Analysis of motivations for community participation

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the motivation types driving people of a community to participate in its associations. Out of a sample of 274 university students, 138 reported they belonged to at least one association. Participants reported the name of the association(s) and included it/them in different categories (political, cultural, assistencial, religious, sporting, leisure and others). Every participant expressed his/her motives to participate there. A content analysis was made on their answers, using the ten motivational types of Schwartz’s theory of values as coding categories. Results show a differential gender orientation to participate in different types of associations. In general, collectivist motives are more represented in community participation than individualist motives.