This is a book that will address the ways in which the theory andd of empowerment can be established and sustained in a variety of community settings and for a variety of target groups, and that may operate at different levels, from individual to societal.In this book, the authors aim to explore and illustrate how inclusive communities can be created and sustained through the development and implementation of empowerment strategies at various levels: Individual, peer, community and societal. The authors utilize the framework of the Dynamic Synergy Model, outlined in Chapter Two, as the context in which we can understand and then actualize the ideals of inclusive communities.In the first two chapters of this volume, the authors outline the concept of inclusive communities, beginning with the initial notion of inclusion, and how that concept has been applied in a variety of settings. They then discuss the topic of empowerment, its theoretical foundations and evolution, including a critique of the concept and the inherent power dynamics of community-based work. In Chapter Two, the authors outline the various levels of empowerment, introduce the Dynamic Synergy Model and delineate a variety of components for establishing and sustaining empowering activities at a variety of levels, in various settings, with evidence or goals for any of the elements outlined for establishing and sustaining empowerment goals with a variety of methods. The authors especially encourage contributions that can illustrate the implementation and/or evaluation of work that exemplifies the Dynamic Synergy Model.

Many people want to help bring about changes in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Leaders and scholars of change efforts are likewise eager for insights into what makes some organizations and coalitions capable of building and exercising power. Why are some groups successful in making changes in policies and systems and in sustaining their momentum over time, while others struggle or never really get off the ground? With Community Power and Empowerment, Brian D. Christens brings the most comprehensive analysis of empowerment theory yet conducted to bear on these questions, taking aim at many of the longstanding weaknesses and ambiguities of empowerment theory, research, and practice. For example, one major hindrance is that most notions of empowerment have not been coherently connected with community power. In addition, research has emphasized psychological aspects of empowerment over organizational processes, and has neglected community empowerment processes to an even greater extent. By linking empowerment and community power, Christens constructs a holistic framework for assessing and comparing community-driven change efforts. This book offers new guidance for inquiries into outcomes and impacts of empowerment processes on health and well-being, providing a resource for researchers, organizational leaders, practitioners, and anyone interested in collective action for change.

This comprehensive handbook, the first in its field, brings together 106 different contributors. The 38 interrelated but at the same time independent chapters discuss key areas including conceptual frameworks; empirically grounded constructs; intervention strategies and tactics; social systems; designs, assessment, and analysis; cross-cutting professional issues; and contemporary intersections with related fields such as violence prevention and HIV/AIDS.

On weekday afternoons, dismissal bells signal not just the end of the school day but also the beginning of another important activity: the federally funded after-school programs that offer tutoring, homework help, and basic supervision to millions of American children. Nearly one in four low-income families enroll a child in an after-school program. Beyond sharpening students’ math and reading skills, these programs also have a profound impact on parents. In a surprising turn—especially given the long history of social policies that leave recipients feeling policed, distrusted, and alienated—government-funded after-school programs have quietly become powerful forces for political and civic engagement by shifting power away from bureaucrats and putting it back into the hands of parents. In State of Empowerment Carolyn Barnes uses ethnographic accounts of three organizations to reveal how interacting with government-funded after-school programs can enhance the civic and political lives of low-income citizens.

The way we as Christians attempt to restore communities can be either harmful or helpful. The purpose of this book on Empowerment is to move us toward more effective involvement and empowerment with the poor. Leaders will learn to see our under-resourced communities and their residents through a new set of eyeglasses; focusing more on developing people's skills and capacities, rather than simply helping the poor live better lives. Empowerment is one of Eight Key Components of Christian Community Development, a Biblical approach to restoring under-resourced communities.

Community participation has long been recognised as an effective means of helping rural and urban people focus energy and mobilise resources to solve their health, environmental, and economic problems. When people from the community organise, plan, share tasks with professionals, contribute financially to projects or programs, and help make decisions about activities that affect their lives, programs are more likely to achieve their objectives. Several countries have created ways for communities to participate in their family planning programs. They have found that individuals make better choices about contraception when they participate in the family planning program activities in their villages or urban neighbourhoods. This book presents international research on issues dealing with this unifying problem.

Reprinted from the 25th anniversary issue of Community Development Journal (no date noted) 17 essays review contemporary campaigns for community participation and empowerment. Some explore such aspects as the concept of empowerment and its relation to public policy and development within social movements, and the relevance of the mixed economy of welfare to self-help and community participation. Others present case studies from Europe, the US, Australia, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Paper edition (unseen), $25.00. Distributed in the US by Humanities Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR