Motivation to Participate in Neighborhood Associations and Psychological Factors that Discourage Participation

Abstract

　　In Japan, neighborhood associations exist in almost all local governments.　Neighborhood associations are basically composed of elementary school districts.　However, neighborhood associations are not mandatory organizations, and recently the number of residents who do not join neighborhood associations is increasing.　In some regions, there are concerns about the future existence of these associations.　The purpose of this study was to elucidate the process from the motivation to participate in neighborhood association activities to the intention to participate in neighborhood association activities, focusing on the motivation to participate in neighborhood association activities.　As a result, we aimed to obtain policy implications.　As a premise for the analysis, we hypothesized that the motivation to participate in neighborhood associations is influenced by factors that discourage participation while making intentions to participate in neighborhood association activities.　The hypothesis also incorporated the factor that age demographics also influence the intention to participate in neighborhood associations, thus modeling the process of determining the intention to participate in neighborhood associations based on the motive for participation.　The method used in the analysis was Structural Equation Modeling （SEM）.　In conclusion, we were able to confirm the importance of quantifying the decision-making process and promoting recruitment to neighborhood associations through policies.

JEL Classification:L30, L38