Synopses & Reviews
Inspired by the Arab Spring, which continues to effect changes throughout the Middle East, and the global Occupy movement, many are looking toward community organizing as a realistic, tried, and tested way to address our many global problems. This book is the first to explore the diverse history of community organizing, telling stories of its successes and failures and uncovering the lessons that can be applied today. It analyzes contemporary examples from all over the world—against wider theoretical frameworks—and examines their ability to contribute to sustainable social change.
Review
“As a long time community organizer working internationally with ACORN International, we have been waiting eagerly for Beck and Purcell’s book. Community organizations are gaining important and potentially powerful footholds all over the globe, and Beck and Purcell’s book is going to be at the front of every organizer’s shelf in trying to understand this phenomenon, avoid the easy mistakes, and face the critical challenges. Thanks in advance!”
Review
“Community organising has come centre stage, promoted from varying perspectives—governments seeking to manage and social movements, including trade union organisations, seeking to challenge manifestations of social inequality and social injustice. This book will be particularly valuable in this context, stimulating reflection on differing experiences of community organising internationally.”
Review
“This is an impressive and much needed analysis of community organising internationally. It is a timely reminder of an activity that can effectively challenge the politically and economically powerful organisations that oppress communities everywhere.”
Synopsis
As the Arab Spring continues to work through changes, the Occupy Movement is agitating for change and many are looking for alternatives in the face of global financial and political challenges, community organising offers a realistic way forward for many communities: a tried and tested way of improving people's lives. This book is the first to explore the diverse history of community organising, telling stories of how it developed, its successes and failures, and the lessons that can be applied today. It analyses contemporary examples of practice from the USA, UK, India, South Africa, Cambodia and Australia against both wider theoretical frameworks and their ability to contribute to sustainable social change. It will be useful for a wide range of practitioners, students and researchers engaged in the struggle to develop new ways of doing community.
Synopsis
This book is the first to explore the diverse history of community organising, telling stories of how it developed, its successes and failures, and the lessons that can be applied today.
About the Author
Dave Beck manages the postgraduate programs in community development at the University of Glasgow. Rod Purcell is director of community engagement at the University of Glasgow.
Table of Contents
List of tables, figures and boxes
About the authors
Introduction
1 The roots of community organising
2 The 21st-century context of community organising
3 Community organising revisited: the Industrial Areas Foundation model
4 Industrial Areas Foundation in the UK and Australia
5 The ACORN alternative
6 Slum Dwellers International and case studies
7 New models of community organising
8 Comparing and contrasting current community organising models
9 What community organising does and doesn’t achieve
10 Counter-hegemony, critical thinking and community organising
Endnote
References
Index