Abstract

        This study presents two perspectives on the importance of being rooted in the community: one for all adults and parents is the perceived strength of belonging to the local community; the other for teens, the length of residence and quality of the home eight years earlier and its influence on behaviour.

        The basic assumption is that community rootedness positively influences attitudes, character and the behaviour of adults, parents and children. This assumption is tested formally by means of regression analyses for teens, and informally by noting patterns in tables and charts for adults.

        Our summary of results for all adults focuses on the percentage of subpopulations with a very strong sense of community belonging.

        Very strong belonging was reported by 18% of all Canadians, and this varies from 16% in Alberta to 30% in Newfoundland. Very strong belonging was reported equally by women and men, but increases sharply with age.

        Considering marital status, very strong belonging is most prevalent among widows and widowers, 28%, followed by the married population, 21%, and weakest among those living common-law, 12%, and weak also among the single, separated and divorced populations, 15% to 16%.

        Many relationships with formal, informal, and non-formal education are summarized. For example, the percentage with very strong community belonging is highest among United Church affiliates, Pentecostals, and Moslems, over 20%, and lowest among those with the unaffiliated, 12%.

        Our summary of results for parents focuses on the percentage of subpopulations with a weak sense of community belonging, 39% in Canada, about the same for mothers and fathers, and ranging from 26% in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, to 47% in Quebec.

        The percentage falls with religiosity, from 51% of the non-religious parents, to 27% of the very religious. It also falls with frequency of worship, from 48% of the non-worshippers in the past year (though religiously affiliated), to 28% of the weekly worshippers.

        Given the influence of the other variables, length of residence is a statistically significant as a predictor of teens who have smoked, who are current smokers, current users of marijuana, and who have close friends who smoke (the prediction is negative, as expected in all cases).

        It is also a predictor of the consideration of, and attempted suicide. The longer the residence, the more likely the teen is to feel happy with things in his or her life, and the closer the relationship with his or her parents.

        Also, the longer the residence, the more likely the sexually active teen did not use birth control sometimes - the only unexpected result.