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Sociology

2014

Theses and Dissertations

Place

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The Importance Of Place In An Era Of Placelessness? Distance's Influence On Community Satisfaction And Attachment, Matthew L. Mcknight Dec 2014

The Importance Of Place In An Era Of Placelessness? Distance's Influence On Community Satisfaction And Attachment, Matthew L. Mcknight

Theses and Dissertations

The powerful influence of global consumerism and its strong effect on rural communities has led to calls for the “death of distance” and for the placelessness of community. However, skepticism remains that all unique elements of communities of place have been erased from rural life. Using data from Montana (N=3,508), this research investigates how distance, size, and other spatially-bound factors influence sentiments of community satisfaction and attachment in communities of place. Findings suggest that distance can decrease community satisfaction in highly rural communities and increase attachment in rural communities along the urban fringe. Perceived satisfaction with community services was a …


Breaking Down Barriers Of Space: Correlations And Connections Between Online Social Capital, Offline Social Capital, Community Attachment, And Community Satisfaction, David B. Braudt Jun 2014

Breaking Down Barriers Of Space: Correlations And Connections Between Online Social Capital, Offline Social Capital, Community Attachment, And Community Satisfaction, David B. Braudt

Theses and Dissertations

With Internet access and use becoming nearly ubiquitous aspects of an individual’s experience of everyday life, sociologists must consider how the Internet is transforming an individual's experience of community. This study examines the connections between place-independent forms of social capital actuated online, place-dependent forms of social capital actuated face-to-face, and individuals' perceptions of community attachment and community satisfaction. Moving from a theoretical foundation to empirical evidence, I show the concepts of bonding and bridging social capital can and should be divided based upon the medium through which they are actuated. I then explore the effect of online and offline forms …