INFLUENCE OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION ON SENSE OF OWNERSHIP IN PUBLIC RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY

Abstract

In the past decade, many "ugly Singaporean behaviour" demonstrated the frictions of dense urban living, self-centred human tendencies and a weakening sense of belonging and commitment to the country. In view of the burgeoning social issues and neighbourly problems, the state's political leaders have deliberately tried to foster close partnerships between the state and the citizenry. However, empirical evidence suggests that social interactions are minimal, community participation lackluster and people have a poor sense of ownership towards their community. A vast amount of literature has rationalized the importance of forging neighbourly relations, place attachment, place identity and sense of belonging to a community. The common thread in all themes is the concept of social capital⎯the resource that is unlocked through one’s network of social relations. There is little research done to identify the effective point of intervention in attempt to grow social capital. This study sets out to investigate the relationship between social interactions, community participation on sense of belonging. The results support empirical observations that on average, social capital is weak among public housing residents. It is also found that when residents engage in more interactions and participate actively in community, sense of belonging increases. However, this correlation is only observed within the block itself. Future research exploring these themes should study the effects of the commingling of buildings, people and networks. It should bring forth some insights to behavioural tendencies in social interaction, useful for spatial planning and design considerations in future HDB projects.