Nae as nice a scheme as it used to be: lay accounts of neighbourhood incivilities and well-being

This paper is based upon qualitative research conducted in a relatively deprived neighbourhood in Edinburgh, Scotland. and it explores how contextual and compositional features of place may interact to influence well-being. I present women's accounts of their experiences of neighbourhood incivilities, and I discuss their perceptions of the influence of incivilities upon their sense of well-being. I suggest that aspects of individual biographies mediate experiences of neighbourhood incivilities. Furthermore, some individuals seem to engage in "distancing strategies", which I suggest may be interpreted as a way of resisting the potentially harmful psycho-social influence of incivilities upon well-being. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.