1-11.
Smith, T. B., & Silva, L. (2011). Ethnic identity and personal well-being of people of color: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 58(1), 42-60.
Tajfel, H. (1981). Human groups and social categories: Studies in social psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Timotijevic, L., & Breakwell, G. M. (2000). Migration and threat of identity. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 10, 355-372.
Toso, F. (2008). Le minoranze linguistiche in Italia [The linguistic minorities in Italy]. Bologna, Italy: il Mulino
Townley, G., Kloos, B., Green, E. P., & Franco, M. M. (2011). Reconcilable differences? Human diversity, cultural relativity, and sense of community. American Journal of Community Psychology, 47, 69-85.
Trickett, E. J. (1996). A future for community psychology: The contexts of diversity and the diversity of contexts. American Journal of Community Psychology, 24(2), 209-234.
Verkuyten, M. (2005). Ethnic group identification and group evaluation among minority and majority groups: Testing the multiculturalism hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(1), 121-138.
Verkuyten, M., & Brug, P. (2004). Multiculturalism and group status: The role of ethnic identification, group essentialism and protestant ethic. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 647-661.
Weil, P., & Hansen, R. (1999). Nationalité et citoyenneté en Europe [Nationality and citizenship in Europe]. Paris, France: La Découverte et Syros.
Wiesenfeld, E. (1996). The concept of “we”: A community social psychology myth? Journal of Community Psychology, 24 (4), 337-345.
Zani, B. (a cura di) (2012). Elementi di psicologia di comunità. Prospettive, idee, metodi [The basics of community psychology. Perspectives, ideas, methods]. Roma, Italy: Carocci.
Full Text: PDF
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.