Education and Action in Magnolia Community: Rethinking Community Development

Abstract

Community development programs, though aimed at personal empowerment and community change, are planned within an environment of politics and directives. Although program planners may opt for a participatory model of community development rather than a more traditional model, planners often realize they must negotiate a compromise between the community and the funding agency. This leads to a practical yet enigmatic question: How do we plan community development initiatives that blend some aspects of both traditional and participatory models? This article presents a case study of a community and leadership development program in Magnolia, a rural community in southwest Georgia. The project blends traditional and participatory strategies for community development, incorporating tenets of participatory action research. We offer a description of the project, including an overview of the process of developing and reworking the program modules to fit the needs of the Magnolia community. Further, we evaluate the project within the framework of participatory action research, not just according to predetermined objectives, but by providing evidence of community achievement through authentic participation.