Effect of Settlement Size and Religiosity on Sense of Place in Communal Settlements

The effect of religiosity and settlement size on sense of place was studied among residents of Jewish communal settlements in Judea and Samaria. Sense of place was defined as a multidimensional concept of cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions. Sense of place was found to be significantly higher for religious than for secular residents. Sense of place was found to be higher for religious residents in small settlements, whereas for secular residents it was higher in large settlements. The study suggests reasons for these findings.