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 Conflict Approach Self-Help Approach
Assistance
Change Agent Consultant Organizer Facilitator, Educator

Orientation Task Process and Task Process

Inherently good,
View of System defines
Oppressed but goodness is
Individual who plays a role
often suppressed
Science provides Power is the key People can identify
Basis of Change a means to solve ingredient for and solve problems
problems making changes collectively
Capacity to Concentration of
Capacity of people
Core problems harness science power in the
to take collective
addressed to solve human hands of a few
action
problems persons
Technical Redistribution of Community
Action Goal
problems power capacity-building
Two Examples of “Self-Help”
Approaches to Community
Development
 Asset-Based Community
Development: Four Key Arenas

People

Physical Voluntary
Resources Associations

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 non-
members
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
Financia
l 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

Human,
More educated/creative workers Social
stay or are attracted to the region & Political

Banks & community foundation Financial

create small loan program

Spiraling Up
Human,
Launch entrepreneurship program Financial,
Social &
Built
Work to retain and expand existing
local businesses Built, Human,
Financial &
Social
Leaders reach out and gather input
from local residents
Social &
Political

Source: Emery & Flora (2006)

 Applying These Approaches to our
Extension Work
Types of People Voluntary Formal Physical
Capitals Association Institutions Resources
s
Natural

Cultural
The Asset
Human Mapping Arenas

Social
The Community
Political Capitals
Financial

Built
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 Rachel Welborn
Director Program Manager
Purdue Center for Southern Rural
Regional Development Development Center
Purdue University MS State University
765-494-7273 662-325-3207
ljb@purdue.edu rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu