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The use and abuse of 'community' and 'neighbourhood' within disability research: an exposé, clarification, and recommendation

journal contribution
posted on 2015-01-01, 00:00 authored by Robert CumminsRobert Cummins, Y Kim
Almost invariably in the disability literature, the terms 'neighbourhood' and 'community' are used as though they have some commonly understood meaning. They do not, and authors rarely offer a definition. This problem adds opacity to the literature describing people's living environment and the nature of their interaction with others living in the same area. This ambiguity becomes crucial to understanding when these terms are linked to other vague, but emotionally-charged words, such as 'inclusion' or 'integration'. This review presents some of the ways 'neighbourhood' and 'community' may be correctly employed. It also explores the theoretical basis for understanding how and why their use may be misleading. Finally, it is demonstrated that the assumed relevance of neighbourhood participation for life quality has been greatly exaggerated. We recommend that authors carefully define their use of these terms in order to facilitate understanding free from emotional bias.

History

Journal

International journal of developmental disabilities

Volume

61

Pagination

68-75

Location

London, Eng.

ISSN

2047-3869

eISSN

2047-3877

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article, C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2015, British Society for Developmental Disabilities

Issue

2

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

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