Burholt Vanessa, Naylor Dawn
Centre for Social Policy Research and Development, Ardudwy, University of Wales, Holyhead Road, Bangor, LL57 2PX UK.
Eur J Ageing. 2005 Jun;2(2):109-119. doi: 10.1007/s10433-005-0028-3. Epub 2005 May 14.
This paper explores the relationship between rural community type and attachment to place for 387 older people aged 70 and over. Six rural settlements in North Wales are characterised according to certain statistics (e.g. age structure, in-migration, strength of local culture, and multiple deprivation) to provide distinct community profiles. It is hypothesised that community type is characterised by particular types of attachment, which are dependent on life course trajectories and changes or stability in the environment. Using a sevenfold classification of attachment to place, the paper tests seven hypotheses. The results support four of the seven hypotheses. Older people living in a retirement destination are more likely to report aesthetic qualities and the appropriateness of the environment. People living in native areas with a strong culture and local language are more likely to note the importance of historical attachment and social integration into the community. Three hypotheses are rejected: older people living in a retirement destination are less likely to report social support, or a historical perspective in attachment to place, and older people living in areas with high levels of multiple deprivation are more likely to encounter relocation restraints than are others. Overall, the findings suggest that the taxonomy of attachment to place provides a flexible framework for differentiation by community. The paper concludes that communities are not merely settings-they play a significant role in self-identity and are a vital source of emotional and experiential meaning for the inhabitant.
本文探讨了387名70岁及以上老年人的农村社区类型与地方依恋之间的关系。根据某些统计数据（如年龄结构、迁入情况、地方文化的强度和多重贫困程度）对北威尔士的六个农村定居点进行了特征描述，以呈现不同的社区概况。研究假设社区类型具有特定类型的依恋特征，这些依恋特征取决于生活轨迹以及环境的变化或稳定性。本文使用了一种对地方依恋的七重分类法，检验了七个假设。结果支持了七个假设中的四个。居住在退休目的地的老年人更有可能报告环境的美学品质和适宜性。生活在具有浓厚文化和当地语言的原生地区的人们更有可能注意到历史依恋和融入社区的社会融合的重要性。有三个假设被否定：居住在退休目的地的老年人不太可能报告社会支持或对地方的历史视角，并且生活在多重贫困程度高的地区的老年人比其他人更有可能遇到搬迁限制。总体而言，研究结果表明，地方依恋的分类法为按社区进行区分提供了一个灵活的框架。本文得出结论，社区不仅仅是环境——它们在自我认同中发挥着重要作用，并且是居民情感和体验意义的重要来源。
