Psychological Sense of Community: Research, Applications, and Implications / Edition 1

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

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306472817
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	06/30/2002
Series:	The Springer Series in Social Clinical Psychology
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	339
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

I: Introduction.- 1 Psychological Sense of Community: Theory, Research, and Application.- II: Locational Communities.- 2 Psychological Home.- 3 Presumptive Planning: From Urban Design to Community Creation in One Move?.- 4 Community, Sense of Community, and Networks.- III: Specific Settings.- 5 Sense of Community of Young Women in Custody.- 6 Sense of Community Among Oxford House Residents Recovering From Substance Abuse: Making a House a Home.- 7 Sense of Community in a University Setting: Campus as Workplace.- 8 Being Church and Community: Psychological Sense of Community in a Local Parish.- 9 Sense of Community in the School: Listening to Students’ Voices.- IV: Specific Groups.- 10 Young People's Development of the Community-Minded Self: Considering Community Identity, Community Attachment and Sense of Community.- 11 Immigrant Adaptation: Understanding the Process Through Sense of Community.- 12 MOOing Till the Cows Come Home: The Search for Sense of Community in Virtual Environments.- 13 Contemporary Aboriginal Perceptions of Community.- V: Methodological And Theoretical Developments.- 14 Sense of Community in Rural Communities: A Mixed Methodological Approach.- 15 Neighborhood Sense of Community and Social Capital: A Multi-Level Analysis.- 16 Expanding the Conceptualization of PSOC.

Editorial Reviews

Emphasizing a research-based approach to theoretical considerations of the definitions and values of community, 16 chapters are presented by Fisher (psychology, Victoria U., Australia), Sonn (psychology, Edith Cowan U., Australia), and Bishop (psychology, Curtin U., Australia). Contributors share a thematic format, but propose different models of community and different research methodologies. The articles are organized into sections the relate to aspects of community in defined physical settings; discuss relational communities which develop within specific types of settings; examine how community provides individuals with social support, identity, or other psychological buffers; and explore method and theoretical developments. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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