Highlights
SSRS conducted a mixed-methods, multi-wave study using the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus and the SSRS Opinion Panel Qualibus to help the American Immigration Council (AIC) understand Americans’ feelings of belonging in their local communities and nationally.
Challenge
The objectives of the research were to:
- Collect a new benchmark of belonging using high-quality survey methods,
- Determine how the AIC’s “Belonging Barometer” can shed light on understanding the different aspects of being part of a community, and
- To explore through in-depth interviews what it means to feel a sense of belonging in various communities while working within the client’s existing resource constraints.
Approach
SSRS was able to achieve the goals for this study by administering AIC’s 10-item “Belonging Barometer” to over 3,000 respondents across three waves of the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a multi-client, probability-based survey that fields on a regular cadence with approximately 1,000 respondents from the SSRS Opinion Panel.
Additionally, to provide a robust understanding of belonging, SSRS conducted a series of 45-minute one-on-one follow-up Qualibus interviews with 16 Omnibus respondents whose survey answers indicated either high, mixed, or low levels of belonging. The SSRS Opinion Panel Qualibus is the qualitative companion to the Omnibus that is designed to add nuance and depth to Omnibus survey findings.
Results
The Belonging Barometer measured Americans’ sense of place in their community, creating a Belonging Index and cluster analysis design. The complementary in-depth interviews provided rich first-person data to support the statistical findings. Together, the survey and interview findings helped AIC gain a deeper understanding of what belonging means to everyday Americans.
