Analysis

The Sense of Community Index (SCI) is a psychometric tool originally developed by McMillan and Chavis in 1986. Its purpose is to measure the feeling of “belonging” and community within a group or social environment. The SCI consists of four dimensions: the sense of membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. Each dimension includes a series of statements to which participants are asked to respond, expressing their agreement or disagreement.

Purpose

The main purpose of the SCI is to provide a reliable and valid measurement of the sense of community across different social environments. This measurement can be used to understand community cohesion, to identify areas where intervention may be required, and to evaluate the effectiveness of programs or policies aimed at strengthening social cohesion. Furthermore, the SCI is widely used in research to study the effects of the sense of community on individuals’ psychological well-being and social behavior.

Calibration

The calibration of the SCI is conducted through a Likert scale, where participants rate their agreement with each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scores are then summed to create an overall index of the sense of community. Higher scores indicate a stronger sense of community. The analysis of the results may include examining both the overall scores and the individual dimensions in order to identify specific areas where there may be problems or where the community is particularly strong.

References

Dr. David M. Chavis
Association for the Study and Development of Community
312 S. Frederick Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 519-0722