Fostering Civic Health: An Analysis of the Generative and Mediating Activities of Community-Based Organizations

Abstract

Civic engagement in U.S. political life has declined since the 1950s resulting in a deluge of studies that explore its causes and implications. Research to date has directed little attention to the institutional role of associations as the foundation for civic engagement in all of its forms. This article utilizes institutional theory as a lens to examine the ways in which community-based organizations (CBOs), in tandem with local government, foster civic engagement, and enhance representation in their communities. Through interview data obtained from stakeholders of 18 local education foundations (LEFs) in Florida, we examine the ways in which CBOs nurture civic health with client communities (generative role) and represent their interests in local policy arenas (mediating role). Based on the results of this initial study, we argue that greater attention should be directed to the relationships between CBOs and measures of civic health given their unique capacity to foster it. Results indicate the relationship between generative and mediating activities is such that CBOs’ engagement with client communities establishes the foundational knowledge necessary for representing their interests in the interorganizational arena. In addition, CBOs were found to establish both bridging and bonding capital in the interorganizational arena through their efforts to exert influence on behalf of client communities.

Leading Volunteer Motivation: How Leader Behaviour can Trigger and Fulfil Volunteers’ Motivations

“…From 2014 to 2020, formal volunteering hours dropped by 34% in Australia (ABS, 2021). A similar declining trend has been observed in the USA (Fernandez & Alexander, 2017;Schreiner et al, 2018) and Europe (Curran et al, 2016;Qvist et al, 2018). This decline suggests a significant fiscal cost for societies to replace unpaid labour.…”

Investigating the Link between Community Planning and Engagement and Health Care Delivery Using the National Health Security Preparedness Index

“…A growing body of research supports the idea that community-based organizations, and particularly collaboration between community-based organizations, play an important role in fostering social capital. Fernandez and Alexander (2017) lay out a theoretical framework for how community-based organizations can contribute to the civic health of communities. Two areas they address in regard to civic health are social capital and civic engagement.…”