Migration and sociodemographic factors associated with sense of place attitudes among migrants of African background in Northern and Western Netherlands

This article investigates migration and sociodemographic factors associated with attitudes toward specific geographic settings (place attachment [PA], place identity, place dependence [PD]) in a cross ‐sectional data (N = 175) of sub‐Saharan African residents in the Northern Netherlands and the Western Netherlands. Overall, it was found that scores of PA and PD were stronger in long‐term African residents (more than 5 years) than among short‐term residents (less than 5 years). The regio n of residence was positively related to PD, with participants in western Netherlands having stronger PD compared to those in the northern region. Language proficiency was inversely associated with PD among participants with a little knowledge of Dutch compared to those who could speak Dutch fluentl y. Older African residents (aged 46–55 years) were more likely to develop PA and PD than their younger counterparts (aged 18–25 years). PA scores were significantly lower for participants with a tertiary education background compared to those with a high school education or less educational atta inment. PD scores were lower in females than males, and participants from Western Africa had stronger levels of PD compared to those from Central Africa. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Source: Journal of Community Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: ARTICLE Source Type: research