Community Organizing: Building Social Capital as a Development Strategy

by Ross J. Gittell, Avis C. Vidal

Overview

This book provides new insights into an important national community development challenge: how to stimulate the formation of genuinely community-based organizations and effective citizen action in neighborhoods that have not spawned these efforts spontaneously.

Using evaluation research and detailed comparative study of community development activity in three diverse demonstration sites; Little Rock, New Orleans and Palm Beach county, the authors identify key elements of building social capital which strongly affect community development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803957923
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	06/10/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	206
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Ross Gittell is the James R. Carter Professor at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore School of Business and Economics. His scholarly focus involves applying economic and management theory to economic development issues. He received his Ph D in Public Policy from Harvard University. He is the author of two books, Renewing Cities and Community Organizing: Building Social Capital as a Development Strategy, and over 75 academic articles. He has published in a variety of academic journals, including the New England Economic Review, Economic Development Quarterly, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Regional Studies, National Civic Review, and Journal of Entrepreneurial and Small Business Finance.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Social Capital and Networks in Community Development
Framing the LISC Demonstration
A Social Capital Perspective on Community Development Practice
Getting off to a Good Start
Positioning the Program in the Field
Organizing CDCs and Developing Indigenous Leadership
Building Relationships with the Private Sector
Transition and its Consequences
Lessons
Building Social Capital

Editorial Reviews

In this evaluation dedicated to community development corporation volunteers, Gittel (strategic management and public policy, U. of New Hampshire) and Vidal (Metropolitan Housing and Communities Center, Urban Institute; Washington, DC) feature a recent national demonstration CDC program in three sites: the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. In the context of this nationwide movement for inner city social capital-building, they summarize the lessons learned from every organizational and implementation phase of LISC's innovative consensus organizing approach. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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