Examining Social Relations in Mixed-Income Communities: An Examination of Individual Processes and Social Mechanisms that Shape Neighbor Interaction

Author: Kelly Owens

Dissertation School: University of New Orleans

Abstract:

This is a qualitative investigation of community life among different socioeconomic groups within a HOPE VI community located in New Orleans, Louisiana. This study examines social interaction among residents who live in subsidized housing and in private market rentals/owner-occupied units; it is motivated by theoretical underpinnings that suggest incorporating higher income earners into former public housing developments will help eradicate social dislocations associated with concentrated poverty. The purpose of this study is to identify the processes and mechanisms that shape social interaction and also explain the limited neighborhood effects observed in previous studies aimed at assessing self-sufficiency indicators among publicly subsidized individuals.

River Garden, formerly the St. Thomas, is the site of my study. I am in the midst of conducting semi-structured interviews with a minimum of 52 residents who represent various housing tenures within River Garden and I will also interview property management staff as well as representatives of several community-based organizations that surround River Garden (see attached Interview Protocols). Additionally, each respondent will complete a survey that captures demographic information and allows him/her to rate their desire and ability to socialize with neighbors (attached). Upon completing my field work, I will analyze the data to determine patterns and themes which will be utilized to inform my overall findings.

HOPE VI projects are typically designed using New Urbanist principles aimed at fostering social interaction; management companies plan community events and meetings with the intent to create opportunities for social interaction; and working- and middle-class families knowingly choose to live alongside lower-income neighbors. How do spatial proximity, organized events, or HOPE VI “buy in” shape neighbor interaction? I propose to unpack the micro-processes that shape social interaction, identify the mechanisms that cultivate social ties, and analyze how social boundaries are constructed. These findings will not only have implications for HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods but will also provide important information to scholars, policymakers, developers, and community organizations interested in learning the working components of neighborhood processes and community development at the micro level.

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