MEDIATING ROLE OF SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL FACTORS AND NEIGHBOURHOOD ATTACHMENT: A CASE STUDY OF PENANG, MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i28.1341Keywords:
Social factors, Neighbourhood attachment, sense of belongingAbstract
Many studies have examined the impact of social factors on neighbourhood attachment. However, more studies need to be on the mediating effect of the sense of belonging in a built environment. This study aims to investigate its mediating role in the relationship between social factors and neighbourhood attachment in two neighbourhoods in Penang Island, Malaysia. A sample of 362 residents was requested to answer a questionnaire survey with a Likert scale to measure the residents' assessment of social factors, neighbourhood attachment level and sense of belonging. Neighbourhood attachment is a second-order factor structure assessed by a first-order factor structure that includes place dependence and social bonding. The social factor is also a second-order construct with two dimensions: social trust and social support. The findings were then analysed by structural equation modelling. These results support the theoretical findings in the literature that social factors significantly affect the sense of belonging and neighbourhood attachment. The results also support the mediating role of a sense of belonging in the relationship between social factors and neighbourhood attachment. Fostering social trust and support within neighbourhoods is crucial for promoting neighbourhood attachment. This can be achieved through community-building activities and community-shared places. By fostering social trust and support, neighbourhoods can become vibrant, thriving communities where individuals feel a sense of belonging and connection.
Downloads
References
REFERENCES
Abdul Latip, N. S., Zulnaidi, N. Z., Redzuan, N., Mohamed Osman, M., & Harun, N. Z. (2023). PLACE MAKING OF PUBLIC SPACES WITHIN TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD): A REVIEW. Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, 21(1), 516–531. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i25.1254
Abdullah, A., Hedayati Marzbali, M., & Maghsoodi Tilaki, M. J. (2013). Predicting the influence of CPTED on perceived neighbourhood cohesion: Considering differences across age. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.06.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.06.005
Brown, B., & Perkins, D. D. (1992). Place Attachment. Place Attachment, March 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8753-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8753-4
Brown, G., & Raymond, C. (2007). The relationship between place attachment and landscape values: Toward mapping place attachment. Applied Geography, 27(2), 89–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2006.11.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2006.11.002
Carpiano, R. M. (2006). Toward a neighbourhood resource-based theory of social capital for health: Can Bourdieu and sociology help? Social Science and Medicine, 62(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.05.020
Chin, W. W. (1998). The Partial Least Squares Approach to Structural Equation Modeling. April.
Curley, A. M. (2010). Relocating the poor: Social capital and neighbourhood resources. Journal of Urban Affairs, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2009.00475.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9906.2009.00475.x
Delhey, J., & Newton, K. (2003). Who trusts?: The origins of social trust in seven societies. European Societies, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/1461669032000072256 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1461669032000072256
Fone, D. L., Farewell, D. M., & Dunstan, F. D. (2006). An econometric analysis of neighbourhood cohesion. Population Health Metrics, p. 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-4-17 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-4-17
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Game, A. (2001). BELONGING: EXPERIENCE IN SACRED TIME AND SPACE. In Timespace: Geographies of Temporality (1st ed.). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203360675-16 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203360675-16
Garson, G. D. (2016). Partial Least Squares: Regression & Structural Equation Models. In Multi-Label Dimensionality Reduction.
Giuliani, M. V. (2003). Theory of Attachment and Place Attachment. In Psychological Theories for Environmental Issues (pp. 137–169). Ashgate Publishing. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315245720-11/theory-attachment-place-attachment-mirilia-bonnes-terence-lee?context=ubx&refId=578173a1-45b9-4b12-9864-b262c8ee5299
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., Danks, N. P., Hult, G. T. M., Sarstedt, M., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook. In Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal. Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. In European Business Review (Vol. 31, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2016). Testing measurement invariance of composites using partial least squares. International Marketing Review, 33(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-09-2014-0304 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-09-2014-0304
Hidalgo, M. C., & Hernández, B. (2001). Place attachment: Conceptual and empirical questions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(3), 273–281. https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.2001.0221 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.2001.0221
Huang, L. (2022). Exploring the relationship between school bullying and academic performance: the mediating role of students’ sense of belonging at school. Educational Studies, 48(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1749032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1749032
Inalhan, G., & Finch, E. (2004). Place attachment and sense of belonging. Facilities, 22. https://doi.org/10.1108/02632770410540333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/02632770410540333
Jaśkiewicz, M., & Besta, T. (2018). Place Attachment and Collective Action Tendency. Social Psychological Bulletin, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.v13i4.25612 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.v13i4.25612
Kao, Y. H., & Sapp, S. G. (2020). Is social capital as a determinant of community attachment? Sociological Spectrum, 40(2), 136–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2020.1748149 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2020.1748149
Kyle, G., Graefe, A., & Manning, R. (2005). Testing the dimensionality of place attachment in recreational settings. Environment and Behavior, 37(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916504269654 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916504269654
Leh, O. L. H., Mohd Rosli, N. N. F., Marhalim, F. A., & Mohamed Musthafa, S. N. A. (2017). Social impact of foreign immigrants in the affordable housing area. Case study: Mentari Court, Selangor, Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 6. https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v16.i6.266 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v16.i6.266
Lestari, W. M., & Sumabrata, J. (2018). The influencing factors on place attachment in the neighbourhood of Kampung Melayu. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 126(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/126/1/012190 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/126/1/012190
Lewicka, M. (2011). On the varieties of people’s relationships with places: Hummon’s typology revisited. Environment and Behavior, 43(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916510364917 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916510364917
Li, Y., Pickles, A., & Savage, M. (2005). Social capital and social trust in Britain. In European Sociological Review (Vol. 21, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jci007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jci007
Liu, S., Zhang, F., & Wu, F. (2022). Contrasting migrants’ sense of belonging to the city in selected peri-urban neighbourhoods in Beijing. Cities, 120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103499
Malone, G. P., Pillow, D. R., & Osman, A. (2012). The general belongingness scale (gbs): Assessing achieved belongingness. Personality and Individual Differences, 52(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.10.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.10.027
McLaren, S., Gomez, R., Gill, P., & Chesler, J. (2015). Marital status and suicidal ideation among Australian older adults: The mediating role of sense of belonging. International Psychogeriatrics, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610214001501 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610214001501
Mesch, G. S., & Manor, O. (1998). Social ties, environmental perception, and local attachment. Environment and Behavior, 30(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659803000405 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659803000405
Nahapiet, J., & Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and organisational advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1998.533225 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/259373
Pardede, S., Gausel, N., & Høie, M. M. (2021). Revisiting the “The Breakfast Club”: Testing Different Theoretical Models of Belongingness and Acceptance (and Social Self-Representation). Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.604090 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.604090
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(6). https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2008017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2008017
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. In Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781912282319 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990
Ralph, D., & Staeheli, L. A. (2011). Home and migration: Mobilities, belongings and identities. Geography Compass, 5(7). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2011.00434.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2011.00434.x
Raymond, C. M., Brown, G., & Weber, D. (2010). The measurement of place attachment: Personal, community, and environmental connections. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(4), 422–434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.08.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.08.002
Richmond, C. A. M., & Smith, D. (2012). Sense of belonging in the urban school environments of Aboriginal youth. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2012.3.1.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2012.3.1.1
Sapountzis, A., Figgou, L., Bozatzis, N., Gardikiotis, A., & Pantazis, P. (2013). “Categories We Share”: Mobilising Common In-groups in Discourse on Contemporary Immigration in Greece. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 23(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2128 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2128
Seamon, D. (2015). A Geography of the Lifeworld (Routledge Revivals) : Movement, Rest and Encounter. A Geography of the Lifeworld (Routledge Revivals). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315715698
Smith, J. M. (2017). A Geography of the Lifeworld: Movement, Rest and Encounter. Geographical Review, 107(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2015.12148.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2015.12148.x
Stedman, R. C. (2003). Is it really just a social construction?: The contribution of the physical environment to a sense of place. Society and Natural Resources, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920309189 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920309189
Stokols, D., & Shumaker, S. A. (1981). Cognition, social behaviour and environment. In People in places: A transactional view of settings (pp. 441–488). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Temkin, K., & Rohe, W. M. (1998). Social Capital and Neighborhood Stability: An Empirical Investigation. Housing Policy Debate, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.1998.9521286 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.1998.9521286
Ter Huurne, E. F. J., & Gutteling, J. M. (2009). How to trust? The importance of self-efficacy and social trust in public responses to industrial risks. Journal of Risk Research, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.1080/13669870902726091 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13669870902726091
Ujang, N. (2012). Place Attachment and Continuity of Urban Place Identity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, pp. 49, 156–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.07.014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.07.014
Vasovic, O., Gospavic, Z., & Cirovic, G. (2012). Institutional framework for the development of the real estate market in the Republic of Serbia. FIG Working Week, 6–10.
Weenig, M. W. H., & Schmidt, T. (1990). Social dimensions of neighbourhoods and the effectiveness of information programs. Environment and Behavior, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916590221002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916590221002
Wu, R., Huang, X., Liu, Y., & Li, Z. (2019). Place attachment of urbanites in Guangzhou: Measurement and mechanism. Dili Xuebao/Acta Geographica Sinica, 74(2). https://doi.org/10.11821/dlxb201902013
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysia Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
