COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND BEYOND (UNISA 2014 USE ONLY)

THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATE THE EVOLUTION OF THOUGHT ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FROM A METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE TO A SET OF (OFTEN NORMATIVE) PRINCIPLES. BASED ON AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE STUDY THE BOOK ARGUES THAT THE MORE RECENTLY EVOLVED FASHIONABLE CONCEPTS SUCH AS PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE-CENTRED DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT CAN ALL BE TRACED TO A 'COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT' ORIGIN. THEY CONCLUDE THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WAS NOT EVIL BUT THAT, IN THE HANDS OF POWERFUL PEOPLE, IT BECAME A TOOL OF MARGINALISATION AND DISEMPOWERMENT. KEY ISSUES ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ARE INTRODUCED AND EXPLAINED BY WAY OF ANNOTATED CASE STUDIES.