At a time of growing social, economic and environmental challenge, this book offers a fresh and engaging perspective on the connections between social work and community development and on how social workers can use a community development approach to practice in critical, creative and sustainable ways.
Grounded in stories of South African history and community development practice - dealing with issues such as housing, land, cooperatives, education, community protests and urban farming - this book presents a wonderful illustration of the global and South African history of community development.
Community development -- the economic, physical, and social revitalization of a community, led by the people who live in that community -- offers a wide range of exciting and rewarding employment options. But until now, there has been no "road map" for professionals, volunteers, students, or anyone wishing to become involved in the field.A Guide to Careers in Community Development describes the many different kinds of community development jobs available, ranging from community organizing, to financing housing and new businesses, to redeveloping brownfields. It offers advice on how to break into the field along with guidance for career advancement and lateral movement.Following an introductory chapter that offers an overview and definition of community development and its history, the authors describe: different institutions in the field and how they fit together pros and cons of community development careers, with a self-assessment quiz for readers to use in analyzing their suitability for the field the work and skills involved in different kinds of positions how to prepare for and move up in a career how to land that first job Also included are detailed appendixes that provide information on job descriptions with salary ranges; universities and colleges offering community development curricula; training programs; where to look for job announcements; internet resources; internships, fellowships, and volunteer positions; and much more.A Guide to Careers in Community Development is an essential reference for anyone interested in working in the community development field, including graduate and undergraduate students, volunteers, and mid-career professionals seeking a more fulfilling line of work.
Community development is a radical profession. It is based on the belief that people can give purposeful direction to their collective future. How this occurs is based on the community, the issues, the current capacity of people and the resource base that is present.Community development involves work in the ongoing lives of rural, urban and suburban communities. It is an international effort at the community level.Community development is gaining knowledge and empowerment through a process of collaboration and action. The heart and soul of community development is creating experiences through which people learn they can take ownership of their situation and devise and implement plans of action. The measure of success in a community development effort is the quality of people it produces.Practicing Community Development focuses on the ethical and practical aspects of community development. It is full of examples of people coming together and working through challenges. The authors use their experience as a base from which to explore how to help community members implement their visions.This book is for community members and the people in agencies, government and nonprofit organizations who work with them. It can also be used as a textbook for beginning undergraduate and graduate courses in community development or other social sciences.
Community economic development (CED) is an increasingly essential factor in the revitalization of low- to moderate-income communities. This cutting-edge text explores the intersection of CED and social work practice, which both focus on the well-being of indigent communities and the empowerment of individuals and the communities in which they live. This unique textbook emphasizes a holistic approach to community building that combines business and real-estate development with a focus on stimulating family self-reliance and community empowerment. The result is an innovative approach to rehabilitating communities in decline while preserving resident demographics. The authors delve deep into the social, political, human, and financial capital involved in effecting change and how race and regional issues can complicate approaches and outcomes. Throughout, they integrate case examples to illustrate their strategies and conclude with a consideration of the critical role social workers can play in developing CEDÕs next phase.
Now going into its fifth edition, Alan Twelvetrees' invaluable guide to the theory and practice of community work has been educating students and practitioners alike for over three decades. Covering topics such as work with community groups, the various dimensions of social action and project planning and how to engage effectively with public bodies, this is a truly comprehensive must-read for community workers, as well as anyone keen to undertake effective work in the community. Drawing on the author's wealth of experience, and benefiting from the grounded style of writing that has made the previous editions so popular, the book considers everyday community work situations to provide readers with a genuine feel for the realities of practice. This classic text is essential for anyone studying, working or just interested in community work, community regeneration and service planning. New to this Edition: - A classic highly regarded textbook, substantially updated to reflect new service needs and a tougher economic climate - Includes new pedagogic features including chapter overviews, 'practice focus' boxes, and 'putting it in to practice' features
The only up-to-date, accessibly written short guide to community development, this third edition offers an invaluable and authoritative introduction. Fully updated to reflect changes in policy, practice, economics and culture, it will equip readers with an understanding of the history and theory of community development, as well as practical guidance on how to do it. This is a key text for all students and practitioners working with communities. It includes: • a broad overview of core themes, concepts, basic practices and key issues in community development; • an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on community life and well-being, along with the implications for longer-term community support; • additional brand new content on the pressing issues of democratic decline, social fragmentation and isolation, social care pressures, technological developments and climate change.
As the rates of chronic diseases, like diabetes, asthma and obesity skyrocket, research is showing that the built environment – the way our cities and towns are developed – contributes to the epidemic rates of these diseases. It is unlikely that those who planned and developed these places envisioned these situations. Public health, community development planning, and other fields influencing the built environment have operated in isolation for much of recent history, with the result being places that public health advocates have labelled, ‘designed for disease’. The sad irony of this is that planning and public health arose together, in response to the need to create health standards, zoning and building codes to combat the infectious diseases that were prevalent in the industrializing cities of late nineteenth and early twentieth century America. In recent years, the dramatic rise in chronic disease rates in cities and towns has begun to bring public health and planning back together to promote development pattern and policies facilitating physical activity and neighbourly interactions as antidotes. In this book, a number of such community development efforts are highlighted, bringing attention to the need to coordinate planning, community development and health policy. This book was originally published as a special issue of Community Development.