Communitarianism and youth empowerment: Motivation for participation in a community-based substance abuse prevention coalition

In recent years, collaborative efforts between universities and community-based coalitions have helped develop prevention–intervention efforts to decrease the prevalence of drug and alcohol use among youth in low-income, majority–minority urban areas. One theory often employed to understand the efficacy of community member involvement is McMillian and Chavis's (1986) sense of community (SOC) model. This model posits how 4 main tenants (i.e., sense of belonging, emotional connection, needs fulfillment, and influence) lead to increased empowerment. The present study examines how individual SOC affected substance abuse coalition members’ (N = 17) motivations for serving on a coalition. Findings explore how all four tenants of McMillian and Chavis's (1986) model influenced community members’ involvement in the coalition, which have implications for prevention, policy, and further research.