Economic and sociological analyses of communities: Existing research findings

This project reviews the literature from the disciplines of economics and sociology, with forays into psychology and geography, on how communities affect family life, work behaviour, social engagement, and subjective well-being. Different types of communities are described and their evolution over time as they have responded to economic development, technological change (including in transport and communications), and changes in beliefs and ideologies. The report assesses the relation between location and poverty, with special reference to the question of whether poor neighbourhoods are merely aggregations of poor families or whether the neighbourhood per se exacerbates or ameliorates the consequences of disadvantageous individual characteristics. We also explore the development of community cultures (both positive and negative) with special reference to pro-social cultural practices such as volunteering, and assess evidence for the existence of sub-cultures of deprived communities.

Working paper arising from the project: Communities, Social Capital and Public Policy: Literature Review (pdf 253kb)