"Analysing Community Work: Its Theory and Practice will be of value to students, educators, practitioners and policy makers in the fields of community work, youth and community work, social work and social policy. It will also assist those in occupations such as housing management, co-operative development and advice and advocacy who are developing their services along community work lines."--BOOK JACKET.

Community work is a unique and important activity that has the potential to help individuals, groups and communities achieve change. This brand new update of an established and acclaimed text explores and analyses different theoretical approaches to community work. Written in a highly accessible style, this book is grounded in practice issues and tackles political and theoretical issues head-on. New to the second edition: Analysis of the work of New Labour Consideration of Coalition government policies, for example, the 'Big Society' project and the impact of budget cuts A new international dimension throughout the text, and an important new chapter on international community work New definitions of 'community' explored to take into account a diverse population Increased emphasis on community work values, skills and challenges Updated pedagogy, including end of chapter summaries and reflective questions References the latest writings in the field Written by an established international expert, this book will be valuable for students on qualifying programmes, practitioners, policy makers and commentators, and those engaged in community work in all capacities. "'Analysing Community Work' provided a key text, tackling issues of theory and practice in accessible ways for some two decades. This second edition builds upon the strengths of the first, updating the book to take account of the major changes that have been taking place since then, both in Britain and internationally. Popple’s critical consideration of the impacts of globalization, neo-liberalism, changing technologies, increasing inequalities and increasing concerns with environmental issues will be particularly welcomed. This edition will be essential reading for those who read and appreciated the first as well as for a new generation of readers." Marjorie Mayo, Emeritus Professor of community development, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK "Popple's book was one of the key overviews of British community work when it first appeared in 1995. In the last few years, the need for a revised and updated version has been increasingly obvious and Popple has now obliged. The last twenty years have seen substantial changes in the political, economic and organisational context within which community work operates and Popple has fully reflected this whilst remaining clear about its basic tenets and goals. This is a highly welcome addition to contemporary community work literature." Gary Craig, Professor of Community Development and Social Justice, Durham University, UK

"This masterly text is a classic in its field and will be a reliable companion throughout the course of your studies and your career as a social work practitioner. In this substantially reworked and updated fourth edition of his best-selling text, Malcolm Payne presents clear and concise evaluations of the pros and cons of major theories that inform social work practice, and comparisons between them." -- Back cover

Encompassing community development, organizing, planning, & social change, as well as globalisation, this book is grounded in participatory & empowerment practice. The 36 chapters assess practice, theory & research methods.

Illustrates the diverse ways that community practice is conceived and outlines both the central and subtle differences among models to guide community assessment, action planning, and practice. Shows how to combine ideas from the social sciences and community practice to improve teaching, practice, analysis, and research. Of interest to social work faculty, students, and practitioners in community work, administration, community development, and social planning. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This engaging text takes an evenhanded approach to major theoretical paradigms in evaluation and builds a bridge from them to evaluation practice. Featuring helpful checklists, procedural steps, provocative questions that invite readers to explore their own theoretical assumptions, and practical exercises, the book provides concrete guidance for conducting large- and small-scale evaluations. Numerous sample studies—many with reflective commentary from the evaluators—reveal the process through which an evaluator incorporates a paradigm into an actual research project. The book shows how theory informs methodological choices (the specifics of planning, implementing, and using evaluations). It offers balanced coverage of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Useful pedagogical features include: *Examples of large- and small-scale evaluations from multiple disciplines. *Beginning-of-chapter reflection questions that set the stage for the material covered. *"Extending your thinking" questions and practical activities that help readers apply particular theoretical paradigms in their own evaluation projects. *Relevant Web links, including pathways to more details about sampling, data collection, and analysis. *Boxes offering a closer look at key evaluation concepts and additional studies. *Checklists for readers to determine if they have followed recommended practice. *A companion website with resources for further learning.

This book, by one of the leading theorists of social work, tackles a subject of crucial importance to students and practitioners alike: how social workers can enable their clients to challenge and transcend the manifold oppressions that disempower them (whether through poverty, disability, mental illness, etc.). It moves from a discussion of social work's purpose and ambitions to an exposition of theory and, from there, to the practice arenas of working with individuals, in groups, within organisations, and within a wider social and political context.