Emerging adulthood among backpackers: The contribution of internal and external factors to sense of community

During emerging adulthood, individuals are primarily concerned with themselves. Community participation, however, may help one to mature, and community belonging is important for well-being. As such, the current study aimed to examine these two components among young-adult Israeli backpackers abroad. We examined the role of personal (mastery, self-esteem, and posttraumatic growth) and environmental (family and friends' support) factors in sense of belonging and community participation. A cross-sectional sample survey was distributed; data were collected from 332 Israeli backpackers abroad. The findings based on t-tests, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression analysis showed that mastery was associated with sense of belonging, not with community participation. Self-esteem and posttraumatic growth were positively associated with both dependent variables. Friends' support was also positively associated with both dependent variables; family support was not significantly associated with either. Personal factors had the greatest association with sense of community.