Journal Article

Transforming Individual Civic Engagement into Community Collective Efficacy: The Role of Bonding Social Capital

Collins, Charles R., Neal, Zachary P., Neal, Jennifer Watling

2014

Overview

Collective efficacy is defined as residents’ perceived collective capacity to take coordinated and interdependent action on issues that affect their lives. This study explored factors associated with neighborhood collective efficacy among residents. Utilizing a national sample of 4,120 urban households provided by Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Making Connection Initiative, we investigated the mediating role of residents’ perceptions of bonding social capital (i.e. reciprocity, trust, and shared norms) in the association between civic engagement and collective efficacy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that civic engagement and bonding social capital were both directly related to collective efficacy. Additionally, bonding social capital partially mediated the relationship between civic engagement and collective efficacy. Specifically, residents who reported greater levels of civic engagement also reported higher levels of bonding social capital. In turn, residents who reported higher levels of bonding social capital also reported higher levels of neighborhood collective efficacy. We discuss implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners interested in associations of neighborhood collective efficacy.

• Publisher: Springer US,Blackwell Science Ltd
• Subject: Adult / Attachment / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Bonding social capital / Citizen participation / Citizenship / Civic engagement / Clinical Psychology / Collective efficacy / Community / Community and Environmental Psychology / Community change / Community Participation / Comprehensive community initiatives / Cooperative Behavior / Efficacy / Female / Health Psychology / Households / Humans / Male / Middle Aged / Multivariate Analysis / Neighborhoods / Original Article / Personality and Social Psychology / Poverty / Psychology / Public Health / Reciprocity / Regression Analysis / Residence Characteristics / Residents / Self Efficacy / Social Behavior / Social Capital / Social Change / Social Norms / Social Responsibility / Trust