Developing and Implementing a CommunityBased Plan

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Developing and Implementing a Community-Based Plan

• Gene L. Theodori, Ph.D.
• Program in Rural Sociology Community Studies
• Department of Recreation, Park Tourism Sciences
• Texas AM University

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Individuals
Cute
Ugly
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Smart
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Dumb
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Communities
Active
Not Active
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Conscious
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Not Conscious
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Working Definition of Community
Community a place-oriented process of
interrelated actions through which local
residents express a shared sense of identity
while engaging in the common concerns of life.
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Elements of a Local Society
A geographic dimension
physical space
Human life dimension
people living there
Relatively complete organization
institutions and patterns of behaviors that cover
the broad range of human interests
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Stanton Local Society
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Sanderson Local Society
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Fields
Emergent
Dynamic
Boundless
Wholes
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Social Fields
Process of social interaction
Actions
Associations
Actors
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Education
Government
Environmental protection
Faith-based
Economic development
Recreation
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Economic development
Faith-based
Government
Education
Recreation
Environmental protection
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Economic development
Faith-based
Generalization
Action
Education
Government
Recreation
Environmental protection
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Community is not a given.
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Community is a variable.
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Community Development
Community development a process of building and
strengthening the social and economic viability
of the community.
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Community Development
Purposive
Positive
Structure oriented
Exists in efforts of people
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Community Development
Community development is purposive. It is the
intentional consequence of actors engaging in
associational actions to initiate and maintain
community.
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Community Development
Community development is positive. The purposive
intentions of the actors revolve around a shared
commitment to improving their community.
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Community Development
Community development is structure oriented. The
purposive and positive actions of actors are
direct attempts to establish and/or strengthen
the community as an interlinking and coordinating
structure of human relationships.
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Community Development
Community development exists in the efforts of
people and not necessarily in goal achievement.
Simply stated, community development is
purposive action undertaken with positive
intentions at improving community structure.
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Community Development
Development in community
- Task accomplishment
Development of community
- Structure building
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Principles ofCommunity Development
The long-term theme of community development
should be to develop the community as a human
relationship structure, rather than to develop
things in or through the community.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Community development must reflect and express
the values and wishes of the local population.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Community development requires a commitment on
the part of special interest groups to align
their efforts with those of other groups.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Community development requires that attention be
given continuously to problems and needs in all
areas of local life.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Sustained community development requires an
organizational structure.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Community development requires communication.
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Principles ofCommunity Development
Community development requires a commitment
beyond selfish gain, at least by a small number
of people in any community who can really make it
work.
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Credit for Principles ofCommunity Development
Kenneth P. Wilkinson. 1968. The Community Its
Structure and Process. Pp. 8690 in Eileen
Zuber, Steve Nelson, and A.E. Luloff, 1998,
Community A Biography in Honor of the Life and
Work of Ken Wilkinson. University Park, PA The
Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
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Stages of Community-Based Planning
Initiation
Organization of sponsorship
Identification and analysis of critical
community-level issues
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Stages of Community-Based Planning
Visioning, goal setting, and strategy formation
Recruitment
Implementation
Evaluation