NEIGHBORHOOD INTERACTION, PLACE ATTACHMENT, AND SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING AMONG RURAL MIGRANT WOMEN: A CASE STUDY OF NANJING, CHINA

GU Mo-li; TANG Shuang-shuang

doi:10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.04.008

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HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4) : 71-79,168. DOI: 10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.04.008

SPECIAL COLUMN ON POPULATION MOBILITY AND URBAN-RURAL DEVELOPMENT

NEIGHBORHOOD INTERACTION, PLACE ATTACHMENT, AND SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING AMONG RURAL MIGRANT WOMEN: A CASE STUDY OF NANJING, CHINA

GU Mo-li¹, TANG Shuang-shuang^1,2,3

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Abstract

Traditional gender roles and the disruption of original social networks often prompt rural migrant women in urban China to rebuild social ties through neighborhood interaction, thereby developing place attachment and gaining emotional support. However, existing studies have paid insufficient attention to the relationships among neighborhood interaction, place attachment, and subjective well-being, as well as the moderating role of neighborhood composition. Based on survey data from rural migrant women in Nanjing, this study uses structural equation modeling to examine these relationships across different neighborhood types. The results show that the number of community friends, the frequency of neighborhood contact, and participation in neighborhood activities all significantly promote place attachment. Both place attachment and neighborhood contact have positive direct effects on subjective well-being, whereas participation in neighborhood activities shows a negative direct effect. Nevertheless, neighborhood interaction also enhances subjective well-being indirectly by strengthening place attachment. Moreover, the effects of neighborhood interaction on subjective well-being vary significantly across neighborhoods with different compositions. These findings highlight the importance of meaningful neighborhood engagement and inclusive community environments for improving the well-being of rural migrant women.

Key words

rural migrant women / subjective well-being / neighborhood interaction / place attachment / neighborhood composition

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GU Mo-li, TANG Shuang-shuang. NEIGHBORHOOD INTERACTION, PLACE ATTACHMENT, AND SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING AMONG RURAL MIGRANT WOMEN: A CASE STUDY OF NANJING, CHINA[J]. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. 2026, 41(4): 71-79,168 https://doi.org/10.13959/j.issn.1003-2398.2026.04.008

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