Community governance during the Shanghai COVID lockdown II: Bridging neighborhood cohesion and the perception of community governance

Social cohesion within neighborhoods significantly influences community governance. Residents in cohesive neighborhoods tend to engage more actively and express greater satisfaction with governance. The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges to governance at national and local levels, particularly evident in China, where neighborhoods play a vital role in the pandemic response. However, the impact of cohesion on community-level governance satisfaction remains unclear. This study develops a theoretical framework based on social cohesion and social capital, utilizing survey data from Shanghai residents and community governance staff who experienced the Spring 2022 city-wide lockdown. Seven neighborhood cohesion dimensions are established, and community governance is deconstructed into sustenance distribution and PCR testing. Statistical analysis identifies trust, neighborhood connections, togetherness, and general norms as influential factors, with variation between residents and community governance staff. The findings thus connect Chinese neighborhoods to international literature, offering policy insights for crisis-driven community governance.