Place Attachment and Community Dependence Across the Rural-Urban Spectrum: A Digital Engagement Perspective on Young Adults
Yıldız Social Sciences Institute Journal, cilt.10, sa.1, ss.1-17, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 10 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Dergi Adı: Yıldız Social Sciences Institute Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-17
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigates how place attachment (PA) and community dependence (CD) vary between rural and urban young adults, with a specific focus on the role of digital engagement. A stratified online survey sample of 464 young adults aged 18-30 participated in the study across rural (n = 242) and urban (n = 222) settings. Digital engagement was operationalized behaviorally through participants’ selection of cyberspace/virtual space across everyday activity, happiness, belonging, and third-place preference items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the multidimensional measurement structure of PA and CD. Independent samples t-tests, regression analyses, and multi-group SEM comparisons were used to examine rural-urban differences, the predictive role of length of residency, and variation in PA-CD pathways across digital engagement groups. Rural youth reported significantly stronger PA and CD across all subdimensions. Length of residency positively predicted both PA and CD. Digital engagement was associated with selective variation in the Evaluative Attachment → Evaluative Dependence pathway, while cognitive and affective pathways remained comparatively stable. The findings contribute to place attachment literature by integrating digital spatial orientation into a multidimensional PA-CD framework and highlight the importance of hybrid strategies that connect physical community ties with digitally mediated forms of belonging.