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unequal power within the community or long-term disinvestment in the commu-
nity by public and private sectors.
Focusing on assets does not mean that a community is unaware of the impact
of major social forces, including economic concentration, increasing competition,
and changes in government programmes. Some see an asset-based approach as
ignoring such issues. Although this can happen, mobilizing local resources in new
ways is more likely to create a climate for successfully addressing more difficult
structural issues by strengthening local social capital.
Do Communities Act?
Sociologists have long asked, ‘Do communities act?’ (Tilly, 1973). How much that
happens in a community is determined by the outside and how much by the
inside? Sociological research has begun to identify which communities act and
under what circumstances (Logan and Molotch, 1987). These authors argue that
more and more action for social change is occurring not where people work but
where they live.
Summary
Community development is what people do to improve the overall quality of life
in the community. Although community development often involves economic
development, it implies far more. Central to the concept of community develop-
ment is the concept of collective agency. Collective agency is the ability of a group
of people to solve common problems together.
Contrasting three models of community development illustrates dramatically
different approaches to community change. The self-help model focuses on the
process by which people work together to arrive at group decisions and take action.
It assumes that communities are homogeneous and consensus based. The technical
assistance model focuses on the task to be accomplished and uses outside expertise
to help community members accomplish that task. This model assumes that
answers can be arrived at objectively, using the scientific method. The conflict
model focuses on the redistribution of power among community members. It
assumes that power is never given but must be taken away. Each model gives rise
to a different community development strategy.
Two factors are important to all three models of community development. The
first is linkages. Communities need linkages to outside sources of information. These
linkages can be with external agencies or they can be with other communities,
enabling lateral learning to occur. The second factor is planning. Planning is a key
part of development but will be approached differently depending on the model of
community development being followed.