Blog by Brian Klaas: “Lurking among us, there are a group of hidden heroes, people who routinely devote significant amounts of their time, energy, and talent to making our communities better. These are the devoted, do-gooding, elite one percent. Most, but not all, are volunteers.1 All are selfless altruists. They, the supercitizens, provide some of the stickiness in the social glue that holds us together.2
What if I told you that there’s this little trick you can do that makes your community stronger, helps other people, and makes you happier and live longer? Well, it exists, there’s ample evidence it works, and best of all, it’s free.
Recently published research showcases a convincing causal link between these supercitizens—devoted, regular volunteers—and social cohesion. While such an umbrella term means a million different things, these researchers focused on two UK-based surveys that analyzed three facets of social cohesion, measured through eight questions (respondents answered on a five point scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree). They were:
Neighboring
- ‘If I needed advice about something I could go to someone in my neighborhood’;
- ‘I borrow things and exchange favors with my neighbors’; and
- ‘I regularly stop and talk with people in my neighborhood’
Psychological sense of community
- ‘I feel like I belong to this neighborhood’;
- ‘The friendships and associations I have with other people in my neighborhood mean a lot to me’;
- ‘I would be willing to work together with others on something to improve my neighborhood’; and
- ‘I think of myself as similar to the people that live in this neighborhood’)
Attraction to the neighborhood
- ‘I plan to remain a resident of this neighborhood for a number of years’
While these questions only tap into some specific components of social cohesion, high levels of these ingredients are likely to produce a reliable recipe for a healthy local community. (Social cohesion differs from social capital, popularized by Robert Putnam and his book, Bowling Alone. Social capital tends to focus on links between individuals and groups—are you a joiner or more of a loner?—whereas cohesion refers to a more diffuse sense of community, belonging, and neighborliness)…(More)”.