Presentations

Abstract

Introduction:

Collective efficacy describes the ability for a community to achieve a shared goal and is divided into two constructs, informal social control and social cohesion. Informal social control is determined by a neighbor's willingness to intervene for the common good, the likelihood of which decreases when neighbors do not trust each other or when a community's rules are vague or poorly enforced. Informal social control is therefore dependent on the social cohesion. We hypothesize that perceived collective efficacy will be higher in senior/disabled public housing communities across Hampton Roads.

Methods:

Surveys were conducted by members of the research team in public housing communities in six of the Hampton Roads cities. Collective efficacy was measured using a series of Likert scale items as outlined by Sampson et al (1997). Results of the Likert scale items were divided into social cohesion and informal social control subscales, averaged, and then the average of the two subscales was taken to determine collective efficacy. Demographic information, including age and number of children living in the home, were also collected. Bivariate t-tests were used to estimate differences in collective efficacy based on housing type.

Results:

Senior communities reported 10.57 higher levels of collective efficacy, 6.1% higher social cohesion, and 15.8% higher social control (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). >

Conclusion: Overall, senior/disabled public housing communities were statistically more likely to report higher levels of collective efficacy as well as higher levels of social cohesion and informal social control.