Community power and grassroots democracy : the transformation of social life / edited by Michael Kaufman, with Haroldo Dilla Alfonso.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Kaufman, Michael, 1951-

Dilla Alfonso, Haraldo.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Community development--Latin America--Case studies.

Community development.

Political participation.

Latin America.

Political participation--Latin America--Case studies.

Social movements.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

x, 230 pages ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Community power & grassroots democracy

Place of Publication:

London ; Atlantic Highlands, N.J. : Zed Books ; Ottawa : International Development Research Centre, 1997.

Summary:

Popular participation, local democracy and grassroots organizing have become watchwords not only for social movements the world over but even for official development agencies. In refreshing contrast to the tendency to skate over the internal divisions and stratification that characterise all communities, this book asks the hard questions - about the power of central bureaucracies, the lack of local skills and organizational experience, the impact of national and transnational structures, and social divisions. Not only does the reader learn an immense amount about the limits as well as potential of community initiatives in the South, but the new social movements approach is skilfully married with resource mobilization theory to develop a more nuanced and inclusive theoretical paradigm. This can help us to understand and advance community-based forms of popular power in all their rich variety as one part of the solution to the development crisis.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

185649487X

1856494888

0889367841

OCLC:

35865407