Power Dynamics and Perceptions of Neighbourhood Attachment and Involvement: Effects of Length of Residency versus Home Ownership

This article explores neighbourhood attachment and involvement by comparing qualitative and quantitative data drawn from the same urban health promotion research project in Canada. Comments by community leaders in qualitative interviews linked increased attachment and involvement with the presence of greater numbers of home owners and greater length of residency of neighbourhood members. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses of a large survey dataset collected for this same project were undertaken to explore whether these quantitative data corroborated or contradicted the comments from the qualitative interviews. Overall, analyses did not support the qualitative interview comments that a greater number of home owners in a neighbourhood would enhance attachment and involvement. Results are discussed in relation to how perceptions held by one group about another and related power imbalances may influence community members’ interest in and ability to interact with each other and thereby build community capacity.