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Who participates, who does not, and why? An analysis of voluntary neighborhood organizations in the United States and Israel

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Sociological Forum

Abstract

Lack of participation in voluntary associations and the associated issues of why people do or do not participate are major areas of interest in the research literature concerning citizen participation. The present study used three types of variables (demographic, social psychological, and costs/benefits) to investigate the characteristics of participants and nonparticipants in neighborhood-type organizations in the United States and Israel. Findings from analysis of the demographic variables show some cross-cultural similarities (including a surprising lack of race/ethnic and education differences between participants and nonparticipants). There were striking cross-cultural similarities using the social psychological variables. The data from the Israel sample provide important information on the costs and benefits of participation. A discriminant analysis points to the predictive strength of social psychological and cost/benefit variables in comparison to demographic variables. Implications of these results for explanatory and predictive purposes are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Carolina, USA

    Abraham Wandersman

  2. University of Rhode Island, USA

    Paul Florin

  3. Georgia State University, USA

    Robert Friedmann

  4. United Jewish Federation of Metro West, USA

    Ron Meier

Authors
  1. Abraham Wandersman
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  2. Paul Florin
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  3. Robert Friedmann
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  4. Ron Meier
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Wandersman, A., Florin, P., Friedmann, R. et al. Who participates, who does not, and why? An analysis of voluntary neighborhood organizations in the United States and Israel. Sociol Forum 2, 534–555 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01106625

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01106625

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