Effective communities are well-educated about themselves, have a better understanding of public information, talk through public issues to generate shared knowledge, appreciate the difference between public opinion and public judgment, and believe in public leadership as the key to using public power to solve community problems. (SK)

Discusses the use of simulation games in the development of social theory. Topics discussed include microsociological and macrosociological theory; the influence process in a game of community conflict; self-esteem in a high school social system game; and collective decisions and a theory of exchange of control over events. (LRW)

Five new realities affect community problem solving: (1) fewer public dollars; (2) increased local/regional responsibility; (3) renewed focus on local government integrity; (4) wider distribution of community power; and (5) increasingly diverse population. Communities that prosper practice collaborative problem solving and consensus-based decision…

In the process of applying community policing problem-solving strategies toward the causes of urban decay, police organizations are finding that they must address a host of noncrime-related actions, as well as inaction by community members. In doing so, community police organizations find that they must expand into the enforcement of social…

Judy Nelson thinks it's important to understand what the community wants for its young people, "which means lots of listening." We need to give taxpayers more good reasons to support libraries, she says, and the community's problems and unmet needs are opportunities for libraries to be an integral part of the solution. One problem Nelson…

Conflicts over changing uses of natural resources are familiar within communities of the Western US and are usually resolved through legal processes. This paper analyzes resource conflict through juxtaposing impact analyses often used in their juridical resolution with discourse analyses of affected rural communities. The purchase of property by a…

This article describes one university's approach to transformative engagement: An engagement process based not on transfer of expertise from university to community (technology transfer), but rather on an interactive process in which all partners apply critical thinking skills to complex community problems. Iterative in nature, it is informed by a…

The National Research Council has suggested that science classes need to become more active and authentic. To help with this effort, Thayer Model Engineering was created several years ago as an inquiry science course at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont. In this school, the students apply the Thayer Model--a four-step…

Condensed from "Washington Education, Volume 80 (December 1968), 4-5.

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…

Attitudes toward crime were investigated among Pittsburgh residents. Respondents were asked their opinions regarding crime trends, fear of crime, residential problems and life styles, and local police performance. Results indicated that Pittsburgh residents believed that others ran a greater risk than they did and that other neighborhoods were…

This book is a collection of essays on the problems of education in relation to the urban crisis. The first essay is an analysis of the school decentralization issue in New York City. The kinds of conflicts focused on here are those which will in a variety of forms plague most city school systems. Also included are a series of essays on urban…

This report discusses the social, economic, and human implications of plant shutdowns. As part of the data gathering process, personal interviews were held with civic leaders, company representatives, union leaders, and workers in order to gain insight into the causes and effect of the closing of plants. Sections of the report cover topics such…

The purposes of the Wyoming Human Services Project are delivery of human services, determination of how best to train and use human service personnel, and development of suggestions and guidelines for other rapidly growing communities about how to deliver human services most effectively. (Author/KR)

Discuss a regional program for educating the public about energy conservation and solving community energy problems. (DC)