Community Identity and Sense of Belonging in a Northeastern English Town

Through sample surveys commissioned across England to study ways to reorganize local government, “community identity” has emerged as an issue of considerable importance. The results of a survey of 556 residents of a community in northeastern England are discussed in light of studies of community satisfaction previously carried out in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Turkey. The findings suggest that community identity in this region is focused primarily on a sense of belonging to a particular geographical area, long-term residence, and family ties. Neighbors and local amenities are less important. These results lend support to the multidimensional approach to community satisfaction of Bardo and Dokmeci (1990a, 1990b).