Social Connectedness

What is social connectedness about?
Social connectedness is a personal sense of belonging to a group, family, or community. It’s about the relationships people have with each other and their engagement with the broader community. Social connection is an integral component of personal health and well-being, and is just as influential on health as diet and exercise.
A socially connected community is a place where everyone feels like they belong. It’s a place where people know their neighbours and feel motivated to get involved, build relationships, and contribute to the creation of strong social networks. It’s a place where spaces exist for people to gather with friends and neighbours. And, it’s a place where all planning and strategic initiatives take social connectedness into account.
Social Connectedness
- Social connectedness is defined by frequency of contact with others, personal relationships, and engagement in the community.
- The Vancouver Foundation’s Connections and Engagement Survey,i conducted in 2012, measured social connectedness by items such as feeling alone, the number of close friends in one's neighbourhood, getting together with neighbours, and degree of neighbourhood ties.
Why is social connectedness important for health and well-being?
Building and cultivating social connections benefit both individuals and communities as a whole. People with extensive and strong support networks tend to have:
- better physical health through lower rates of unhealthy behaviours (such as smoking, drinking, and an inactive lifestyle)ii
- a lower prevalence of mental illnessesiii
Social support is also important for buffering the effects of an adverse event or stressful life circumstance. In fact, research shows that belonging to social groups and networks is just as important predictor of health as diet and exercise.v
Beyond our basic human need for social networks and relationships, participation in civic life is also an essential need and is a critical component of healthy communities. Feeling socially connected can help people to reach out to others in their communities and support each other. It can also encourage people to volunteer and take pride in the condition of their communities.
The Building Resilient Neighbourhoods project in B.C.’s Capital Region has identified the connection between neighbours, residents’ socializing, and connection to civic life as essential characteristics of a resilient community. Resilient communities proactively adapt to change and are better able to withstand and respond to threats, stresses, or other disturbances.
Did You Know?
- In 2007, 33% of Australians with no family members to confide in had a mental illness within the preceding 12 months, compared with 15% who had three or more family members to confide in.vi
- In 2013 the McCreary Centre Society’s province-wide Adolescent Health Survey found that students who felt connected to their community were more likely than those who felt unconnected to:
- See only positive future outcomes for themselves (92% vs. 80%);
- Think they were really good at something (83% vs. 66%); and
- Report feeling happy all or most of the time in the past month (80% vs. 50%).vii
Why does social connectedness matter for local governments?
Local governments, as directed by the Community Charter, have a duty to foster the “social well-being of their communities.” When people feel connected with their communities, they may feel more inclined to participate in actions that help the community, such as volunteering, taking pride in the condition of their community and being engaged in the civic process. Local governments also have much to gain from supporting social connectedness in their community, including increased neighbourhood safety,viii people connecting with the services and support they need,ix strengthened resilience during emergency events,x increased volunteering and a stronger sense of community pride.xi
Local governments are in a great position to foster the social well-being of their communities through the use of planning and community design, policies, programs and partnerships. Local governments also develop, own and support community infrastructure, such as community and recreation centres, parks, libraries and arts facilities, which are often hubs of community connection for residents.