Coming to Get and Needing to Keep

Membership associations for African-centered scholars, activists, and practitioners are viewed as relational communities that respond to the dynamic interplay of the needs and talents of its members. In this case study, quantitative methods examined, at the individual level, the role of psychological sense of community (PSOC),worldview, professional self-growth potential (PsGP), and participation of members in one membership association that espouses African-centered values. Data were collected via online and paper-and-pencil surveys administered at the organization’s annual conference. Findings indicated that for the entire sample age, PSOC and PsGP were significantly correlated with membership participation. While membership participation was unrelated to a shared worldview, factors that predicted it varied by membership status (student and nonstudent) and gender. For the student sample, PsGP was predictive of membership participation, but gender differences were undetected. However, for the nonstudent sample, age and PSOC were predictive of membership participation; but for males, only age was a significant predictor. Findings are discussed in relation to those factors that contribute to fostering active participation within membership associations for African-centered scholars.