Communication Networks, Worry, and Belonging Among Newer and More Established Residents in a Gentrifying Neighborhood

• In Event: HIGH-DENSITY: Discussing Intergroup Issues in Diverse Contexts

Abstract

This study uses communication infrastructure theory to examine the local communication networks (ICSN) and Internet connections of residents in a gentrifying neighborhood and whether these can predict gentrification-related worry and sense of community belonging. Findings are analyzed in relation to residential tenure—newer versus more established residents—and find that ICSN and/or Internet connections are significant predictors of worry and belonging. This speaks to the power of communication networks in influencing residents’ perceptions of their neighborhood and of how they may fit into them.

Authors

• Deborah Neffa Creech, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Marina Litvinsky, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

• Evelyn Moreno, U of Southern California

• Briana Ellerbe, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

• Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, U of Southern California