Introduction to Community Development
Theory, Practice, and Service-Learning
- Jerry W. Robinson, Jr. - Delta State University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Gary Paul Green
This collection of work by leading community development scholars presents students with a theoretical and practical introduction to the field. The text progresses seamlessly from a theoretical overview to a historical overview to three approaches to community development (ecological, interactional, and structural-functional), then explores the practice of community development along with technical assistance, action research, evaluation research, and the role of local organizations, local leadership, and coalitions. The book concludes with critical issues, such as rural development, inner-city development, youth in community development, health care, public schools, and sustainable development.
Key features include:
- New community development intervention models, using examples from recent events to demonstrate the strengths and challenges of such models
- Community service-learning activities, providing useful examples and case studies of successful service-learning programs in communities
- A hierarchy of learning activities and exercises within each chapter, ensuring that students learn how to apply concepts to real-world issues
- Relevant cases of successful community development interventions, giving students examples of 'best practices'
- Major trends, challenges, and prospects for the future in community development, helping students identify key issues and opportunities
Accompanied by effective teaching and learning ancillaries at www.sagepub.com/robinson:
- Instructor Teaching Site: Password-protected resources contain learning modules, developed by the authors, which include exercises and activities which reinforce chapter content, and demonstrate application of concepts in real-life communities.
- Student Study Site: Open-access study materials include chapter self-quizzes to aid content learning.
This book provides interactional material and good sound underpinning definitions of community development in diverse & varied contexts. I t is USA focused and has many examples of theory to practice within USA cultural context, this can be a little disconcerting at first, but nonetheless puts meat to the bones of practice based work. Good layout.
The book is relevant to the course i am teaching. the students will benefit from it. thanks.
Will use as a supplemental text for macro social work course
American. Although this book contains some interesting ideas and examples, it has been written for the United States, and as such uses terms such as 'federal' and some parts refer to legislation that does not apply in the UK.
It helped put applied organizational communication into a social context
Comprehensive theoretical and practical introduction to the field of community development
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1 - Developing Communities
Chapter 16 - Sustainable Communities: Sustainability and Community Development