Explaining neighborhood effects on neighborhood cohesion: The varying influence of residential reputation by household income

Abstract

This article examines whether perceived residential reputation mediates the effect of neighborhood context on neighborhood cohesion, including residents’ sense of belonging and sociability. Moreover, it analyzes whether this mediated neighborhood effect on local social cohesion varies across socioeconomic groups. Using data from the Chilean Longitudinal Social Survey (2018–2022), we apply moderated mediation models that allow us to examine jointly why and for whom neighborhoods influence social cohesion at the local level. Results indicate that neighborhood effects are mediated by residential reputations: an increase in neighborhood advantage is associated with better reputations that subsequently enhance neighborhood cohesion. We find evidence of full mediation, meaning that neighborhood socioeconomic status influences cohesion only through reputations. Then, we show that the size of the mediated neighborhood effect on local cohesion decreases with income, such that it becomes weaker among higher-income groups. Specifically, the latter are less affected by territorial stigma and maintain stronger affective bonds and local sociability in deprived areas, compared to lower-income groups. In the discussion, we highlight the continuing salience of social class in shaping the subjective experiences of spatial inequality and argue for more research on how neighborhood effect mechanisms operate differently across population subgroups.