Professor L Stewart University of Texas

Introduction

A variety of approaches have been developed to bring about community change. The widely used are: Locality development Social Planning Social Action Approaches to community change tend to blend characteristics of all three models.

Locality Development
Locality development (also called community development) model asserts that community change can best be brought about through broad-based participation by a wide spectrum of people at the local level. Approach seeks to involve a cross section of individuals in indentifying and solving problems- Disadvantaged and High up power structure

Themes
Themes emphasized in this model are: Democratic procedures Consensus approach Voluntary cooperation Development of indigenous leadership Self-help Together we can figure out what to do and then do it

Role of Practitioner
The practitioner is an enabler, catalyst, coordinator, and teacher of problem solving skills and ethical issues. It is assumed that any conflict among various groups can be creatively and constructively resolved. People are encouraged to express their difference freely and put aside selfinterests to further the interests of their community.

The locality development model seeks to use discussion and communication among different factions to reach consensus on which problems to focus on and strategies or actions to use to resolve these problems.

Social Planning Model

Emphasizes the process of problem solving. Assumes community change in a complex industrial environment requires highly trained and skilled planners who can guide complex change processes.

The role of the expert is crucial to identifying and resolving social problems. The expert or planner is generally employed by a segment of the power structure, such as an area planning agency, city or country planning department or mental health center e.t.c Because the social planner is employed by the power structure, there is a tendency for him or her to serve the interests of that structure.

Theme
Lets get the facts and take the next rational steps Community participation can vary from little to substantial, depending on the problem being addressed.

Social Action
Assumes there is a disadvantaged (often oppressed) segment of the population that needs to be organized perhaps in alliance with others, to pressure the power structure for increased resources or for social justice. Seeks basic changes in major institutions or in basic policies of formal organizations. The objective is redistribution of power and resources.

The locality developer envision a unified community, social action advocates see the power structure as the opposition- the target of action. The role of the community practitioner in this approach include advocate, agitator, activist, partisan, broker and negotiator. Tactics used in social action projects are protests, boycotts, confrontation, and negotiation.

Themes
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it The change strategy is of Lets organize to overpower our oppressor

Examples
Boycotts of the civil rights movements of the 1960s, strikes by unions protests by antiabortion groups and protests on African American and Native American groups The social action model is not widely used by social workers at present.

References
1.

Charles Zastrow, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare. Empowering People, 10th edition, 2010.