La participation sociale dans une communauté rurale au Québec : ce qui la facilité, selon les poins de vue de personnes engagées

Abstract

This article presents and discusses some factors facilitating social participation in a small rural community for people volunteering their time. This involvement is particularly important for communities located in a socially and economically devitalized region. The qualitative results present the thematic analysis of 12 interviews conducted in a rural community located in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec. The analysis identified six contextual elements facilitating participation: 1) the need to revitalize the community, 2) the presence of municipal support, 3) the dynamism related to the presence of newcomers, 4) a climate of trust, reciprocity and mutual support, 5) the use of social networks, and 6) a desire for collective autonomy.  Based on these results, we discuss the importance of supporting social participation for the socio-economic development of rural communities and the reduction of social inequalities.