Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Neighborhood Context of Mastery

Abstract

Residents of poor, non‐white neighborhoods experience high rates of neighborhood stressors like crime, violence, and disorder. Stress process theory suggests that mastery is important for understanding how neighborhood stressors affect resident mental health. This research examines the relationship between neighborhood stressors and mastery with a focus on racial and ethnic differences in a multi‐ethnic sample of Chicago residents. Because Black and Hispanic residents disproportionately live in high stressor neighborhoods and have more difficulty escaping them than Whites, a compound disadvantage model is proposed and tested using multilevel models with cross‐level interactions. Findings suggest race‐specific neighborhood antecedents of mastery and support for the compound disadvantage hypothesis. In highest stress neighborhoods, Blacks have lower mastery than Whites. In average and lower stress neighborhoods, Blacks have a mastery advantage.

Changes in City-Level Foreclosure Rates and Home Prices through the Great Recession and Depressive Symptoms among Older Americans

“…It concurs with scholars emphasizing how the physical, demographic, housing, social, economic, and political features of cities impact residents’ quality of life (Chernick et al 2011; Galea et al 2005; Hollander 2011; Peck 2012). This study also supports the ecological stress process model’s claims that contextual stressors affect mental health and can proliferate from more macro to more micro levels (Aneshensel 2010; Gilster 2014, 2016; Mohammad et al 2015; Parker et al 2004).…”

Neighborhood Cohesion, Disorder, and Physical Function in Older Adults: An Examination of Racial/Ethnic Differences

“…Some scholars discuss this research in terms of an “epidemiological paradox” in which, despite being exposed to more disadvantaged environments, cultural resources such as religion and familial support may enhance the resilience of minority groups (Angel & Angel, 2006; Merkin et al, 2009). Alternatively, racial/ethnic minorities who reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods (e.g., low cohesion and high disorder) may find themselves with limited opportunities to avoid these stressful environments and may experience greater, more adverse health effects as a result (Gilster, 2016). Taken together, there are limited and inconsistent findings on the relationship between neighborhood-level contexts and health and health-promoting behaviors across race and ethnicity.…”

In the eyes of the beholder: Race, place and health

“…The "epidemiological paradox" is described as a process by which marginalized racial/ethnic groups, given their greater exposure to disordered neighborhoods, develop greater coping and resilience and may thus fare better than their non-Hispanic White counterparts (24). In a more recent investigation, greater perceived neighborhood disorder was related to a depletion of personal mastery, or the belief that life chances are under a degree of personal influence (25). Although this investigation also observed a racial difference, the direction was markedly different; the disorder-mastery link was more evident among non-Hispanic Blacks than non-Hispanic Whites.…”

“…Although this investigation also observed a racial difference, the direction was markedly different; the disorder-mastery link was more evident among non-Hispanic Blacks than non-Hispanic Whites. Gilster (25) argued that the racial/ethnic difference observed in the disorder-mastery link can be explained by a situation of compound risk, or that non-Whites experience a greater accumulation of personal and neighborhood stressors than do non-Hispanic Whites. The Stress Process Model has long posited that those with fewer personal resources, those with more chronic or repeated stressors, and certainly those with both, will fare the worse health outcomes than those with more resources or fewer stressors.…”