Democracy in action : community organizing and urban change / Kristina Smock.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smock, Kristina.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Community organization--Case studies.

Community organization.

Political participation--Case studies.

Political participation.

Community development, Urban.

Community development, Urban--Case studies.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

288 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2004]

Summary:

In Cities Across the United States, Grassroots Organizations are working to revitalize popular participation in disenfranchised communities by bringing ordinary people into public life. By engaging local residents in collective action to achieve common goals, community organizing expands the democratic process and enables people to create strong communities that serve their needs. This book examines the techniques these organizations use to achieve their goals. Through the stories of ten organizations working in economically and racially diverse urban neighborhoods (in Chicago and Portland, Oregon) the author explores the strengths and limitations of the five dominant models of community organizing in use today: power-based, community-building, civic, women-centered, and transformative. Based on original empirical research, the book combines in-depth analysis with invaluable lessons for practitioners.

Contents:

1 Popular Democracy and Urban Change 3

2 Models of Community Organizing: An Overview 10

Part II Organizing the Community

3 Building Individual Capacity: Developing Local Leaders 37

4 Building Community Capacity: Networks and Social Capital 64

5 Building a Community Governance Structure 97

Part III Creating Urban Change

6 Diagnosing and Framing the Community's Problems 149

7 Taking Action: Strategies and Outcomes 176

8 Widening the Scope: Organizing for Broader Social Change 222.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [273]-282) and indexes.

ISBN:

0231126727

0231126735

OCLC:

52887549