Leadership development in an inner‐city neighbourhood

Abstract

Research conducted during the 1993/94 year regarding community education principles implemented in an inner‐city neighbourhood of St Louis (Hyde Park) revealed that locus of control remaining within the community was the most salient factor of program success. For locus of control to remain within the neighbourhood, leadership development through community problem‐solving efforts and involving community members in the pursuit of lifelong learning opportunities was deemed essential. Several factors which encourage such community education indices are discussed. The first factor is individual readiness to assume leadership roles, participate in community problem‐solving efforts, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities. The second factor is the creation of processes which allow leadership development and lifelong learning within the community to flourish. The third factor is the presence of leadership characteristics among service providers which facilitate implementation of these processes. Leadership characteristics are analysed through orthodox, human relations, and critical theory perspectives as well as by a discussion regarding charismatic personality traits. Hyde Park residents and service providers provide information garnered through formal and informal interviews, and the author provides conclusions reached through observation, participation within the community, analysis of direct response data, and review of the literature.