Unpacking Heterogeneity: The Effect of Segregated Communities and Majority Group Status on Voluntary Association Participation

Building on the fundamental sociological principle that individuals are embedded in social contexts and that varying contexts are probably related to varying individual behavior, this paper seeks to elaborate on characteristics of communities that explain decisions to participate in voluntary associations. Using a multilevel framework, it is argued that individuals' sense of attachment to their local community facilitates voluntary association participation, and that contextual factors which facilitate or impede community cohesionÌ¢‰âÂ'namely the combination of heterogeneity and segregationÌ¢‰âÂ'will also impact individual levels of participation. In addition, it is proposed that the effects of heterogeneity and segregation will differ depending on whether individuals are members of the majority or members of the minority. Findings generally support the hypotheses, underlining the need to take seriously segregation's interactive nature, group differences in the effects of segregation and heterogeneity, and more generally, the effect of context on voluntary association participation and community cohesion.