Investigating the Embedded Conditions Behind Participant Motivation in Civil Society – A Mixed Methods study of En Jul för Alla, Soppkök Malmö

Abstract: Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) provide a broad range of services and are becoming increasingly involved in topics of policy and governance. At the core of any organisation are the members who constitute it, and the strength of civil society is tied to the strength of its support base. Questions of increasing participation rates are therefore not just matters of concern for fellow participants and key figures within the civic community. Such questions are also matters of concern for individuals interested in the role of civil society to foment progress in policy toward the abstract societal challenges that face a society, particularly those challenges receiving a disproportionately low degree of attention relative to their severity. Connecting with people on terms and conditions they can relate to is an essential task for CSOs relating to individuals who otherwise hold ambivalence for the CSO’s cause. Having participated in the CSO Soppkök Malmö on the organisation’s Christmas 2015 event En Jul För Alla, the author conducts a mixed methods case study investigation to explore the social environmental conditions among participants’ lives that relate to their decisions to participate. This investigation draws on quantitative data from self-completion surveys submitted by fellow Soppkök Malmö registrants, ethnographic observations from the participation and online sources to produce and present findings of independent variables on motivations to participate in a CSO.