The Neighbor Role and Neighboring in a Highly Urban Area

Abstract

Greer's theory of opportunity structure attempts to explain variations in neighborhood intimacy within the urban community. The present study describes how fifty-five residents of a luxury apartment house complex in a highly urban area defined the neighbor role and interacted with each other. The results tend to support Greer's theory. Few respondents had a high degree of intimacy associated with their neighboring interaction. This was also reflected in the definition given the neighbor role. In addition, some evidence is presented that individual characteristics such as long residence, being unmarried, living alone, and frequent participation in other formal and informal groups, were associated with high neighborliness.