Key points
This indicator measures respondents participation in social groups and networks, in particular whether the social group or network that matters to them most is made up of people who live in the same area or people who have the same interest, culture or beliefs. Being part of a social group or network generally has positive outcomes for the individual and society. The presence of formal and informal relationships between people facilitates participation in society, encourages a sense of belonging, and enables stable communities.
Data on the groups or social networks that matter most to people is available for Hamilton City residents and New Zealand as a whole. Of the total Hamilton respondents during the 2010 Quality of Life Survey, 21% said they relate mostly to people with same interests, culture or beliefs, 15% said they relate mostly to people living in the same area, and 63% said it was a mixture of both. According to the 2010 survey results, the most common social networks to which New Zealand residents belong, apart from family, are work or school (57%), online communities such as Facebook and Twitter (50%), and hobby or interest groups (34%). The profile for Hamilton City is similar to the national average. Notable over the period 2008 to 2010 was a rapid rise in the proportion of people belonging to online communities and interest groups.
Location of social networks to which residents belong – Hamilton City and other metropolitan areas 2010
Source: Quality of Life in New Zealand’s Twelve Largest Cities – Residents’ Survey 2010
What agencies are doing
Information currently being collated.
What you can do to help
Information currently being collated.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcome we are seeking to achieve by encouraging participation in social networks and groups is:
- Families are strong and our communities are supportive of them.