Territorial Personalization

Abstract

This study examined variations in levels of exterior maintenance and adornment among the residents of a predominantly Slavic-American, inner-city neighborhood. Specific questions were: Is ethnic identity expressed in the exterior personalization of individual households? Are higher levels of personalization associated with higher levels of neighborhood-based social interaction? Results indicated that Slavic-Americans personalized more than their non-Slavic counterparts (p <.0001), and that homeowners exhibited more personalization than renters (p <.0001). Higher sociability scores were significantly associated with both Slavic-Americans (p < .0001) and long-term residents (p <.005). These results suggest that exterior personalization in neighborhoods may provide an ecological mechanism indicative of group membership and domain.

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