This article presents an organizing framework of participation in community organizations which uses an interdisciplinary perspective and attempts to provide a map of the major dimensions that characterize the complex phenomenon of participation. The major elements of the framework include:
1. environmental, ecological, and social characteristics of the community,
2. individual differences,
3. parameters of participation,
4. mediators, and
5. the effects of participation.
Some potential uses of the framework are suggested.
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