Community Climate: Adapting Climate Theory to the Study of Communities

The goal of this chapter is to employ the concept of climate—often referenced in organizational psychology as a measure of organizations or their departments—in the analysis of communities. We propose that communities provide a new level of analysis for measurement and understanding of the climate concept. We review the literature on level of analysis in climate research and explain how community provides a new level for the measurement of climate that is not captured in the existing levels of analysis in climate research (department, organization). We discuss the process in which climate will emerge in communities and measurement/methodological issues that are relevant to the new level of analysis. We suggest several facets of climate that are relevant to community studies (road safety, participatory, political, education, homophobic, and adolescent violence) and propose a model that includes antecedents and consequences of community climate. Finally we propose ways in which climate can serve in community change efforts.