Psychosocial benefits of civic and political participation across the life span and in a European comparison: Who gains what from which activities, and why?

公民和政治参与是指集体进行的无偿志愿活动，通常在志愿组织中进行，目的是为了共同利益。公民参与可以与政治参与区分开来。前者涉及直接的帮助活动（例如，志愿担任儿童运动队的教练或在施粥场当厨师），而后者涉及实现政策变革的尝试（例如，为一个政党请愿或志愿服务）。虽然从事公民或政治活动的个人没有任何实质性报酬，但他们也从公民和政治参与中获得某些好处。这些好处是众所周知的，其中包括更高的主观幸福感、避免危险行为和与职业有关的好处。然而，早期的研究侧重于表明公民参与有一些好处，而不是系统地审查其机制。本项目的目的是调查哪种类型的公民参与有利于参与的个人，以何种方式，为什么，在什么年龄，在什么社会。我区分了公民参与和政治参与，并考虑了志愿组织的不同参与程度（即，积极参与，志愿服务）。我提供了一个概念模型，使这些类型的公民参与产生心理社会效益，通过一定的调解途径。在本项目中考虑的中介途径包括意义的制造，掌握和控制感，积极的社会互动，有用的接触，和技能的获得。此外，我认为，公民参与和心理社会结果之间的关联可能会缓和在个人层面上的年龄和国家的总体水平。为了测试我的概念模型，我将对三个大型数据集进行二次分析：德国社会经济小组（SOEP），英国家庭小组调查（BHPS）和欧洲社会调查（ESS），2012年（29个参与国家）。每个数据集都包括公民和政治参与以及其他相关变量的信息，在每种情况下，都可以测试我的概念模型中的一些路径。两个面板调查使强大的纵向分析成为可能，而ESS使我能够进行严格的跨国比较。总之，这些数据的分析将提供一个系统的，有区别的，解释性的公民参与的心理社会效益。研究结果不仅具有科学价值，而且对国家和国际第三部门和卫生保健的决策者和组织具有实用价值。

Civic and political participation refer to unpaid voluntary activities that are undertaken collectively, typically in a voluntary organization, and directed at the common benefit. Civic participation may be distinguished from political participation. The former involves direct helping activities (e.g., volunteering as a coach for a children sports team or as a cook in a soup kitchen), whereas the latter involves attempts to achieve policy change (e.g., petitioning or volunteering for a political party). Although civically or politically engaged individuals do not receive any substantial remuneration, they also derive certain benefits from civic and political participation. Such benefits are known and include, among others, higher subjective well-being, avoidance of risky behaviours, and career-related benefits. However, earlier research has focused on showing that there are some benefits to citizen participation rather than systematically examining their mechanisms. The present project aims to investigate which types of citizen participation are beneficial to participating individuals in which ways, why, at which age, and in which societies. I draw a distinction between civic and political participation and consider different levels of involvement in a voluntary organization (i.e., membership, active participation, and volunteering). I proffer a conceptual model whereby these types of citizen participation yield psychosocial benefits through certain mediating pathways. The mediating pathways considered in the present project include meaning-making, sense of mastery and control, positive social interactions, useful contacts, and skill acquisition. Furthermore, I argue that the associations between citizen participation and psychosocial outcomes may be moderated by age at the individual level and by country at the aggregate level. To test my conceptual model, I will conduct a secondary analysis of three large datasets: the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), and the European Social Survey (ESS), Round 2012 (29 participating countries). Each of these datasets includes information on civic and political participation and other relevant variables, which in each case allow for testing some of the pathways in my conceptual model. Two panel surveys make robust longitudinal analyses possible, whereas the ESS enables me to conduct a rigorous cross-national comparison. Taken together, analyses of these data will provide a systematic, differentiated, and explanatory account of the psychosocial benefits of citizen participation. Findings will have not only scientific but also practical value to policy makers and organizations in the third sector and health care, nationally and internationally.