A Multimodal View of Voluntary Group Participation and Community Involvement

• In Event: Public Spheres Concepts in Social Media Contexts

Abstract

This research centers on two theoretical and practical questions: what are the patterns and outcomes of participation in voluntary associations in the contemporary socio-technological environment? We propose a multimodal approach by integrating theories of communication public goods, media multiplexity, and social networks to examine the dynamics of voluntary group participation embedded in multimodal communication systems. Specifically, this study investigates whether and how patterns of voluntary participation facilitate community involvement, taking into account structural factors such as affiliation bridging ties. Analyzing a 2013 random sample survey of 400 residents in the Greater Cleveland area in the United States, results suggest that multimodal participation in voluntary associations helps generate public goods at the group level, which then contributes to community involvement beyond the influences of binary membership or a count of group memberships. Moreover, individuals who occupy bridging affiliation positions are not necessarily more advantageous than those without such positions in adopting multimodal group participation. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Authors

• Chih-Hui Lai, Nanyang Technological University

• Wenhong Chen, U of Texas - Austin