Joan M. Brehm

Dimensions of Community Attachment and Their Relationship to Well‐Being in the Amenity‐Rich Rural West*

Abstract  This research had two primary objectives: 1) to broaden the sociological construct of community attachment to incorporate both social and natural environment dimensions of attachment, and 2) to examine how variations in attachment relate to two dimensions of well-being in natural amenity-rich rural communities. The specific dimensions of well-being measured are two important factors identified in previous research—collective action and perceptions of open communication. Factor analysis of fourteen measures of attachment indicated social attachment and attachment to the natural environment are distinct dimensions of the broader concept of community attachment. Participation in collective action and perceptions of open communication within a respondents community explained only a small portion of the variance in levels of both social and natural environment attachment. Religious affiliation and length of residence were strongly associated with social attachment, supporting findings from previous empirical work. However, length of residence and religious affiliation were not statistically associated with levels of attachment to the natural environment, further reinforcing the distinction between the two dimensions of attachment.

Community Attachments as Predictors of Local Environmental Concern: The Case for Multiple Dimensions of Attachment

This article conceptualizes two distinct dimensions of community attachment—socially based attachment and attachment to a community’s natural environment—and examines their connections with attitudes about local environmental issues. The findings indicate that the two dimensions of attachment are distinct and relate differently to environmental concern. In cases where the social attachment dimension is a statistically significant predictor of attitudes toward local environmental issues, the issues are representative of community culture and identity or health. In contrast, when natural environment attachment is a statistically significant predictor of local environmental concern, the topics reflect issues involving resource protection. Building on the previous work of Vorkinn and Riese, this study further clarifies that community-focused factors may be more useful variables for understanding attitudes toward environmental issues than sociodemographic ones.

Environmental Concern: Examining the Role of Place Meaning and Place Attachment

As landscapes change, it is important to understand how attachments and meanings attributed to place may affect environmental quality and social well-being. To understand and apply sociological insights to policy and management efforts it is not sufficient to simply demonstrate that individuals or groups have strong emotional connections with a particular geographical locale. Rather, it is imperative to understand the implications of attachments, and meanings related to them. We focus our attention in this area on watershed management. Quantitative data are used to conduct an analysis of the interactions between place attachment, place meanings, and environmental concerns in a high-natural-amenity watershed in New Hampshire. Results from quantitative analyses important for understanding the dynamics between place attachment, place meanings, and various dimensions environmental concerns are presented. We find a strong role for place meanings, rather than place attachment, in predicting environmental concern, as well as an independent effect of place-transcendent fundamental values.

Identification with Resource-Based Occupations and Desire for Tourism: Are the Two Necessarily Inconsistent?

Occupational identity is frequently used to explain why rural residents traditionally involved in natural resource-based occupations have no interest in tourism activities as a form of economic development, with researchers arguing these residents view tourism as inconsistent with the cultural traditions associated with more traditional rural occupations such as logging, mining, or agriculture. However, the link between resource-based occupational identity and attitudes about tourism development has not been systematically tested. Using survey data from three Western communities undergoing social and economic changes, this article examines this relationship and assesses the influence of other variables that may impact the relationship. Results show that while resource-based occupational identity is associated with attitudes toward tourism, perception of the local economic condition is a stronger predictor of such attitudes.

Brief Comment: Qualitative Insight into Public Knowledge of, and Concern with, Biodiversity

While social research continues to document high levels of public con-cern with environmental issues, substantial evidence also continues to accu-mulateastothelowlevelsofpublicenvironmentalknowledge.Asexamples,research has revealed public misunderstanding as to the details of naturalecological processes (e.g., Jacobson and Marynowski, 1997), global warm-ing (e.g., Bord, O’Connor, and Fisher, 2000; Stamm

Social Change and Well-Being in Western Amenity-Growth Communities

Natural amenities involving a mild climate, topographic variation, and the presence of water areas are closely linked to population growth throughout the United States. From 1970 to1996 nonmetropolitan counties with high ratings on six natural amenity factors grew by an average of 125 percent, compared to just 1 percent among counties rated low on those same factors (McGranahan, 1999; also Beale & Johnson, 1998; Johnson & Beale, 1994; Rudzitis, 1999; Rudzitis & Johansen, 1989; Shumway & Davis, 1996). Amenity-based growth has been especially evident in nonmetropolitan portions of the American West, reflecting the widespread presence of public lands, national parks and monuments, wilderness areas, scenic vistas, and other natural amenity features. The development of major winter and summer resorts at places like Park City, Utah and Aspen, Colorado has driven both seasonal tourism and extensive land and housing development in many areas. Other areas without major resort developments, such as Idaho’s Teton Valley, have also experienced substantial growth due to in-migration of retirees, telecommuting professionals, and urban refugees attracted to high-amenity locations. Although the occurrence of amenity-based growth is well documented, its implications for social and community well-being are not clearly understood. From some perspectives, such growth represents a potential solution to difficulties associated with the deterioration of traditional rural economies such as farming, ranching, and resource extraction. From other perspectives, such growth has the potential to open a Pandora’s Box of social and economic problems associated with rapid population growth, tensions and conflicts between established and in-migrant populations, and the transformation of valued rural cultures and traditions. Amenity-based growth has the potential to influence, both positively and negatively, residents’ satisfaction with community conditions, their levels of

Identifying Key Factors in Homeowner’s Adoption of Water Quality Best Management Practices

The recognition of the significance of the residential environment in contributing to non-point source (NPS) pollution and the inherently dispersed nature of NPS pollution itself that presents significant challenges to effective regulation has led to the creation and dissemination of best management practices (BMPs) that can reduce the impacts of NPS pollution (Environmental Protection Agency US, Protecting water quality from urban runoff, http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/nps_urban-facts_final.pdf, 2003). However, very few studies have examined the factors that influence the adoption of BMPs by residential homeowners, despite the fact that residential environments have been identified as one of the most significant contributors to NPS pollution. Given this need, the purpose of this project was to explore how demographic and knowledge-based factors predict adoption of residential BMPs in an urbanizing watershed in Northern Illinois using statistical analyses of survey data collected as part of a watershed planning process. The findings indicate that broad knowledge of BMPs is the strongest predictor of use for a specific BMP. Knowledge of BMPs is strongly correlated with their use, which reinforces the need for educational programs, even among those assumed to be knowledgeable about BMPs.

Community Capacity for Watershed Conservation: A Quantitative Assessment of Indicators and Core Dimensions

Community capacity for watershed management has emerged as an important topic for the conservation of water resources. While much of the literature on community capacity has focused primarily on theory construction, there have been few efforts to quantitatively assess community capacity variables and constructs, particularly for watershed management and conservation. This study seeks to identify predictors of community capacity for watershed conservation in southwestern Illinois. A subwatershed-scale survey of residents from four communities located within the Lower Kaskaskia River watershed of southwestern Illinois was administered to measure three specific capacity variables: community empowerment, shared vision and collective action. Principal component analysis revealed key dimensions of each variable. Specifically, collective action was characterized by items relating to collaborative governance and social networks, community empowerment was characterized by items relating to community competency and a sense of responsibility and shared vision was characterized by items relating to perceptions of environmental threats, issues with development, environmental sense of place and quality of life. From the emerging factors, composite measures were calculated to determine the extent to which each variable contributed to community capacity. A stepwise regression revealed that community empowerment explained most of the variability in the composite measure of community capacity for watershed conservation. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of community capacity by quantifying the role of collective action, community empowerment and shared vision in community capacity, highlighting the need for multilevel interaction to address watershed issues.

Changing Homeowners’ Lawn Care Behavior to Reduce Nutrient Runoff

The American lawn receives more care, time, and attention from individuals and households than any other natural space (Robbins 2007). Given the ubiquity of turf grass across the American landscape and the importance of associated environmental impacts, a growing body of research exists that investigates lawn care behaviors or the factors that influence them. To extend that research tradition, the project reported here was designed to understand lawn care practices, attitudes, and values in urbanizing New England communities and to elucidate the correlates of environmentally friendly lawn care behavior. Findings can be used to inform the development of successful outreach and education to facilitate meaningful behavioral change. The results indicate that a high level of concern for environmental issues and water quality exists among homeowners, and identify important factors related to willingness to engage in alternative lawn care practices to protect water quality.

Learning from the Pros: the Role of ISSRM, SNR, and IASNR in our Careers

If we know anything as social scientists, we know we do not become who we are as professionals in a vacuum, and we are not tabula rasa when we enter graduate school. Who we are as budding social scientists has a lot of to do with who we listened to, who invested in us as learners, who served as good examples to us as teachers, researchers, and communitarians, and who inspired us by way of example and deep insight. Each of the authors of this short piece holds that the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) and our work with the journal Society & Natural Resources (SNR) have exposed us to key figures—in particular one so bright among them, Don Field—who shaped us as lifelong students of society and natural resources. As professors in the field of society and natural resources, we hope to reproduce their mentorship as we mentor our students, work with a range of partners to whom we provide academic advice and research results, and communicate with the greater public about the connections between social choice, human dignity, and healthy ecosystems. Naomi Krogman can remember many years ago when several of the esteemed colleagues whose comments appear in this special series of papers presented their arguments about the differences and similarities between natural resource and