In order to better understand this paper, it is important to consider the process and context in which it was prepared. The paper was written and presented at the Austin conference and reflects the author's efforts as a participant-conceptualizer who spent a good deal of time visiting and listening to as many task groups as possible. He dropped…

Community organization theories are reviewed and principles of social work group practice are delineated for directors of special education. Focused on are such aspects as worker competencies and attitudes, strategies for community change, and organizational structure. The author briefly related the theoretical information to his experience with…

Offers theses to encourage search for community in the changing countryside: because of its influence on social well-being, the community is alive; rural areas present special community development advantages/problems; strategies must address sources of rural problems in larger society; rural sociology can specify/measure parameters of rural…

Since State and Extension Forestry at Kansas State University received specific funding from the U.S. Forest Service for community forestry programs, the university has received requests for assistance from more than 200 Kansas towns. (GB)

Describes the Community Resources Development program now operating in twelve West Virginia counties. (GB)

Author suggests a clue for the kind of thinking and abstraction that can lead to achieving or redirecting goals for a more viable society. (Author/MM)

Discusses trends toward constant economic and technological change, ways in which increased access to information may affect our sense of community, and implications for the survival of small towns. Lists strategies for effecting positive community change. Discusses ways to build "lovable" communities, local economies, and communitywide…

Examines how rapid economic development and population growth affect the visual environment in small towns and rural areas. Describes how agencies concerned with the impact of Fort Drum's expansion. Discusses the process of educating local community planners and the public, and a design framework for regulating land use development. (SV)

Librarians like to say their libraries are the heart of their communities, and in Cynthia Fuerst's case, it is a fact. For the Kankakee Public Library, this took long, hard effort by an inspired library director, the mayor, and a developer who wanted to revive business in an economically devastated downtown. When Fuerst became the library's…

Toward the end of the of the twentieth century, the idea that young people are social actors gained increasing predominance. Since then, there has been a growing recognition of young people's ability to understand and contribute to forming their environments. In this article, the authors discuss the state of youth participation in the United…

Working with communities of color to find solutions to the problems they face is a complex and challenging task. The "It Takes a Village" concept and the Transtheoretical Model of Change (Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente 1994) were used by the authors of this article in their work to empower clients of color to effect in their…

Youth-adult partnerships (Y-APs) for organizational and community change represent an innovative practice in the United States. Innovations are typically a challenge to implement, so it is not surprising that youth organizations are seeking guidance on how to adopt and sustain Y-APs. This article brings contemporary scholarship to bear on the…

Hawaiian tourism has greatly increased in the past ten years. With this increase, the island has been economically developed to attract and accommodate tourists. Now, citizen groups are becoming aware of the environmental costs of this business and are asking for a tourist reduction to save their natural resources. (MA)

The origins, socioeconomic growth, and present status of four Cleveland, Ohio, ethnic neighborhoods are analyzed in this report in order to determine their viability as inner city communities. The communities studied include (1) a "white ethnic island," the Slovenian/Croatian neighborhood on the East Side; (2) an area of "dying…

The pamphlet traces the social history of Woods Cross, Utah from pioneer arrival in 1847 through 1976. Each street of the town serves as the focal point for a discussion of the role of each family in the town's history. Content includes establishment of railway lines and a depot, growth of water companies and recurrent local water problems,…