Community Development 101
Bo Beaulieu, Purdue Center for Regional Development
Rachel Welborn, Southern Rural Development Center
Defining Community
Development
A group of people in a community
reaching a decision to initiate a
planned intervention to change their
economic, social, cultural or
environmental situation.
-- Christenson and Robinson, 1978
Development “In” vs. “Of”
Community
• IN: Building the economic or physical
infrastructure of a community (bricks
& mortar approach)
• OF: Building the human capacity to
address local issues and concerns;
alter the structure of the community
in terms of engagement
Reasons for Doing Community
• Expand participation
• React to proposed changes that are
deemed to have potential negative
consequences for the community
• Improve serious severe social,
economic or environmental
problems
• Satisfy missing needs or resources
Three Approaches to
Community Development
• Technical Assistance
• Conflict Approach
• Self-Help Approach
Technical Assistance Approach
• Involves the delivery of programs or
services
• Involves “top-down” use of experts
• Focuses on the task to be performed
• Assumes the answers needed are scientific
• Requires residents to understand complex
information to participate
• Defines local citizens as consumers
• Is often used by government
The Conflict Approach
• Focuses on deliberate use of confrontation by
professional organizers
• Has the redistribution of power as its goal
• Involves confronting the forces that are
blocking efforts to solve problems
• Fosters suspicion of those who have formal
community power
• Assumes power is never given away, that it has
to be taken
The Self-Help Approach
• Encourages people within the
community to work together
• Employs collaboration to provide
important needs and services
• Emphases the process above the
task or goal
Comparing CD Models
Features
Technical
Assistance
Conflict Approach Self-Help Approach
Change Agent
Consultant
Organizer
Facilitator, Educator
Orientation
Task
Process and Task
Process
View of
Individual
System defines
who plays a role
Oppressed
Science provides
a means to solve
problems
Capacity to
harness science
to solve human
problems
Technical
problems
Power is the key
ingredient for
making changes
Concentration of
power in the
hands of a few
persons
Redistribution of
power
Basis of Change
Core problems
addressed
Action Goal
Inherently good,
but goodness is
often suppressed
People can identify
and solve problems
collectively
Capacity of people
to take collective
action
Community
capacity-building
Two Examples of “Self-Help”
Approaches to Community
Development
Asset-Based Community
Development: Four Key Arenas
People
Voluntary
Associations
Physical
Resources
Local Formal
Institutions
Source: Kretzmann & McKnight (1993)
Assets of People
• Talents and skills of people in
your community
• People in key positions with
access to important resources
Voluntary Associations
• Rely on regular or occasional
volunteers
• Have few, if any, paid staff
• Have autonomy from the state
• Are usually self-governed by a board of
unpaid individuals
• Tend to be not-for-profit organizations
• Provide a benefit or service to nonmembers
Source: BusinessDictionary.com
Local Institutions
Formal organizations that . . .
• Provide programs, facilities and services to
meet needs of residents.
• Carrying out functions vital to long-term
community sustainability.
• Influence the vitality of a community by their
presence and strength
• Include family, education, economic, health,
political/governmental, and religious
institutions.
Source: Etzen and Baca-Zinn, 2001; Sparknotes.com, 2006
Physical Resources
Natural & Human-Made
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Water and land-related amenities
Vacant and underused buildings
Historical & cultural sites
Recreational facilities & parks
Educational centers
Health-related structures
Roads & transportation systems
The Community Capitals
Framework
Sources: Flora & Flora (2008); Jacobs (2007)
The Seven Community Capitals
Natural
Built
Cultural
A Vibrant Community
Financial
Human
Political
Social
Defining the Capitals
Capitals
Definition
Natural
Quality & quantity of natural & environmental resources.
Cultural
Values, norms, beliefs & traditions; includes historic material
goods
Human
Education & skills of residents; learning opportunities; programs
that build local leadership.
Social
Connections among people & organizations; links inside & outside
of the community.
Political
Ability to influence & enforce rules and regulations. Access to
influential people in government positions; level of citizen
engagement.
Financial
Financial resources available for development efforts.
Built
The infrastructure of the community – facilities, services, roads,
physical structures.
The Spiraling Up of
Community Capitals
More educated/creative workers
stay or are attracted to the region
Launch entrepreneurship program
Work to retain and expand existing
local businesses
Leaders reach out and gather input
from local residents
Financial
Human,
Financial,
Social &
Built
Built, Human,
Financial &
Social
Social &
Political
Source: Emery & Flora (2006)
Spiraling Up
Banks & community foundation
create small loan program
Human,
Social
& Political
Applying These Approaches to our
Extension Work
Types of
Capitals
People
Voluntary
Formal
Associations Institutions
Natural
Cultural
Human
The Asset
Mapping Arenas
Social
Political
Financial
Built
The Community
Capitals
Physical
Resources
An Example to Guide You
Let’s Try the Process
• Select a goal relevant to your
Extension program area.
• Develop a list of assets (people,
voluntary associations, formal
institutions and physical resources)
that you can tap to help
• Use the seven capitals to assess if
the full breath of assets have been
identified.
Final Reflections
• Insights gained?
• Issues to clarify or discuss?
• Type of training needed to
advance your Extension work?
For More Information . . .
Bo Beaulieu, PhD
Director
Purdue Center for
Regional Development
Purdue University
765-494-7273
ljb@purdue.edu
Rachel Welborn
Program Manager
Southern Rural
Development Center
MS State University
662-325-3207
rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu