This article presents findings from a case study of an adult literacy program. The author conducted this IRB-approved study as part of a three-year, research-based, community-engagement project that partnered the literacy program with a writing center at a large public research university. The author argues that the participatory methods afforded…

Community organizing groups that have built coalitions for local change over the past few decades are now involving young people as leaders in efforts to improve quality of life. The current study explores a particularly effective youth organizing initiative through review of organizational documents and collection and analysis of qualitative…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine Bracht, Kingbury, and Rissel's five-stage community development model as applied to a grass-roots community action group. The sample consisted of low-income, predominantly Hispanic women in a community action group in a Southwestern barrio, some of whom were experiencing domestic violence. The…

Youth-adult partnership (Y-AP) in community decision making and collective action has gained momentum as a key element of prevention programming. There is now a solid body of evidence demonstrating that these partnerships have developmental benefits for youth. There is also an increasing awareness that Y-AP may also produce positive…

Describes a project that studied seven successful community development projects in order to find basic patterns in leadership, community organization, and action processes. Process patterns were found in several areas, and an awareness of these will be useful to community leaders and developers. (NRJ)

Attempts to clarify empowerment as used in black communities in the United Kingdom, using Liverpool as a case study. Illustrates the ambiguity of the concept and the incomplete success of empowerment initiatives for community development and improvement. (SK)

This paper investigates the process of how actions of community groups are initiated and carried out. It also identifies key characteristics of participation in community action projects. Social actions in two communities in North Carolina are studied from a 10-year period. (Author/CT)

This case study of one city's efforts to cope with homelessness centers around a conceptual model of consensus as a continuous process the nature of which is determined by the methods used to achieve consensus; the importance of maintaining consensus to the participants; the baseline consensus as interaction begins; and the political and public…

Draws upon community field theory and human ecology and uses data from 120 rural Pennsylvania school districts to examine the relative contributions of past community actions, development of solidarity, and ecological variables (socioeconomic status, remoteness, previous industrialization, and percentage of residents commuting to work) to the…

Brooks Farm is an independent Black farming community unique in the Mississippi Delta. A community case study shows that, despite declining population and resources, Brooks Farm has drawn on the strength of its traditional institutions (family, churches, civic groups) to sustain community life and to continue to provide services to the elderly,…

Presents narrative accounts of the meaning of work and love for two Latino community youth activists, exploring how Latino community development in the city has given meaning to the lives of these youths and their families, neighbors, and other young people. The educational implications of their stories are discussed. (SLD)

Early assessments of the impact of the Community Action Program (CAP) of the Federal War on Poverty suggested that its major achievement would be the creation of a corps of black political leaders. Data gathered from a nationwide sample of 210 black elected officials in State and local government show that nearly a quarter of those elected since…

A study examined how government agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and community organizations in Latin America cooperate in development activities. A model outlines each sector's functions in service delivery, human resource development and training, resource mobilization, research, and public education; the stages of…

This report describes s a study that examined how seven groups in Edmonton, Alberta, used a community development model called Community Capacity Building and Asset Mapping. The first three sections discuss the model's development and purpose and the methodology used to examine its application in community planning. Presented next are the results…

Comparative analysis of economic development on 15 American Indian reservations plus supplementary data on 100 reservations suggest that successful development depends on tribal sovereignty coupled with aggressive assertions of Indian control, effective social institution-building, and appropriate development choices tested against tribal cultural…