Social Participation of Individuals in Four Rural Communities of the Northeast.

A comparative analysis was made of the social participation of individuals in four rural communities of the Northeast. A participation scale involving both formal and informal organizations was used. This scale previously developed to measure participation of households, with the minor changes of dropping family visiting and trips to village items, showed high validity as an instrument for ascertaining the extent of social participation of individuals. The communities were generally similar in distribution of individuals by participation scores; in the direction and degree of differences in participation by family status and by age groups; and in the consistency and degree of relationship of participation with socioeconomic status and occupation-residence. Variations in participation among the four communities appeared to be due largely to manifest situational differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]