Economic conditions and native-immigrant asymmetries in generalized social trust

Local ties that bind: The role of perceived neighborhood cohesion and disorder for immigrants' national identification

Immigrants' identification with the receiving society is a core dimension of their integration process. Previous research has much focused on the relevance of language acquisition, job market placement, and intergroup friendship as drivers of identification. At the same time, neighborhoods as immediate living environments reflect a relevant experiential setting in which immigrants learn about the social fabric of the receiving society and to which degree (local) public authorities take their concerns into account. This study examines how perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion and disorder relate to immigrants' identification with the receiving society. Using geo-coded panel data from the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study, we find robust empirical evidence that high levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion predict higher degrees of immigrants' national identification mainly by facilitating intergroup interaction. Our results suggest that perceptions of and experiences in immigrants' immediate living environments are highly relevant for outcomes related to their integration within the receiving society.

Effect of Internet Use to Obtain News on Rural Residents' Satisfaction with the Social Environment: Evidence from China

The deterioration of satisfaction with the social environment in rural areas recently has become a major issue in the rural governance of China. This study examined if using the Internet to obtain news would affect rural residents' satisfaction with their social environment. It used data from the China Family Panel Studies to determine the influencing factors of rural residents' satisfaction with their social environment in the Internet era. The research found that: (1) The Internet has become the main medium for rural residents to obtain news, which affects rural residents' satisfaction with the social environment. Specifically, as the number of days rural residents use the Internet to obtain weekly news increased, their satisfaction with China's social environment worsened. Internet use also affected satisfaction with the social environment more than traditional media, such as TV. (2) The influencing factors of rural residents' social environment satisfaction were heterogeneous among groups with different characteristics, with the phenomenon of the "digital divide" emerging. Women, middle-aged and older adults, and illiterate/semi-illiterate people used the Internet to obtain news less frequently. Based on the above research conclusions, governments should focus on and be vigilant against false public opinions disseminated online as well as improve the digital literacy of vulnerable rural groups.

Residential Segregation and Social Trust of Immigrants and Natives: Evidence From the Netherlands

This study examines the relationship between residential segregation and social trust of immigrants and natives in the Netherlands. Building on previous studies that have found evidence for a negative segregation-trust link, we present a nuanced narrative by (i) distinguishing between an ethnic minority and majority perspective, (ii) elaborating theoretical foundations on the moderating role of individual exposure in the form of ethnic minority concentration in the neighborhood, and (iii) taking income segregation into account. In addition to the refined theoretical framework, our study employs a rigorous empirical approach. Using two waves (2009 and 2013) of the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study-a geocoded panel study with an oversampling of Moroccan and Turkish immigrants-we are able to study the influence of (changes in) municipality-level segregation patterns for both natives and immigrants, and consider the roles of both neighborhood ethnic minority concentration, as well as income-based segregation. Results from four-level multilevel models show that ethnic segregation is negatively related to the social trust of immigrants. At the same time, this negative relationship is particularly strong in neighborhoods with a low level of minority population concentration, which provides support for the so-called integration paradox where negative intergroup interactions reduce social trust. For respondents of Dutch origin, we find no evidence that their social trust is sensitive to ethnic segregation or that this relationship is conditional on minority concentration at the neighborhood level.