La bella socialità : una ricerca su associazionismo e volontariato in Umbria

The article discusses a qualitative research carried out in Umbria on voluntary associations. Considering the distinction between social, political and participation in political parties, we can say that social participation is widely prevalent in the associations examined in this research. Political participation, meant as the ability to communicate with the political system in a way which differs from the usual quid pro quo relationship with the institutions, is relatively present. On the contrary, participation in political parties is virtually nonexistent, and opinions on the political system are generally very poor. Various aspects of participation emerge from the research: personal satisfaction, community benefits, the difficulty in finding political openings. In particular, the present article indicates the need of a «good sociality» and cooperation among individuals as the underlying reasons why people participate in voluntary associations [Publisher's Text].