Secular and Faith-based Organisations as Reliable Information Sources for Residents of Environmentally Stressed Neighbourhoods

Abstract

A sample of 873 residents of Accra, Ghana, and 504 residents of the state of New Jersey, USA, strati ed by type of neighbourhoo d was gathered in order to determine the sources of information residents rely on for accurate information about their neighbourhoods . In both countries residents relied most heavily on personal contacts, television and radio, and much less on community organisations . Residents who rely on many sources for reliable information tend to have lived in their neighbourhoo d for a long time and to be more engaged in neighbourhoo d activities than those who reach out to fewer sources. Those who rely on secular community organisation s tend to mistrust science, experts and local of cials. Those who rely on faith-based organisation s are much more trusting of local of cials but are even less trusting of science and experts than their counterparts . The implications of these results for building and sustainin g community organisation s are discussed.