CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN A TRANSFORMING SOCIETY: MOTIVATIONAL FORCES, SOCIAL CAPITAL AND TRUST INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES Duration of the project: 2 years

Research Team Institute for policy studies 2  Nana Sumbadze - Principal investigator PHD in Social Sciences  Anastasia Kitiashvili – Senior researcher PHD in Psychology  Natia Ubilava – Junior researcher - MS student in social psychology

Aim of the project Institute for policy studies 3  To identify the motivation for joining voluntary organizations To study:  The perceived benefits of group membership  Causes that hinder citizen’s participation in public life  Ways to increase participation

Methodology The study has two phases, qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative phase studies:  Perceptions of persons who are involved and of those not involved in voluntary organizations of participation by focus group discussions Quantitative phase studies:  Motives, benefits of participation, level of control and belonging motivations and social networks of members and non- members of voluntary organizations will be studied by survey instrument containing designed for the study questions, standard scales and questions referring to ego-networks The study is carried out on members of the two types of organizations:  Associations with a distinct instrumental function, such as political parties and professional associations;  Associations with a distinct expressive function, such as congregation and fan clubs.

Expected Results Institute for policy studies 5 Results of the study:  Will bring insight in the established world-wide negative association of generalized trust with membership of voluntary associations in post-communist countries  Will point to the leading motives for engagement in different types of associations  Will provide an answer to socialization effect of membership on generalized trust  Will provide a picture of important relationships and their connectivity, level of inclusion of association members in personal social milieu

Focus Group Discussion Participants Institute for policy studies 6 8 focus group discussions involving 70 persons were held with members of:  Political parties  Trade Unions  Professional organizations  Fan clubs  Congregations Students and citizens not involved in voluntary organizations

Discussion Topics Institute for policy studies 7  Motivation for joining associations  Benefits of membership  Most common activities  Reasons hindering citizen’s involvement in associations  Ways of increasing participation

Motivation for joining Associations (1) Institute for policy studies 8 Oriented at others/society oriented  Achieving goals  Bringing change  Good leader  Feeling of effectiveness of one’s involvement, belief that it is necessary and will yield results Oriented at inner/self  Need of self-realization  Feeling of dissatisfaction/ emptiness  Feeling of helplessness  Interest  Need of others in pursuing own interests

Motivation for joining Associations (2) Institute for policy studies 9 Instrumental  Need to fill in the time  Getting support  Obtaining protection  Obtaining material benefits  Career advances  Getting power  Access to information  Access to privileges  Need of others in pursuing own interests

Benefits of membership (1) Institute for policy studies 10 Associated with the society  Bringing change  Be listened and one’s opinion be considered  Increase sensitivity to the cause of organization  Possibility to achieve the goal  Shrinkage of state power system

Benefits of membership (2) Institute for policy studies 11 Associated with the self  Learning and getting new experience  Obtaining protection  Prestige  Advances in career  Self-growth and Self-realization  Increase of self-esteem  Feeling of belonging  Making contacts  Pleasure and sharing  Relaxation and peace of mind  Pride  Satisfaction of the need in public activity

Reasons hindering citizen’s involvement in associations Institute for policy studies 12 Associated with the society/others  Mistrust in leader  Socio-economic conditions in the country  Disregard of citizens by authorities and fear of authorities  Lack of feeling of citizenship/ownership of the country  Lack of solidarity in a society  Lack of tradition of participation  Lack of offers to become a member and restricted choice for participation  Restriction of free expression of opinions  Not seeing benefits of membership  Scarcity of information Associated with the self  Lack of time  Unwillingness to take responsibility  Not seeing effectiveness of own activities  Satisfied, through friendship networks social needs  Lack of initiative and nihilism

Ways of increasing participation Institute for policy studies 13  Education  Teaching tools for participation  Informing  Effective leadership  Involvement of youth  Building trust in others  Building feeling of ownership/citizenship  Achieving small results and publicizing them  Promoting participation  Supporting free expression of opinion by authorities  Creating variety of organizations  Creating organizations with concrete goals and ways of achieving them  Ensuring the spirit of respect to others and tolerance to different opinion  Ensuring the stability of organizations