White Ethnic Diversity and Community Attachment in Rural Iow

The increasing complexity of community life has resulted in drastic changes in community attachment. Feeling connected to communities bolsters feelings of pride and happiness and security. In order for these connections to endure and grow, feelings of attachment must be nurtured. Previous research has found that racially/ethnically diverse communities experience lower levels of trust and reciprocity, among other community-level aspects. Importantly, ethnicity itself (nested within larger racial groups) may impact community life. This study examines the relationship between white ethnic diversity and feelings of community attachment using the 2014 wave of the Iowa Community and the 2010-2014 American Community Survey. Using community-level data on community attachment and a measure of white ethnic diversity, this study concludes that there is a significant relationship between white ethnic diversity and community attachment in rural Iowa. In communities with greater white ethnic diversity, community attachment levels are lower, residents are less likely to view the community as a big group of friends, and residents are less likely to feel sorrow if they have to leave the community. These findings have important implications for the future research of other panethnic groups, such as Asian and Latino populations. If ethnicity complicates feelings of attachment for those of European ancestry whose families may have immigrated generations ago, the effects of ethnicity may be even more present among panethnic groups that have experienced immigration more recently. Community attachment is an important element of community life and overall well-being and ethnicity proves to be a significant obstacle in the maintenance of these feelings.