When out-groups are perceived as out of place: urban disorder sensitivity and environmental distance

Abstract

These studies aimed to determine whether a stronger preference for order, structure, and predictability in the urban environment (measured by the Space Intrusion subscale of the Urban Socio-Spatial Disorder Sensitivity Scale) and a higher score on the Out-Group Visual Encroachment scale are associated with more aversive reactions towards the idea of people of another race, ethnicity, or religion settling in the neighborhood. participants and procedureParticipants were recruited through online snowball sampling (pilot study) as well as from among university students. Students were also asked to send links to the study to their acquaintances. The pilot study, as well as Study 1B, were conducted online, whereas in Study 1A the paper-pencil method was used. resultsScores on the Space Intrusion subscale and the Out-group Visual Encroachment scale were associated with outgroup negativity. Out-group Visual Encroachment was found to mediate the relationship between Space Intrusion and environmental distance toward Muslims. conclusionsPerceiving out-groups as out of place is a joint product of environmental features (visual cues of belonging) and characteristics of the individual (sensitivity to urban disorder). The challenge for neighborhoods in times of increased migration is how to shape the public domain to increase the chances of strangers becoming more familiar.

Organisational practices and social inclusion: Inclusionary place‐making in the library

“…Such needs to manage the reception of innovation extend beyond the workforce to the organisation's users: innovations designed to welcome marginalised groups can prompt resistance from others used to their privilege. Indeed, those with a historically privileged sense of place may regard any newcomers as “space intruders” (Jaśkiewicz & Sobiecki, 2022), especially if the former's sense of feeling ‘at home’ derives in part from “the comforting realisation of others' absence” (Dixon & Durrheim, 2004, p. 459). Moreover, even in apparently shared spaces, there can be informal segregation (Bettencourt et al, 2019; Dixon et al, 2020) and the reassertion of hierarchies of belonging.…”