Community-engaged scholarship (CES) is frequently recommended as a postsecondary practice for producing knowledge to address real-world issues and support the public good. But CES has multiple meanings, and understandings overlap with similar terms, such as publicly engaged scholarship. I draw upon recommendations in the field to propose an…

Reviews the past five years of community ties research. Examines recent research for evidence of progress in resolving important conceptual issues, and discusses problems that still persist despite previous cautions. (RAE)

Attempts to develop a "baseline understanding" of the nature of female criminality and its control during the first two decades of the twentieth century, using data from the court system of Muncie. The analysis of such historical data, though not necessarily representative of contemporary times or more urban settings, provide essential…

Examines a historian's experiences and impressions gained while interviewing the immigrant generation in a community of Jewish chicken farmers in Petaluma, California. Information is presented on the differences in attitudes and aspirations between generations, interview techniques, problems of interviewer credibility, and problems of…

Reviews studies carried out since the late nineteenth century on social and economic conditions among Blacks. Early studies were primarily conducted by Black universities. Later, the National Urban League took a prime role in Black community research. (GC)

Highlights steps for carrying out a needs assessment survey research effort in the Black community. Stresses the need for understanding (1) cultural-linguistic and historical factors, (2) the potential or inadvertent role of the researcher, and (3) the obstacles and resistance one may encounter in carrying out the survey and implementing its…

The history of Muncie's religious life in the 1920's and 1930's is examined as an illustration of what happened regarding churches and religion in the "typical" U.S. town. The ethnic and denominational mix and the changes in each are discussed. (RM)

Economic growth and development have many implications that need to be considered so that informed decisions regarding the community can be made. Although expansion of an existing establishment or a newly located plant or business are the primary means by which communities seek economic growth, growth can also occur when the new industry is…

The first section of this monograph on community newspapers describes the patterns and trends of "grassroots journalism" in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Based on interviews with 37 newspaper editors, the following topics are covered: origins and history, goals, organization and structure, method of production, advertising, content,…

In 1920 Robert S. and Helen M. Lynd published the results of their exhaustive study of everyday life in Muncie, Indiana, dubbing the city "Middletown" as a symbol of the typical American community. Salient conclusions of the study are summarized, and significant recent literature on Middletown is assessed. (RM)

The application of the four basic principles of social ecology as a framework for assessing inner city black communities is the focus of this paper. Social ecology is described as a concept that includes variables from both the social and physical environments. Its four basic principles are said to be recognition of the interdependence of roles…

Using the news media as resource material in the classroom is an excellent and under-utilized way to bring the reality and diversity of external politics into the classroom. Using that external reality in combination with the internal reality of the schools as unique political communities can provide a more complete and realistic civic education.…

This is the first of a four-part study, funded by the National Institute of Education for the purpose of examining the function of informal social networks in school community relations in Pontiac, Michigan, from 1971 to 1981. This volume of the report (1) discusses the theoretical foundations of the study; (2) defends the validity of network…

Examines a dimension of neighboring that need not assume friendship as the role model. When the model assumes only a sense of connectedness as defining neighboring, then the residential correlation, shown in many studies between urbanism and neighboring, disappears. Theories of neighboring, study variables, methods, and analysis are discussed.…

Presented are over 100 environmental education activities which use the local community for a learning site and resource. These lessons are grouped under seven topical headings: (1) biological neighbors, (2) physical environs, (3) built environs, (4) social environs, (5) understanding ourselves, (6) influencing change, and (7) improvement and…