Community activists' competence: The contributing factors

Abstract

This study examined the contribution of the personal and social resources to community activists' competence. The research population included 163 activists who engage in volunteer activity in traditional communities. The findings revealed that the activists' gender, supervision by community-organizers, sense of mastery, sense of belonging to the community, citizen participation, representation, and perceptions of leadership all contributed significantly to the activists' competence. A comprehensive analysis of the findings is presented, as well as practical recommendations for community organization. The recommendations highlight the importance of professional supervision for community activists, which aims to develop perceptions of community leadership, community belonging, citizen participation, and representation in order to enhance the success of community activity. Finally, the examination of personal and social resources that contribute to activists' competence can facilitate identification of potential community activists, in addition to shedding light on the content that professional supervisors should incorporate in their work with activists. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.