Neighborly help and neighborhood-based social capital during the COVID-19 pandemic in major Chinese cities

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an outpour of solidarity among residents of neighborhoods around the world. In China, one common form of solidarity was neighborly help provided through gifting/sharing food and daily necessities. Using survey data of 3543 residents in four Chinese cities collected in Spring 2021, we explore the factors associated with providing neighborly help and examine the general situation of neighborhood-based social capital and neighborly relationships. The results from a multiple linear regression analysis show that high levels of neighborly help during the pandemic were associated with positive relationships and trust among neighbors. Income and the use of social media apps among neighbors were the most important factors for residents to provide neighborly help. Our findings indicate that Chinese neighborhoods generally possess a high level of social capital despite the potentially disruptive influence of economic and societal changes in recent decades, which has positively contributed to facilitating neighborly help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, social media based on smart technologies also positively affects local communities during the pandemic.