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Sense of Community as Construct and Theory: Authors' Response to McMillan

Authors :
Nowell, Branda
Boyd, Neil
Source :
Journal of Community Psychology. Nov 2011 39(8):889-893.
Publication Year :
2011

Abstract

In this article, we respond to criticisms posed by McMillan (2011) of our recent paper, "Viewing Community as Responsibility as well as a Resource: Deconstructing the Theoretical Roots of Psychological Sense of Community." We clarify that the focus of our article was to explore the macro theoretical frameworks and second-order assumptions that have guided the measurement and study of the psychological sense of community (PSOC) construct to date. We then correct McMillan's mischaracterization of our work as a normative theory by clarifying that our thesis was not that PSOC is a value--but rather that (a) people have values and belief systems, and (b) these belief systems may interact with aspects of a community context to evoke a sense of responsibility for a community to which one belongs. We conclude by reviewing key areas of shared agreement concerning responsibility aspects of PSOC that may serve as a foundation for guiding future research. (Contains 1 footnote.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0090-4392
Volume :
39
Issue :
8
Database :
ERIC
Journal :
Journal of Community Psychology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
EJ955377
Document Type :
Journal Articles<br />Opinion Papers
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20504