Synopses & Reviews
Roots for Radicals is a distillation of the IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) philosophy and its unique approach to community organizing. The IAF is the oldest and largest institution for community organizing in the United States. For sixty years, its mission has been to train people to take responsibility for solving the problems in their own communities and to renew the interest of citizens in public life. The IAF, now headed by the author, Edward T. Chambers, has taken founder Saul Alinsky's original vision, refined it, and created a sophisticated national network of citizens' organizations. One of the key activities is its 10-day training sessions for community organizers.
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
Includes bibliographical references (p. [147]-148) and index.
Synopsis
Roots for Radicals is a distillation of the IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) philosophy and its unique approach to community organizing. The IAF is the oldest and largest institution for community organizing in the United States. For sixty years, its mission has been to train people to take responsibility for solving the problems in their own communities and to renew the interest of citizens in public life. The IAF, now headed by the author, Edward T. Chambers, has taken founder Saul Alinsky's original vision, refined it, and created a sophisticated national network of citizens' organizations. One of the key activities is its 10-day training sessions for community organizers.
Synopsis
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.
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