The Role of Spirituality in Promoting Sense of Place Among Foreigners of African Background in the Netherlands

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between negative place experiences (involving racial discrimination, place insecurity, and feeling of anxiety about the future in a place) and sense of place (SOP), and the role played by spiritual attachment (AG) as a moderator. Cross-sectional data (N = 175; female 52%) were obtained from African migrants in Northern (33.3%) and Western (66.7%) regions of the Netherlands using the SOP Scale and AG Measure. Overall, study results show that migrants of African background in the Netherlands who had a secure relationship with God were more likely to develop SOP despite the sociocultural challenges associated with their place change and migration. Hence, securely attached migrants (high AG) turned more to God to manage their experiences of racial discrimination while insecurely attached migrants (low AG) embraced the Dutch lifestyle/identity as a mechanism for mitigating their own feelings of insecurity in the Netherlands. Study implications are discussed in relation to the role of spirituality in promoting SOP. Key Words: Sense of place—Attachment to God—Place attachment—The circle of place spirituality—Religion and place.