New Hampshire is a place of both traditions and contradictions. Though historically New Hampshire's demographics have been primarily white, the state is becoming increasingly diverse with respect to racial and ethnic identities. There are communities with significant wealth adjacent to towns with widespread poverty and devastating rates of…

This article suggests that the methodology of community-based action research provides concrete strategies for fostering effective community problem solving. To argue for a community research pedagogy, the author draws upon past and present scholarship in action research and participatory action research, experiences teaching an undergraduate…

Community involvement too often becomes a patronising, paternalistic process designed and delivered by professionals to control rather than enable and empower. What alternatives are there? Pat Thomson argues that within the international radical tradition we have some important answers and urges us to draw once again on the work of people like…

This handbook is a practical guide that can be used by an individual, group, or group leader in planning an active role in community development. Major topics covered are organizing the group; purpose and structure of your organization; how to identify the problem; planning an active program to solve a community problem; planning a large meeting…

The purpose of this collection of papers is to define and explain the concept of process orientation, especially as applied to community education. The major presentation begins by tracing the central importance of process orientation through a review of literature within community education. Then a variety of different perspectives on process…

The idea of computerized car pooling originated in an American Contemporary Issues class at George Washington High School in Denver, Colorado, in the fall of 1973 when a fuel shortage was imminent. The students saw car pooling as a way to take effective action and, with the expertise of a computer math class, devised a program capable of…

ISSUES, an intermediate-grade social studies program, actively involves 2,000 Kansas City students of their urban communities. Psychological and sociological perspectives on urban problems stress helping children to better understand social realities, their peers, and themselves. The students spend approximately half of their social studies time…

A guide for community leaders, extension staff, and community or rural development practitioners outlines the evolution of a regional training model for community-based problem solving in rural areas experiencing economic decline. The paper discusses the model's underlying concepts and implementation process and includes descriptions of four…

The three dimensions of the quality of the environment for human resource development are discussed as issues of opportunity versus deprivation, issues of growth inducing versus growth destroying interventions, and issues of utilization versus non-utilization of human resources. Both pathology and potential are illustrated by descriptions of our…

One way geographical educators can help local communities understand their environment is to offer a course focusing on local regional geography using the concept of regional synthesis. Describes specific mechanics and evaluates short-term outcomes of such a course in Hawaii. Discusses potential uses. Journal availability: see SO 507 262.…