Community Involvement: Theoretical Approaches and Educational Initiatives

Efforts to increase involvement of citizens in their communities are now widespread. We discuss key forms of community involvement, such as community service and volunteerism, broadly, and educational initiatives that promote involvement (e.g., service–learning courses) more specifically. There are benefits to be achieved by the promotion of involvement, but also potential drawbacks. As an example of one approach to investigating community involvement, we review research on the interactive influence of person–centered functional variables (e.g., motives) and situation–centered structural variables (e.g., program features) on prosocial action. Ultimately, we call for greater attention to be paid to all of the constituent groups in the community involvement spectrum and the necessarily respectful and equitable relationships that must be forged among them.