Abstract
This article explores the intricacies of community attachment using a multidimensional construct; attachment to the social and natural environment. A central focus is to assess whether attachment to the social and natural environment are distinctively predicted by length of residence, social interaction, and sociodemographic characteristics. Furthermore, this work elaborates on current understandings of community attachment by qualitatively exploring feelings of attachment toward the place of residence. All are explored in the context of rural Romania and communities managing the natural resources available to them. The results show the effect of several independent variables on attachment to social and natural environments. Residency was a stronger predictor of attachment to the social environment, while social interaction was a stronger predictor of attachment to the natural environment. Residents’ narratives underscored the importance, and interconnection, of the social and natural environment in defining feelings of local attachment. We conclude that community attachment is grounded in different facets of the locale that each play unique roles in shaping citizen perceptions.
Recommended Citation
Buta, Natalia, Mark Brennan, and Stephen Holland. 2007. "A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Community Attachment in Rural Romania." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 27(1): Article 2. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol27/iss1/2
Publication Date
12-31-2007
