Using the 2005 Citizenship Survey to examine the socio-demographic and attitudinal predictors of community cohesion in England, both at the individual and community levels, this study shows that:
- Both individual and community-level factors influence cohesion
- Ethnic diversity is, in most cases, positively associated with community cohesion while disadvantage erodes cohesion
- Crime and fear of crime strongly undermine cohesion
- Empowerment is important
- Volunteering leads to more positive views on cohesion
- Vulnerable groups have more negative perceptions of cohesion
The predictors of cohesion vary across ethnic groups