Who participates in what activities? patterns of community participation among eastern Iranian people

Community participation, as one of the basic components of sustainable development in a community. This study aimed to determine patterns of community participation, identify factors associated with their social and civic engagement, and examine the relation between the factors and community engagement patterns. Patterns of citizen participation were determined in social and civic engagements. Data were gathered via a valid and reliable questionnaire. A total of 286 fulfilled questionnaires were analyzed. The results showed that women significantly visited their neighbors more than men, while men went to restaurant/cafe more than women. Among high-level participating people, there were significant associations between the respondents' participation in social group activities and sex, age group, marital status, and level of education as well as between the group with mix activity and level of education. In general, people more participated in social than civic activities. To promoting community participation, attention to more engagement of individuals in group activities (social and civic) would be effective.