Author：Fulong Wu
Date：2012-03-01
Summary：
Previous studies show neighbourhood attachment is an important factor that determines political and civic participation. Strong neighbourhood attachment and active civic participation help to enhance neighbourhood stability. This paper explores this argument in the context of Chinese cities. The paper analyses the households in low-income communities and their neighbourhood attachment, social participation in community activities, and their willingness to stay in these places. Contrary to common perception, although rural migrants do not identify themselves with the place where they live and do not actively participate in community activities, they express a relatively strong willingness to stay in these places. In contrast, the unemployed or retired urban households actively participate in community activities. Nevertheless, they prefer to leave these low-income places if possible. With socioeconomic attributes controlled, those who live in inner or old neighbourhoods demonstrate a low or negative willingness to stay. This paper argues that the relation between neighbourhood attachment and neighbourhood stability is not straightforward, and in this context it is largely determined by the institutional design that excludes migrants’ involvement, which turns them into ‘economic sojourners’. The stated preference across other social groups to leave old low-income neighbourhoods drives the outward movement of those who are able to seize the opportunities to materialize their preference. These findings have implications for low-income neighbourhood regeneration in China.
