Two Conceptual Models of the Senior Center

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Abstract
Two models of the senior center are examined: (1) the social agency model, which views senior centers as programs designed to meet the needs of the elderly and postulates that the poor and the disengaged are the most likely candidates for participation in senior centers; (2) the voluntary organization model, which hypothesizes that the elderly who are more active in voluntary organizations and who manifest strong attachments to the community are also the ones who make use of senior centers. Personal interviews were conducted with a random sample (920 respondents) of 40 elderly men and women in each of 23 new york state communities. The findings support the voluntary organization model: (1) a high score on the Chapin Social Participation Scale is associated with membership in a senior center; (2) a high score on the community attachment scale is associated with membership in a senior center; (3) there is no association between social class and participation in senior centers; and (4) senior center members do not differ from nonmembers in age identification or in a preference for organizations exclusively for the elderly.

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