Extended Response

Question 1

Definition of Sense of community

Answer 1

“Sense of Community is that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that member’s needs will be met through their commitment together” (McMillan, 1976)

Question 2

Territorial meaning of community

Answer 2

Geographical notion (neighbourhood or town)

Question 3

Relational meaning of community

Answer 3

Relational definition: quality of relationships (with no reference to location)

Question 4

Membership Definition

Answer 4

Provides a feeling of belonging, of being part of something bigger than oneself

Question 5

The five attributes of Membership

Answer 5

• Boundaries
• Emotional Safety
• A sense of belonging and identification
• Personal investment
• A common symbol sense

Question 6

Boundaries

Answer 6

Marked by things such as language, dress and ritual indicating who belongs and who does not

Question 7

What do boundaries do

Answer 7

They are protection of personal space and a creation of social distances

Question 8

Emotional Safety

Answer 8

Linked with boundaries as boundaries give people emotional safety and protect group intimacy

Question 9

Sense of Belonging and Identification

Answer 9

feeling, belief and expectation that one fits in the group

Question 10

Personal Investment

Answer 10

Working for membershipmembership creates feeling of having earned membership. Membership will therefore be more meaningful and valuable and it plays a large role in developing an emotional connection

Question 11

Common Symbol System

Answer 11

creates and maintains sense of community often by maintaining boundaries

Question 12

What are common symbols?

Answer 12

• Strong integrative function of collective representation
• Myths, symbols, rituals, rites, ceremonies, holidays
• Social conventions intentionally create distance between members and non-members

Question 13

Influence Definition

Answer 13

Individuals sense of making a difference to its group

Question 14

Two parts of Influence

Answer 14

Influence is bidirectional; members must be empowered to have influence over what a group does, and group cohesiveness depends upon the group having some influence over its members

Question 15

Who has the strongest influence in a group?

Answer 15

Members who value the opinions of others

Question 16

Who has little influence in a group?

Answer 16

Members who try to dominate or ignore other members

Question 17

What does conformity serve as?

Answer 17

Closeness and an indicator of cohesiveness

Conforming behaviour indicates creation of group norms AND consensual validation of group members

Question 18

What is integration and fulfilment of needs used to describe?

Answer 18

Used to describe not just survival needs, but to also include what is desired and valued by the person

Question 19

What is needed for groups to stay together?

Answer 19

Rewarding

Question 20

What are the aspects of integration and fulfilment of needs that are rewarding for group members?

Answer 20

• Status
• Competence
• Shared Values

Question 21

Status

Answer 21

Group success brings members closer together

For a group to do its best work it needs to be organised

Question 22

Competance

Answer 22

People are attracted to others whose skills or competence can benefit them in some way
People are attracted to groups who can offer the most rewards

Question 23

Shared Values

Answer 23

The source of the needs that communities fill
Groups with a sense of community work to find a way to fit people together so people’s needs are met by meeting their own needs

Question 24

What is Rappaport (1977) person-environment fit?

Answer 24

Members of groups are seen as being rewarded in various ways for their participation

Question 25

Shared emotional connection

Answer 25

Refers to the feeling we might have of being connected to another person through a common emotional response to a shared activity or event, that is, shared history

Question 26

Contact hypothesis

Answer 26

The more people interact the more they will become close

Question 27

Quality of the interaction

Answer 27

Positive relationships lead to stronger bonds

Success facilitates cohesion

Question 28

Effect of honour and humilation

Answer 28

Someone who has been rewarded in front of a community feels more attracted to that community, and if humiliated feels less attraction

Question 29

Glynn (1981)

Answer 29

Augmented (increased) by responses to a questionnaire distributed to randomly selected members of the Division of Community Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

Question 30

What did Glynn hypothesise?

Answer 30

Administered measure to members of three communities and hypothesised that residents of Kfar Blum, and Israeli kibbutz, would demonstrate a greater sense of community than residents of two Maryland communities

Question 31

What was found in Glynn’s study?

Answer 31

As predicted, higher levels of sense of community were found in the kibbutz than in the two American towns – however, no differences were found among the three on the ideal scale

Question 32

What were the strongest predictors of actual sense of community in Glynn’s study?

Answer 32

o Expected length of community residency
o Satisfaction with the community
o The number of neighbours one could identify by first name

Question 33

What did Glynn also find about positive relationships?

Answer 33

Glynn also found a positive relationship between sense of community and the ability to function competently in the community

Question 34

What did Ahlbrant and Cunningham (1979) view sense of community as?

Answer 34

Viewed sense of community as an integral contributor to one’s commitment to a neighbourhood and satisfaction with it

Question 35

What did Ahlbrant and Cunningham say about those who were most committed and satisfied see their neighbourhood as?

Answer 35

Those who were most committed and satisfied saw their neighbourhood as a small community within the city, were more loyal to the neighbourhood than to the rest of the city, and thought of their neighbourhood as offering particular activities for its residents

Question 36

In Ahlbrant and Cunningham what was also considered to be a contributor to neighbourhood satisfaction?

Answer 36

The “strengths of interpersonal relationships” as measured through different types of neighbour interactions