URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD TYPES AND PARTICIPATION IN FORMAL ASSOCIATIONS.

This paper reports part of a study of social participation conducted in San Francisco in the spring of 1953. The investigation rested upon two main notions: First, that the major an individual occupies regulate the amount and nature of his participation in society. Second, that the social type of neighborhood in which an urbanite lives is an efficient indicator of his social participation and may be a significant factor in its own right in shaping his social participation. This paper is limited to an examination of the relationship between amount of formal association participation and certain of the individual status and neighborhood differences. Using the census tract scores, four census tracts were selected in San Francisco in which the study of social participation was conducted. Findings revealed that, men living in the high economic status neighborhoods belong to the greater number of associations, attend more frequently, and hold office more than men living in low economic status neighborhoods. Comparing the two high economic status neighborhoods, the low family status neighborhood contains relatively more men who belong to no formal associations, who never attend meetings if they do belong, and who do not. hold office than does the high family status neighborhood.