Migration and sense of community 1 IMMIGRANT ADAPTATION: UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS THROUGH SENSE OF COMMUNITY

There is a wealth of literature that illustrates the centrality of natural social and support systems for individual and community wellbeing. Sarason (1974) introduced the notion of psychological sense of community (SOC) and argued that it is central to well-being because it reflects membership and interrelationships with a wider body of people. He emphasized that the removal of people from families and communities can lead to feelings of rejection and undermine feelings of belonging. There is evidence for the negative outcomes that result from the loss of primary communities and the systematic removal of cultures because of oppression and colonization (e.g., Bulhan, 1985; Moane, 1999; Sloan, 1996). Immigration, voluntary or involuntary, is a transition that often entails the severing of community ties, the loss of social networks and familiar bonds-- it can mean the loss of taken for granted sources and systems of meaning. Many have discussed the negative social and psychological challenges and outcomes associated with immigration and settlement in unfamiliar environments (e. g., Berry, 1997; Birman, 1994