Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T03:26:01.060Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Construction and Validation of the Community and Socio-Political Participation Scale (SCAP)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2013

M. Pilar Moreno-Jiménez*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
M. Luisa Ríos Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
Macarena Vallejo Martín
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to M. Pilar Moreno-Jiménez. Departamento de Psicología Social. Campus Teatinos, s/n 29071. Málaga (Spain). Phone: +34-952131095. E-mail: mpilar@uma.es

Abstract

This article describes the development and validation of a new instrument, the scale (SCAP) which measures community participation (CP) and socio-political participation (SPP). The sample consists of 756 participants in Málaga, residents whose average age is 38.78 years old (SD = 13.96) and of whom 58.5% are women. The results endorse the psychometric qualities of the instrument. We present descriptive analysis of the items, the dimensionality of the scale and its internal consistency. The external evidence of validity shows positive and statistically significant correlations with sense of community and empowerment, variables theoretically related to participation. A confirmatory factor analysis confirms the two-dimensional structure (CP and SPP). Further analysis show a higher CP in women. This instrument extends the quantitative research on citizen participation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bentler, P. M. (2006). EQS 6 Structural equations program manual. Encino, CA: Multivariate Software, Inc.Google Scholar
Chavis, D., & Wandersman, J. (1990). Sense of community in the urban environment: A catalyst for participation and community development. America Journal and Community, 18, 5581. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00922689 Google Scholar
De Maya, S., & Font, J. (2004). Participación individual: Necesidades, dificultades y estrategias. [Individual participation: necessity, difficulties and strategies]. Intervención Psicosocial, 13, 345359.Google Scholar
Denche, C., & Alguacil, J. (1993). Otros movimientos sociales para otro modelo participativo y otra democracia [Other social movements for another participating model and another democracy]. Documentación social, 90, 8399.Google Scholar
Folgueiras, P. (2003). De la tolerancia al reconocimiento mutuo: Programa de formación para una ciudadanía activa e intercultural [From tolerance to mutual recognition: Training program for active and intercultural citizenship]. Encounters on Education, 50, 2951.Google Scholar
Folgueiras, P. (2008). La participación en sociedades multiculturales. Elaboración y evaluación de un programa de participación activa [The participation in multicultural societies. Elaboration and evaluation of a program of active participation]. Revista Electrónica de Investigación y Evaluación Educativa, 14, 116.Google Scholar
Funes, M. J., & Adell, R. (2009). Movimientos sociales: Cambio social y participación [Social movements: Social change and participation] . Madrid, Spain: UNED Ediciones.Google Scholar
García, A. (2001). Sobre participación, voluntariado y servicio civil [On participation, voluntary and civil service]. Documentación Social, 122, 161186.Google Scholar
García, J. (2004). Políticas y programas de participación social [Policy and programs of social participation] . Madrid, Spain: Síntesis.Google Scholar
Gil, M., Pons, J., Grande, J. M., & Marín, M. (1996). Aproximación operativa a los conceptos de participación y sentimiento de pertenencia: Estrategias en la comunidad [Operational approach to the concepts of participation and sense of belonging: Strategies in the community]. Intervención Psicosocial, 5, 2130.Google Scholar
Gracia, E, Herrero, J., & Musitu, G. (2002). Evaluación de recursos y estresores psicosociales en la comunidad [Resource assessment and psychosocial stressors in the community ] . Madrid, Spain: Síntesis.Google Scholar
Habermas, J. (2002). La inclusión del otro. Estudios de teoría política [The inclusion of the other. Studies of political theory] . Barcelona, Spain: Ediciones Paidós.Google Scholar
Haines, V. A., Hurlbert, J. S., & Beggs, J. J. (1996). Exploring the determinants of support provision: Provider characteristics, personal networks, community contexts and support following life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37, 252264. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2137295 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hidalgo, M. C., Moreno-Jiménez, P., & Quiñonero, J. (2011, July). Psychological benefits of volunteerism for older people. Paper presented at The 12th European Congress on Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey.Google Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis. Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling 6, 155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118 Google Scholar
Huntigton, S. P., & Nelson, J. M. (1976). No easy choice. Political participation in developing countries. Cambridge, UK: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
IOÉ Collective (2007). Mirada a la participación política de los españoles. Una democracia de baja intensidad [Look at political participation of Spanish people. A low-intensity democracy] . Madrid, Spain: Author.Google Scholar
Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (1999). LISREL 8.20. Chicago, IL: Scientific Software International.Google Scholar
Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lazarus, R. (1996). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Google Scholar
Martínez, B., Amador, L. V., Moreno, D., & Musitu, G. (2011). Implicación y participación comunitarias y ajuste psicosocial en adolescentes. [Community participation and involvement and psychosocial adjustment on adolescents]. Psicología y Salud, 21, 205214.Google Scholar
Maya-Jariego, I. (2004). Sentido de comunidad y potenciación comunitaria [Sense of community and community empowerment]. Apuntes de Psicología, 22, 187211.Google Scholar
McMillan, B., Florin, P., Stevenson, J., Kerman, B., & Mitchell, R. E. (1995). Empowerment praxis in community coalitions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 699727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02506988 Google Scholar
Méndez, M. (2005). Los derechos políticos de los inmigrantes [The political rights of the immigrants]. In Pedreño, A., & Hernández, M., (Coord.). La condición inmigrante. Exploraciones e investigaciones desde la región de Murcia [The immigrant status. Exploration and research from the region of Murcia] (pp. 125139). Murcia, Spain: Universidad de Murcia.Google Scholar
Moos, R. H. (2005). Contextos sociales, afrontamiento y bienestar: Lo que sabemos y lo que necesitamos saber. [Social, coping and well-being: What we know and what we need to know]. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, 22, 1530.Google Scholar
Morales, L. (2001). Participación política y pertenecía a grupos políticos: Los límites de las explicaciones individuales y la necesidad de considerar el contexto político [Political participation and belonged to political groups: The limits of the individual explanations and necessity to consider the context political]. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas., 94, 153184.Google Scholar
Moreno-Jiménez, M. P., Vallejo, M., Hidalgo, C., & Ríos, M. L. (2009, February). Apego al barrio, participación comunitaria y satisfacción vital en estudiantes universitarios [Place attachment of the district, community participation and life satisfaction in university students] . Paper presented at the X Congress of Environmental Psychology. Lisboa, Portugal.Google Scholar
Musitu, G. (1991). Psicología comunitaria. [Community psychology] . Valencia, Spain: Universitat de Valencia (mimeo).Google Scholar
Ortiz Torres, B. (1999). El empowerment como alternativa para la América Latina. [Empowerment as an alternative for Latin America]. Revista Interamericana de Psicología, 33, 4966.Google Scholar
Pateman, C. (1970). Participation and democracy theory. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pateman, C. (1985). The problem of political obligation: A critique of liberal theory. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Google Scholar
Pick, S., Sirkin, J., Ortega, I., Osorio, P., Martínez, R., Xocolotzin, U., & Givaudan, M. (2007). Escala para medir agencia personal y empoderamiento [Scale for measurement of personal agency and empowerment]. Revista Interamericana de Psicología, 41, 295304.Google Scholar
Quintanilla, I. (1988). Participation in organizations: Theoretical and conceptual. Valencia, Spain: Promolibro.Google Scholar
Rapapport, J. (1981). In praise of paradox: A social policy of empowerment over prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 9, 125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00896357 Google Scholar
Sánchez, A. (1991). Psicología comunitaria [Community psychology] . Barcelona, Spain: PPU.Google Scholar
Sánchez, A. (2009). Validación discriminante de una Escala de Sentimiento de Comunidad: Análisis comparativo de dos comunidades [Discriminating validation of a Scale of Community Feeling: Comparative analysis of two communities]. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 9, 161176.Google Scholar
Sánchez, E. (1999). Relación entre la autoestima personal, la autoestima colectiva y la participación en la comunidad [Relation between personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem and participation in the community]. Anales de Psicología, 15, 251260.Google Scholar
Sánchez, E. (2001). Análisis de las motivaciones para la participación en la comunidad [Analysis of the motivations for participation in community]. Papers, 63/64, 171189.Google Scholar
Santacreu, O. A. (2008). La participación social de los jóvenes españoles [The social participation of the Spanish young people]. Revista Obets, 2, 2534.Google Scholar
Spector, P. (2002). Psicología industrial y organizacional: Investigación y práctica [Industrial and organizational psychology: Research and practice] . México, DF: Manual Moderno.Google Scholar
SPSS (2006). Statistical package for social sciences for Windows. Version 15. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover and consequences associated with formal sexual harassment charges. Personnel Psychology, 38, 559574.Google Scholar
Verba, S., & Nie, N. H. (1972). Participation in America: Political equality. A seven-nation comparison. New York, NY: Harper y Row.Google Scholar
Wandersman, A., & Florin, P. (2000). Citizen participation and community organizations. In Rappaport, J. & Seidman, E. (Eds.), Handbook of community psychology (pp. 247272). New York, NY: Kluwer.Google Scholar
Zamora, J. A. (2008). Inmigrantes entre nosotros ¿Integración o participación? [Immigrants between us. Integration or participation?] . Murcia, Spain: Boluda y Cía.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory: Psychological organizational and community level of analysis. In Rapaport, J. & Seidman, E. (Eds.), Handbook of community psychology, (pp. 4363). New York, NY: Kluwer Academic.Google Scholar