Social Class and Association Membership: An Analysis of Age-graded and Non-age-graded Voluntary Participation

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between social class and both age-graded and non-age-graded voluntary association membership in a sample of 320 older people. Special attention is focused on one age-graded association with an examination of recruitment, participation, and attrition over a 6-year period. No significant social class differences were found in the tendency to hold at least one association membership, or in the tendency to be extensively involved in voluntary associations. Higher class individuals, however, were more likely to belong to age graded associations. There were no significant class differences between new members and those who failed to join as the result of an aggressive peer recruitment effort by members of one "senior center." Similarly, for those who joined there were no class differences in participation or attrition over a 6-year period.