Community mapping is defined as follows: efforts to (1) understand the world as a landscape of many aspects and values; (2) identify areas that appear to have a degree of unity; (3) explain why things are the way they are; and (4) identify opportunities for positive social action and policy development. (113 references) (JOW)

Presents the story of a community that, with the support of the researcher, endeavored to peel back the layers of debris that had muffled their voices. This constructed debris--social, physical, cultural, and historical--served to reproduce the power of the other through processes of false consciousness. (Author/CCM)

Summarizes competing approaches to the role of culture in community development and use of community media--as top-down dissemination of messages or as participatory action research. Presents a case study of the use of video for community participation and empowerment in Burkina Faso. (Author/SK)

A module was developed to inform youth and community workers of the challenges to local and global environments. The experience-based program used real-life community environmental examples and considered race, gender, and disability environmental issues. (SK)

The University of New Mexico's Community and Regional Planning Program worked with two border towns that share water resources--Columbus (New Mexico) and Puerto Palomas (Chihuahua, Mexico)--to help them prepare a community comprehensive plan needed for water-project funding. The program conducted action research involving local schools and people…

Discusses three approaches to participatory research typically followed by academics: (1) initiator, (2) consultant, and (3) collaborator. Argues that participatory research is part of a larger community-change project, and that determining how academics will fit in the project requires answering several questions about the nature of individual…

A survey of rural and small-town community development groups in British Columbia (Canada) found that organization members were generally aged 36-55, were much more highly educated than the province's rural population or total population, and were more likely to be employed and to be newcomers (less than five years residence) to their communities.…

In Iran, community mosques have been decentralized institutions of local power. Mosque leadership was influential in the overthrow of the Shah. However, the resulting Islamic Republic dominated and used mosques as agents of social control. (SK)

Discusses how good schools have drawing power in revitalizing both urban and rural communities and increasing property values. Several examples of the value of school renovation and its impact on the surrounding community and enrollment are discussed, including descriptions of planning and financing renovation efforts by some communities. (GR)

In a community experiencing racial tensions between African American and Hispanic residents, a community organization was created to empower residents to achieve overarching community goals. Low participation, differences in levels and views of empowerment, and lack of efficacy were encountered, illustrating the difficulty of applying theory to…

Under California law, developers are required to pay school districts impact fees of $1.84 per eligible square foot. However, the Huntington (California) School District says the state-mandated fee falls far short of expenses and attempts to convince developers to increase the fee voluntarily. The Utah State legislature recently outlawed…

Responses from 565 of 1,200 former urban residents who moved to a simpler rural lifestyle show that they hold progressive views on environmental and social issues. However, their levels of community organizing and activism are much more modest. (SK)

The Antigonish Movement, a Nova Scotian community development approach, and a Sri Lankan community-based adult education movement are used to illustrate spiritual principles for adult education/community development: ecological base, social justice, human dignity, community base, action for liberation, and combined action and reflection. (SK)

State and federal governments in Australia have developed a range of policy instruments for rural areas in Australia that are infused with a new sense of "community," employing leading concepts like social capital, social enterprise, community development, partnerships and community building. This has encouraged local people and…

Action-oriented research is a methodological approach for doing collaborative research with practitioners and community partners that can inform practice, programs, community development, and policy while contributing to the scientific knowledge base. This article discusses how family scholars can use action-oriented research to work together with…