Social capital and sense of neighbourhood belonging among Qatari nationals

Abstract

This study examines citizens’ sense of neighbourhood belonging in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, focusing on the State of Qatar. While much research about this issue has been conducted in developed countries, little is known about how citizens’ ‘stock’ of social capital, religiosity and civic engagement affect their sense of belonging to their neighbourhood within GCC countries. In the present study, we address this question by analysing data from two waves of nationally representative surveys undertaken in Qatar, drilling down into the various dimensions of social capital and their effect on community attachment at the neighbourhood level. The results indicate that, even after controlling for a wide range of demographic variables, social capital has a strong effect on the nationals’ sense of belonging to their communities. The results have implications for researchers with respect to the salience of social capital as a concept and for policymakers concerned with building an integrated and diverse community that is inclusive of people from various backgrounds.