Participation in Multipurpose Senior Centers

Abstract

Studies of participation in senior centers frequently compare attenders and nonattenders on a number of social psychological, demographic, and socioeco nomic indicators. The result of these studies is a growing set of generalizations that help to differentiate those who attend from those who do not. This article is based on the premise that the classification ofattenders and nonattenders is a helpful but rather crude classification and examines variation in participation among users of senior centers. The analysis is based on observational methods during a ten-month period in a senior center and interview data collected from a sample of senior center participants (N = 48). Several of the variables used to predict variations in duration and frequency ofsenior centerparticipation are based on multiple indicators (e.g., age identity, anxiety, and life satisfaction). The results suggest that frequent attendance is more likely among elderly adults who use the center primarily as a social agency, but long-time attendance and greater participation in activities are more likely among those who use the center primarily as a voluntary organization. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the recruitment and development of potential senior leaders in center activities and programming of service for specific types of senior participants.