Threatened or Empowered? The Impact of Neighborhood Context on Community Involvement in Antwerp, Belgium

Abstract

Using a citywide register of community involvement, this article tests two competing theories for explaining active citizenship through neighborhood context: one that emphasizes the opportunities available in the neighborhood, whether at the level of the individual, the social environment, or the physical environment, and one that explains how active citizenship can be regarded as a reaction to threats in the neighborhood. The present analysis suggests that both effects apply but in separate parts of the city. The analysis reveals a spatial dichotomy: In the nineteenth-century inner city, participation is more problem-related, whereas in the periphery, participation is explained by opportunities available. Simultaneously, the results warn against overemphasizing the neighborhood context as a determinant for participation.