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Strengthening Social Ties While Walking the Neighbourhood?
[journal article]
Abstract Social connectedness among neighbours impacts health and well-being, especially during stressful life events like a pandemic. An activity such as neighbourhood walking enables urban inhabitants to engage in incidental sociability and acts of "neighbouring" - that is, authentic social interactions wi... view more
Social connectedness among neighbours impacts health and well-being, especially during stressful life events like a pandemic. An activity such as neighbourhood walking enables urban inhabitants to engage in incidental sociability and acts of "neighbouring" - that is, authentic social interactions with neighbours - to potentially bolster the social fabric of neighbourhoods and strengthen relationships. With the potential of neighbourhood walking in mind, this article investigates how everyday encounters while engaged in routine neighbourhood walks strengthen and/or weaken social ties among neighbours. To this end, the article draws on three sources of qualitative data from neighbourhood walkers in Southwestern Ontario, Canada: (a) "walking diaries" in which participants took note of their walking routes, the people they observed on their walks, and other details of their walking experiences; (b) maps of their neighbourhoods that outlined the boundaries of their self-identified neighbourhoods, their routine walking routes, and the people they recognized during their neighbourhood walks; and (c) one-on-one interviews during which participants provided crucial context and meaning to the maps and their walking experiences. The findings provide evidence of how interactions among inhabitants, while engaged in neighbourhood walking, help generate greater social connectedness.... view less
Keywords
research; qualitative method; neighborhood; social relations; sociability; social network; physical exercise; well-being; epidemic
Classification
Sociology of Settlements and Housing, Urban Sociology
Free Keywords
belonging; imagined community; neighbourliness; qualitative research
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 52-62
Journal
Urban Planning, 8 (2023) 4
Issue topic
Improvisation, Conviviality, and Conflict in Everyday Encounters in Public Space
ISSN
2183-7635
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed