Distinctiveness and sense of community in the historical center of Naples: A piece of participatory action research

Inspired by the impact of an increase in tourism in the Old Center of Naples, Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo, a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable town development and encourages participation, has undertaken the participatory action research described in this article. The inhabitants' sense of community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) with regard to the distinctiveness of the area (Puddifoot, 1995) and its representation are also explored. The collection of socioenvironmental data (Arcidiacono, 1999), 15 semistructured interviews with key people, and photodialogue (Legewie, 2003) are followed by relational activities carried out together with local inhabitants and group associations in the area. The inductive analysis of the established categories and networks has been carried out with the aid of Atlas.ti. Our findings emphasize that the distinctiveness of the Center and the pride of belonging felt by its inhabitants are expressed ambivalently and negatively, evidence of the inhabitants' lack of a sense of community. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 631–638, 2005.