Participation Motives of Greek Expatriates in the Middle East in Greek Dancing Lessons

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the motives for participation of Greeks of the Diaspora in the Middle East in Greek dancing lessons in their countries of residence. In addition, it was examined whether demographic characteristics such as gender, age, country of birth (Greece or other) and educational level of the participants are factors that differentiate their motives. The sample of the research constituted of 91 Greeks (men and women) of the Diaspora in the Middle East who participate in organized Greek dancing classes. The Greek version (Konsoulas et al., 2017) of the Exercise Motivation Inventory-2 (EMI-2) questionnaire by Markland and Ingledew (1997), adapted to the needs of the research, was applied to collect the research data. The following statistical analysis were performed: a. Descriptive statistics b. t-test for independent sample c. Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s α), d. Variance analysis (One-Way ANOVA) and e. Post Hoc LSD Test. The findings and the evaluation of the study suggest that the participants are mainly intrinsically motivated by the ‘Affiliation’ and ‘Relation to the Homeland’ factors therefore institutions offering Greek dancing lessons abroad can adapt their approach to satisfy the participants’ motives and subsequently attract and retain their participation.