HAL_F_03 Creation, Trial, and Interregional Comparison of a Regional Sociality Index

Objectives/ Research Questions

The aim of this project is to develop and empirically test an indicator for the county-related survey of sociocultural factors in the form of a Sociality Index. This instrument will provide empirical access to attitudes that exist in the regional context and reflect the individual perception of these social environments as well as the subjective assessment of the living and working conditions there. The models already applied in spatial research and spatial policy for classifying or typifying regional territorial units in both rural and urban areas can be usefully supplemented in such a way that, in addition to the already existing sociostructural and sociodemographic indicators, sociocultural or sociospatial indicators will also be available in the future, providing information about the subjective perception of regionally diversified quality of life, as well as the characteristics of political and social culture present there. The project HAL_F_03 was significantly involved in the conception of the research area “Institutional Structures and Public Goods” of Cluster 2 and will provide important results. It supplements the regional analyses, which are the focus of the basic research at the Halle section, by developing the new analytical tool Sociality Index.

A computer-assisted telephone survey (CATI) is planned in selected urban and rural districts (selection criteria include East/West as well as structurally weak/stable regions), representative of the respective district population. In addition to attitude variables, selected sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents will also be collected.

The milestones for the four-year project are the presentation of the results of the survey mid-2022 and the macro-analysis at the end of 2023, as well as the final report in summer 2024.

Thematic Reference to Social Cohesion

For social cohesion on a normative or social-moral level, it is important how the guarantee or non-fulfilment of public goods such as safety, justice, trust, and sufficiency are perceived and evaluated from an individual or group-related perspective. Corresponding variables are therefore included in the questionnaire of the Sociality Index.

For social cohesion on a practical level, empirically sound knowledge about which deficits and potential of social cohesion and socially innovative civic involvement exist in regional living environments is important and also about how they develop over time. Especially for rural regions and especially those affected by aging, migration, and weakening of their infrastructure, valid attitude data are needed to develop and practically implement resilient strategies and programmes to strengthen sociocultural resources.

Accordingly, variables that measure the intensity and evaluation of interpersonal contacts, self-efficacy, emotional attachment to a place, experienced rejection and job (in)security, the perception of environmental quality or weakness (growing/stagnating/shrinking demographics, and economic power), as well as personal developmental assets are included in the questionnaire of the Sociality Index.

Thus, the project follows an empirical-analytical research approach in which social cohesion is defined and contextually explained as a dependent variable. In terms of content, the project can be allocated to research questions 6 to 9 formulated in the overall proposal. In many respects, the project is closely related to the RISC heuristics: it takes up configurations of social relations and practices of social action that generate social cohesion. It also includes the affective dimension, such as spatial identification and dimensions of general and interpersonal trust. Lastly, it also includes socioeconomic factors (in this case the immediate living environment).