Interests driven or socially mobilized? Place attachment, social capital, and neighborhood participation in urban China

ABSTRACT

Why do residents participate in neighborhood affairs in different forms? This study probes this question by integrating the social capital framework and the place attachment framework. Drawing on a qualitative case study and survey data in the city of Guangzhou, China, this research demonstrates the differential effects of place attachment and social capital on different forms of neighborhood participation. Neighborhood attachment (i.e., place sentiment toward a neighborhood) serves as a prerequisite for any form of participation. While neighborhood attachment is sufficient for latent involvement, such as staying informed about neighborhood issues through social exchanges and other spontaneous activities, social capital produces mobilizing forces that motivate residents to move beyond the latent stage to influence community outcomes through manifest engagement.

Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges the support of Simon Fraser University for the publication of this research by providing the University Publications Fund. I also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for detailed comments on earlier drafts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Program on the People’s Republic of China International Fellowship.

Notes on contributors

Yushu Zhu

Yushu Zhu is an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on the spatial and temporal patterns of housing stratification, sense of home, and social relations that constitute urban neighborhoods. She pays a special attention to communities of immigrants, low-income populations, and ethnic minorities.