Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
Published on: June 19, 2019
The neighborhood context of well-being
1Department of Sociology, Harvard University, 675 William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. rsampson@wjh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Health-related problems are strongly associated with the social characteristics of communities and neighborhoods. We need to treat community contexts as important units of analysis in their own right, which in turn calls for new measurement strategies as well as theoretical frameworks that do not simply treat the neighborhood as a "trait" of the individual. Recent findings from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods support this thesis. Two major themes merit special attention: (1) the importance of collective efficacy for understanding health disparities in the modern city; and (2) the salience of spatial dynamics that go beyond the confines of local neighborhoods. Further efforts to explain the causes of variation in collective processes associated with healthy communities may provide innovative opportunities for preventive intervention.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Concepts of Health and Illness
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison

