Connecting experiences of community shared responsibility and collective competence to the well-being of adults in military families

O’Neal, C. W., Mancini, J. A., & Bowne, G. L. (2020). Connecting experiences of community shared responsibility and collective competence to the well-being of adults in military families. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(5), 1637-1650. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22357

The social organization theory of action and change (SOAC) focuses on how change occurs within communities and is especially concerned with community capacity for change. Two elements of community capacity are (1) shared responsibility (i.e., considering the well-being of other people rather than oneself) and (2) collective competence (i.e., abilities demonstrated as a community either to maintain community well-being or to make a difference during times of adversity). The SOAC hypothesizes that there are four types of communities that stem from these two elements: synergetic (high in both), able (high in competence, low in responsibility), relational (high in responsibility, low in competence), and disengaged (low in both). Using a sample of 266 couples consisting of an active-duty (AD) Service member and their civilian partner/spouse (henceforth, spouse), this study examined how participants’ perceptions of their community’s shared responsibility and collective competence were associated with individual well-being (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction) after accounting for military transitions (e.g., permanent change of station) and rank. The results revealed that well-being is generally highest for those in synergetic communities and lowest for those in disengaged communities.

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