Town-Gown Sense of Community in Campus-Adjacent Neighborhoods: a Mixed Methods Study
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Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 7-18-2019 Town-gown sense of community in campus-adjacent neighborhoods: A mixed methods study Andrew Perrone Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Perrone, Andrew, "Town-gown sense of community in campus-adjacent neighborhoods: A mixed methods study" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2722. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/2722 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOWN-GOWN SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN CAMPUS-ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY by Andrew T. Perrone A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Educational Services and Leadership College of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirement For the degree of Doctor of Education at Rowan University June 17, 2019 Dissertation Chair: Monica Reid Kerrigan, Ed.D. © 2019 Andrew T. Perrone Acknowledgements The long path to the completion of this dissertation began when Dr. Carol Gruber invited me to join her team at Rowan in 2009. My hesitancy to pursue my doctorate was washed away by the encouragement of Dr. Kara Ieva in 2014. And, I was shepherded through the long struggles of research and writing the dissertation by Dr. Monica Kerrigan, my Chair. I was very lucky to have crossed paths with each of these individuals, and I was equally lucky to have them serve as my committee. Thank you! A grateful thanks must also be offered to the two cohorts that supported me throughout this pursuit. My Rowan cohort who pushed me and helped me to challenge myself to complete this work. Equally, I would like to thank my de facto cohort of old friends, Dr. Danny Richer & Dr. Drew Roberts. It has been wonderful to CARPE THE DIEM with you. I am tremendously grateful for our friendship, doctors. Most importantly, I thank my family. My mother, Kathy Perrone, who has always inspired me to pursue further education. As I grow older, I am more appreciative of everything you have done and sacrificed for me. To my children, Anne, Kevin, Carolyn, and Rosemary, I am excited to say “Daddy’s done with school!” I look forward to having all the time back to enjoy life with you. This doctoral work has lasted for most or all of each of your lives, and I hope you remember all the work and effort. And, most deeply, I thank my wife, Katie Perrone. This whole thing was your idea! Ultimately, while I wrote a bunch of papers, you did the really hard work of leading our family. I am so very lucky to have had your support and confidence throughout everything. You always believed in my abilities more strongly than I believed in myself. I don’t know what I have done to deserve any of it. I am truly lucky. Thank you. I love you. This is for you. iii Abstract Andrew T. Perrone TOWN-GOWN SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN CAMPUS-ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY 2018-2019 Monica Reid Kerrigan, Ed.D. Doctor of Education The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the perceptions of a sense of community held by non-student residents within the campus-adjacent neighborhoods of a college town. Employing an explanatory sequential design, the study further explored any differing perceptions of a sense of community held after participation in a community-wide program modeled after Texas A&M University’s The Big Event. Residents of owner-occupied homes in neighborhoods that have experienced “studentification” (Smith, 2008) were surveyed with the Sense of Community Index 2 (Chavis, Lee, & Acosta, 2008) in order to understand the established Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC). Follow-up interviews were completed with Back To The Boro participants and non-participants. Three findings emerged that coincided with the four component subscales of PSOC. Finding One, “It’s Going To Be Rowan-boro Soon,” points to participant’s sense of Membership and Reinforcement of Needs. Finding Two, “We Don’t Have This Chronic Issue With the Youth of the Community. They’re Not the Issue,” illuminates the sense of Influence. And, Finding Three, “As Long As I Stay Here, I’ll Always Try to Build Bridges,” articulates the sense of Shared Emotional Connection. Ultimately, this study calls for shifts in both policy and practice that focus town-gown relationships as more than a reaction to negative student behaviors. Recommendations are made for educational leaders to transform these relationships. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................iv List of Figures ..................................................................................................................ix List of Tables ...................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................1 Background and Statement of Problem .....................................................................2 History: Back To The Boro – Rowan University & Glassboro, NJ ..........................4 Significance of the Study ...........................................................................................6 Research Questions ....................................................................................................8 Research Design.........................................................................................................9 Definition of Terms....................................................................................................10 Town-Gown .........................................................................................................10 Campus-Adjacent Neighborhood .........................................................................11 Community Engagement .....................................................................................11 Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC) .......................................................11 Big Event-Style Program .....................................................................................12 Overview of Chapters ................................................................................................12 Chapter 2: Literature Review ...........................................................................................15 Overview ....................................................................................................................15 College Town: History and Definitions .....................................................................16 Beneficial Impacts of the College Town ...................................................................22 Negative Impacts of the College Town .....................................................................24 Bridging the Town-Gown Divide ..............................................................................30 v Table of Contents (continued) Community Engagement ...........................................................................................35 Psychological Sense of Community ..........................................................................39 Chapter 3: Methods ..........................................................................................................46 Introduction to Design and Strategies of Inquiry .......................................................46 Research Questions ....................................................................................................49 Sampling ....................................................................................................................50 Setting ..................................................................................................................50 Participants ...........................................................................................................51 Quantitative Data Collection......................................................................................53 Quantitative Data Analysis ........................................................................................54 Qualitative Data Collection........................................................................................55 Qualitative Data Analysis ..........................................................................................57 Validity, Credibility, and Trustworthiness .................................................................58 Ethical Considerations ...............................................................................................59 Closing Summary.......................................................................................................60 Chapter 4: Findings ..........................................................................................................62 Quantitative Data .......................................................................................................64 Qualitative Data .........................................................................................................66 Qualitative Participants ..............................................................................................67 Introduction of Findings ............................................................................................69