The Sense of Community Index (SCI) is one of the most commonly used measures of Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC). There is much discussion in the literature as to the validity of the scale as a measure not only of overall PSOC, but also of the dimensions (Membership, Influence, Needs Fulfillment, and Emotional Connection) theorized by…

This article examines individuals in a community as defined by their membership in an organization. In such a setting, individuals often make use of their social contacts to make sense of events in the organization. Yet, the organizational justice literature is generally silent on how these contacts shape information seeking, volunteering, and…

This study aimed to explore the parenthood transition in a Chinese cultural context. Three hundred sixty-four parents (201 females, 163 males) took part in this panel study conducted twice at 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after the birth of their children. Results showed that (a) in cross-sectional analyses, parenthood stress had consistent negative…

Data unobtrusively collected from an ethnically mixed junior high school indicated that parents of children with low success were fewer in attendance at scheduled Parent-Teacher Conferences than parents of children with relatively high school success. This finding was more pronounced for Mexican-American parents. Possible alternatives to the…

This article aims to examine determinants of social integration in the community among college students. Two-wave panel data from an undergraduate student sample (N = 310) was used to explore the effects of multiple sets of variables (personal, interpersonal, and situational) on social integration in the community. Structural equation analysis…

Youth-adult partnerships (Y-APs) for organizational and community change represent an innovative practice in the United States. Innovations are typically a challenge to implement, so it is not surprising that youth organizations are seeking guidance on how to adopt and sustain Y-APs. This article brings contemporary scholarship to bear on the…

This study examines whether gender and employment status affect burnout, motives for volunteering, and difficulties associated with volunteer activity in social and community services in Israel. The sample included 375 men and women aged 16 through 80. Participants were divided into four groups by employment status: high school students, employed…

This study assesses the extent of residential segregation among 15,246 people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities and receiving Medicaid (MA) in Philadelphia, and an identically sized group of MA recipients serving as matched controls. Results indicate that overall levels of residential segregation among this group were modest at their most…

The Primary Prevention of Cancer Program at the British Columbia Cancer Agency Centre for the Southern Interior (BCCA-CSI), known as the Waddell Project, is now five years old and currently is in partnership with fourteen regional communities. Each of these communities has a range of community-developed programs currently in place. The driving…

This study examined parents' perceptions of how school and neighborhood contribute to the psychological wellness of their 6- to 12-year-old children. Content analysis of 260 interviews explored parents' perception and identified the key aspects of school and neighborhood. At school, two assets stood out: emotional support and a supportive learning…

University-community partnerships are widely recognized as critical to the success of community research and advocacy work but difficult to form and sustain. This article will describe a unique facet of that partnership, namely the collaboration between mental health clinicians and community consultants, a partnership that our data suggest was a…

This study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community, social-support networks, and care-giver stress and satisfaction among firefighters. No significant gender differences were obtained, but zero-order correlates demonstrated significant relationships among all four variables. In examining the mediating effects of…

With the purpose of contributing to the research and discussion about youth work as a contextual, interpersonal process of human interaction, it is suggested that youth work is like a modern dance that works best when youth workers are present, in sync with youth development rhythms for trusting and growing and making meaning in an atmosphere that…

In the current paper we focus on the role of physical fitness in the life stress process for both psychological and physical well-being. The major research question posed in the current study is: Does physical fitness deter distress in a model containing the major components of the life stress process? That is, do individuals who exercise show…

Many recent grant initiatives have mandated coalition building as a key component of their health promotion efforts. Health service leaders are increasingly representing their organizations on coalitions and need to better understand the complexities involved in their creation and management. In this paper we focus on the implementation of a…