Community development

Abstract: Each society is faced with the decision of how best to provide for the well-being and quality of life of its citizens. The choices involved span complex economic, sociocultural, political, and environmental considerations. In particular, the economic base that a society chooses for itself has wide ranging ramifications. Increasingly, cities, states, and nations are turning to tourism as an important element in their economic portfolio as they recognize the potentially significant economic rewards at stake. Much of tourism development entails community development. If handled appropriately, tourism can become an important engine for achieving broader social goals. Whereas societies may aspire to achieve these goals, communities are struggling to manage tourism development effectively. Unfortunately, no integrative framework exists for managing all facets of tourism development. In this study the authors examine the link between societal prosperity and tourism using a competitiveness framework.

Abstract: 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

Abstract: Social programs need to identify catalysts for action which can be targeted in order to effectively and efficiently meet their goals. A model illustrates how a sense of community can have a catalytic effect on local action (i.e., participation in a block association) by affecting the perception of the environment, social relations, and one’s perceived control and empowerment The model is tested and confirmed through path-analytic and longitudinal techniques.

Abstract: This article draws connections between the environmental and community psychology literature on place attachment and meaning with the theory, research, and practice of community participation and p...

Abstract: The modern environmental management literature stresses the need for community involvement to identify indicators to monitor progress towards sustainable development and environmental management goals. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of participatory processes on sustainability indicator identification and environmental management in three disparate case studies. The first is a process of developing partnerships between First Nations communities, environmental groups, and forestry companies to resolve conflicts over forest management in Western Canada. The second describes a situation in Botswana where local pastoral communities worked with development researchers to reduce desertification. The third case study details an on-going government led process of developing sustainability indicators in Guernsey, UK, that was designed to monitor the environmental, social, and economic impacts of changes in the economy. The comparative assessment between case studies allows us to draw three primary conclusions. (1) The identification and collection of sustainability indicators not only provide valuable databases for making management decisions, but the process of engaging people to select indicators also provides an opportunity for community empowerment that conventional development approaches have failed to provide. (2) Multi-stakeholder processes must formally feed into decision-making forums or they risk being viewed as irrelevant by policy-makers and stakeholders. (3) Since ecological boundaries rarely meet up with political jurisdictions, it is necessary to be flexible when choosing the scale at which monitoring and decision-making occurs. This requires an awareness of major environmental pathways that run through landscapes to understand how seemingly remote areas may be connected in ways that are not immediately apparent. q 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.