Field Of Community Development Research Articles

Participation in local economic development: Insights from Benoni, South Africa

Background: Community participation in democratic societies cannot be overstated, as it is a fundamental pillar that allows community members to have a voice in economic, social, and political discourse.Aim: This article investigated the significance of community participation in LED, identifying the barriers and drivers of community involvement to provide recommendations to enhance and promote greater community engagement in Benoni, South Africa.Methods: The study adopted a mixed methods research approach. It conducted (n = 280) surveys from residents and (n = 5) in-depth interviews with municipal officials regarding the role of community participation in LED.Results: The findings reveal five challenges to community participation: limited avenues for participation, a lack of confidence in leadership, lack of action on residents’ suggestions, limited understanding of the value and importance of participation, and lack of trust in local leadership. However, the study also established that community participation is crucial to LED and contributes to providing legitimacy to local government projects, ensuring leadership accountability and better trust in leadership, and to ascertain that residents affect changes they want to see in their communities.Conclusion: The study concludes that community participation is vital for successful LED in Benoni. Addressing the challenges identified can lead to more effective and sustainable development initiatives.Contribution: This research makes several contributions to the field of LED and community development. It emphasises enabling and encouraging community participation in shaping LED. The study’s insights into the barriers and drivers of community involvement provide a foundation for designing targeted interventions to enhance participation.

Assessing Restorative Community Development Frameworks—A Meso-Level and Micro-Level Integrated Approach

This study critically examines existing frameworks aimed at establishing restorative practices in community development by conducting a comparative analysis of a meso-level development framework called the Five Pillars of Development and a micro-level framework implemented by a grassroots initiative. Both frameworks were implemented in Washington, DC, and both seek to address the enduring negative externalities disinvested communities face and suggest the need for restorative practices in community development. Restorative development practices trace their roots to the field of restorative economics, which is a subfield of sustainable development. It argues that sustainability must also address the sins of the past and restore systems and systems components that have been negatively impacted by past development practices. This study aims to discern the adaptability of the more broadly applicable meso-level Five Pillars framework in capturing nuanced micro-level frameworks like the one devised by the grassroots organization in Ward 8. By identifying potential gaps, this study proposes strategies to enhance the utility of the more transferable meso-level framework, particularly for communities lacking resources to formulate their own micro-level framework. This study, therefore, contributes valuable insights and recommendations for bridging potential disparities between the meso-level and micro-level frameworks, as demonstrated in the Ward 8 case. The overarching objective is to enrich the community development field by presenting a restorative framework that refines existing meso-level approaches and facilitates opportunities for micro-level applications.

Role of Marginalized Women in Shaping Environmental Activism in Sindh: A Case Study of Jogi and Bagri Communities

This study investigates the role of marginalized women of the Jogi and Bagri communities in environmental activism. Amid environmental challenges, this study tries to comprehend the contributions and effects of marginalized women belonging to the Jogi and Bagri communities that are frequently overlooked in dominant environmental discourses in Sindh. The study tries to understand the narratives and opinions of marginalized women from the Jogi and Bagri communities by comprehending environmental action through qualitative research methodologies that include in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation. This research venture is an interdisciplinary work. The work focuses on political science, environmental sociology, and community development fields of studies. The study aims to highlight the issue of environmental injustices and relevant aspects that inspire underprivileged women of backward communities to engage in environmental activism. The findings of this research venture provide a comprehensive analysis of contemporary information regarding the environmental activism led by women of the downtrodden class in the district of Khairpur, Sindh. The paper concludes that women from marginalized communities, such as the Jogi and Bagri communities in district Khairpur, Sindh, are involved in the promotion of sustainable and just environmental policies.

Recent Innovations in Reducing Home Energy Costs and Improving Resilience for Low- and Moderate-Income Renters and Homeowners

Community Development (CD) practitioners across the western U.S. are engaging in new efforts to reduce energy costs and improve resilience for low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities and other populations that face barriers to economic participation and household financial stability. Energy costs and resilience are factors in housing stability, which impacts economic participation. New federal and state funding sources, as well as growing involvement from philanthropy and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)-motivated investors, have prompted growth in energy cost savings and resilience (ECSR) options for LMI households. To help scale this work, CD practitioners are experimenting with partnerships—between workforce development providers and employers, mission-driven lenders and nonprofits, state government and utilities, retrofit companies and the public sector, state government and municipalities, to name a few. These partnerships have led to innovations in lending (for homeowners, renters, and landlords), technical implementation of retrofits, coordination across programs, consumer protection, workforce development, and technical assistance (TA) for CD practitioners. This brief provides descriptive findings from focus groups and interviews about ESCR-related work in the CD field and discusses takeaways for policy and practice.

Recent Innovations in Reducing Home Energy Costs and Improving Resilience for Low- and Moderate-Income Renters and Homeowners

Community Development (CD) practitioners across the western U.S. are engaging in new efforts to reduce energy costs and improve resilience for low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities and other populations that face barriers to economic participation and household financial stability. Energy costs and resilience are factors in housing stability, which impacts economic participation. New federal and state funding sources, as well as growing involvement from philanthropy and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)-motivated investors, have prompted growth in energy cost savings and resilience (ECSR) options for LMI households. To help scale this work, CD practitioners are experimenting with partnerships—between workforce development providers and employers, mission-driven lenders and nonprofits, state government and utilities, retrofit companies and the public sector, state government and municipalities, to name a few. These partnerships have led to innovations in lending (for homeowners, renters, and landlords), technical implementation of retrofits, coordination across programs, consumer protection, workforce development, and technical assistance (TA) for CD practitioners. This brief provides descriptive findings from focus groups and interviews about ESCR-related work in the CD field and discusses takeaways for policy and practice.

Interview with Ian Shirley

This interview with Ian Shirley, carried out in 2013, is the third in a series of interviews by David Haigh with practitioners who have made significant contributions to the field of community development in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Effectiveness of Village Funds in Alleviating Rural Poverty: A Case Study of Belitung Regency

Poverty is always synonymous with disadvantaged people in rural and urban areas. According to the OECD (2016) three billion people in developing countries, including Indonesia, live in rural areas, and the majority are poor. The government has made various efforts in Indonesia to alleviate poverty, including through the concept of "building from the periphery" by allocating considerable funds to strengthen rural development. This study aims to measure the effectiveness of village funds in alleviating poverty in rural areas (case study: Belitung Regency) using the Moran's Index Analysis and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) analysis methods. Based on the results of Moran's Index analysis on poverty levels in 42 villages in Belitung Regency, it can be seen that the distribution pattern of poverty in each village is random or unpredictable. At the same time, the effect on poverty shows that village funds in the field of government administration have not influenced poverty alleviation. Meanwhile, the fields of development implementation, community development, community empowerment, disaster management, and emergencies, and urgency affect poverty alleviation as indicated by a "negative" regression coefficient.

Environmental Literacy in Teachers’ Training: Cognitive Elements and Environmental Behaviour of Prospective Student-Teachers

This study examined the level of environmental literacy among prospective student-teachers in the field of adult education and community development offered by the Institute of Adult Education in Tanzania. The randomly selected sample of 111 prospective student teachers admitted to the Diploma of Adult Education and Community Development (DAECD) was assessed using a questionnaire designed to measure environmental knowledge (cognitive) on national together with global issues and priorities, health and environment, water, ecology as well as environmental behaviours. Findings indicated that prospective student teachers were knowledgeable of basic facts about the environment and possessed some responsible behaviours including discipline of protecting and serving the environment. However, they have limited information on global issues such as pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change. Results from this study emphasize the need to instil environmental literacy instudents who choose to study as educators. Teacher training programmes should consider characteristics of the student population, which are outcomes from their individual knowledge, attitudes as well as behavioural elements and include all necessary components for adequately preparing educators who are effectively involved in building environmental competences of their future students. Key words:Environmental literacy, environmental education, teachers’ training, cognitive elements, environmental behaviour.

Foundational phases for community development: An expanded conceptual model for community development practice and higher education

ABSTRACT The field of community development is exponentially growing in both education and practice. Of the notable theories referenced in community development, Bhattacharyya's theory on Solidarity and Agency remains one of the most cited works among researchers. This article presents a conceptual model named The Foundational Phases for Community Development which can act as a guide for community development leadership and education across a range of community types including communities of place, interest, practice, and identity. The Foundational Phases for Community Development model accepts Bhattacharyya's concepts of solidarity and agency along with the addition of “capacity” as an essential goal within the community development process. Moreover, this model transforms these goals into three interconnected sequential phases made up of specific activities and strategies that can be replicated by various forms of community development leaders to address issues and meet the objectives of communities of varying complexity.

STRATEGI PENGELOLAAN PERUBAHAN APBDESA KALURAHAN CATURTUNGGAL TAHUN 2020 BIDANG PENANGGULANGAN BENCANA DARURAT

APBDesa budget changes which changes 4 (four) fields in the APBDesa, namely the field of village government, community development, empowerment and village development, turns into 5 (five) fields with the addition of the field of emergency disaster management, which is new and urgent. In addition, it also requires precision in its management. So, this research is important to know about its management strategy. The purpose of this study was to determine the Strategy for Management of Changes in the Village Budget of Caturtunggal Village in 2020 in the Field of Emergency Disaster Management. The research method used is descriptive qualitative research method. In this qualitative research, the SWOT analysis method is also used, which includes identification of the internal and external environment, identification of strategies through SWOT analysis, and formulating strategies to manage changes in the APBDes of Caturtunggal Village. After knowing the SWOT Analysis matrix, then through the Village Consultative Meeting the budget for the Emergency Disaster Management Sector is Rp. 3,756,300,000.00 from the APBDesa budget changes of Rp. 11,878,935.850.00. In which, the budget is used for routine coordination, formation of health volunteer cadres, distribution of financial assistance and life insurance, purchasing goods for Covid-19 prevention assistance, establishing the Covid-19 Task Force, food assistance, socialization and education, optimizing the hamlet Covid-19 Task Force, optimizing village facilities, and optimizing task force posts.

The Factors Influence the Intention to Invest in Green Tourism in Vietnam: Evidence from Business Survey

Purpose: This research aims to examine the factors that impact the intention of businesses to invest in green tourism in Vietnam. The findings of this research can potentially provide insights and guidance to businesses and policymakers in making informed decisions regarding sustainable tourism practices and investments in the sector. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework for this research topic could draw upon several relevant concepts and theories from the fields of sustainable tourism, community development, and environmental psychology. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology and approach for this research involve conducting a quantitative survey among businesses operating in the tourism industry in Vietnam during the year 2022. This includes designing and distributing the survey, collecting and analyzing the responses, and conducting a review of relevant literature. By using this mixed-methods approach, the research can provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence businesses' intention to invest in green tourism in Vietnam. Findings: The study examines the factors that influence investment intentions in green The findings reveal that government policies and regulations, funding and financial resources, local community involvement, and tourist demand have a significant and positive influence on investment intentions in sustainable tourism. However, public awareness and education, as well as infrastructure and technology, do not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on investment intentions. Research, Practical & Social implications: The results indicate that investment intentions in green tourism are affected by government policies and regulations, as well as the accessibility of funding and financial resources. Additionally, the engagement of local communities and catering to the needs of environmentally and socially conscious tourists are crucial factors. However, the study also reveals that public awareness and education, as well as infrastructure and technology, do not have a statistically significant effect on investment intentions. The findings underscore the necessity for additional research to investigate the influence of public awareness and education on investment intentions and to tackle the challenge of low public awareness. Originality/value: Being the first research on this topic conducted in Vietnam, this study holds a unique position in advancing the understanding of sustainable tourism practices in the country's tourism industry. Additionally, the findings of this research can aid in developing policies and programs that promote sustainable tourism practices, which can have benefits for both the local communities and the tourism industry.

Pushing against a future dark side for community development: An editorial call to action

ABSTRACT Community Development as a journal has undergone streamlining, yet much work remains to improve the journal’s relations with its many stakeholders around the world and within the field of community development. Community Development, in collaboration with the Community Development Society, must respond to the calls of communities. This article conveys the voice of the Community Development editorial team relative to these critical calls. We begin by sharing the significance of honoring and reconciling our past, while carrying forward lessons learned. We then turn to many of the challenges in the field posed as questions: What are we missing? Where are we stagnating? Where are we not challenging the assumptions? Where must we build bridges between theory, practice, and education? And, how do we strive against a “dark side” future? Ultimately, our intent is to critique the journal and the field, pushing the narrative toward a more engaged and interactive CD field.

Unboxing the Power of Communication in Empowerment Process

Empowerment is one of the popular concepts in the field of social science and community development. In Indonesia, the word empowerment started to be used in 1998. Recently many empowerment projects were implemented in Indonesia but most of them failed to achieve their goals. The question is, then, what causes empowerment programs to fail? Many factors lead to the program fail, however in this paper, the focus of discussion will be the power of communication in empowerment processes. Empowerment is a process where individuals, groups and communities may obtain control over their lives. The empowerment process is an effort to reduce powerlessness by equipping people with self-awareness, self-competence, self-confidence, self-determination and perceived access to. To accelerate these effort, communication plays important roles. Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one person or group to another. Similar to empowerment: the process to transfer power from one person or organisation to others. Through effective communication people feel more empowered, developed a sense of belonging and responsibility. Most importantly, when the the communication process are open, people feel more comfortable with the relationship developed by change agent. As a result, they have feeling being empowered. The powering process. Consists of two mirror-image that show dialectical processes such as empowering and overpowering (disempowering). The process will undergo empowering when the change agent communicates clearly, honestly, caring, caring, valuing, respecting others and affirming, enhancing, and growing; these will lead to people being free, having self-control and independence and will become overpowering/disempowering if communication is unclear with distortion, objectifying, devaluing, diminishing, negating, constricting and subsuming these will lead to a feeling of being controlled, dominated and make them dependence.

Learning to be ethical: the role of ethical capability in community development education

Abstract In the complex practices of development, ethical decisions are continually demanded of practitioners. This paper addresses the process of teaching ethics, within a framework of applied ethics and with an emphasis on the development of an understanding of ethics-in-practice in current and future practitioners. Building on recent work in the area of ethics in development and humanitarian practice, it addresses approaches to teaching professional ethics in community development and other fields, and debates about the value of teaching ethics. In particular, this article discusses how students develop what we call ‘ethical capability’—the cognitive and emotional resources needed to negotiate the contradictions and dilemmas of everyday practice, and to apply ethical decision-making models. Analysing a current post-graduate applied development ethics course and experience of similar courses in undergraduate business, we investigate how these can prepare students for the messy reality of community development practice. With very few courses teaching ethics in development, we propose that it is important to enhance ethical capability in community development students and practitioners, and that doing so supports their work and wellbeing.

Policy Evaluation Of The Pagar Dewa Village Head Of Ondok Kelapa District, Bengkulu Central District In The Use Of Village Funds In 2020

This study aims to determine the "Policy Evaluation of Pagar Dewa Village Head, Pondok Kelapa Sub-District, Central Bengkulu Regency in the Use of Village Funds in 2020". Data collection techniques were carried out by means of in-depth interviews, observation and documentation. After the research results were obtained, they were analyzed by means of data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. There were 5 informants in this study consisting of 2 key informants and 3 main informants. The theory used in this research is the theory According to Wayne Parsons (2008:549-552), there are two kinds of policy evaluation models used, namely Formative Evaluation and Summative Evaluation. Based on the results of the study, conclusions can be drawn, namely: 1. Formative Evaluation: a. The implementation of Village Government, the services provided by village officials are quite good but there needs to be improvements in providing services for the community. b. In the field of Village Development Implementation, the construction of concrete rebate roads is of poor quality, seen that the resilience of the building is still very lacking even though the village has budgeted a very large amount. c. The field of Community Development, training, meetings and competitions held by the village or outside the village, the village head always provides information on activities to the community. d. In the field of Community Empowerment, in planning and making programs in the village, everything is involved from the village head, village officials, community leaders, BPD leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders, youth organizations, and representatives from the community. e. Emergency Disaster Management Sector, In the case of natural disasters such as flooding, village heads and village officials are quick to respond and respond to help people whose houses are flooded and damaged. 2. Summative Evaluation, namely: a. The construction of concrete rebate roads had an impact before the construction was carried out where two-wheeled vehicles were difficult to pass during the rainy season. b. The impact of the construction of concrete rebate roads makes it easier to transport agricultural products, cheaper transportation costs and faster time. c. There is no land compensation by the village government to the community, it is difficult to access roads to bring building materials, and the workforce is quite high. d. The decision of the village head to carry out the construction of the concrete rebate road is in accordance with the results of consultations with the community represented by village officials and community leaders.

One more time: Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century

ABSTRACT The need to conceptualize the field of community development more accurately has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves both academics and practitioners. More importantly, based on such conceptualization, we offer a typology that accounts for the different forms in which community development is practiced providing strengths and weaknesses of each form.

OPTIMALISASI PEMANFAATAN DANA DESA UNTUK USAHA TANI DALAM MEWUJUDKAN DESA MANDIRI DI DESA LUENG BARO KECAMATAN SUNGAI MAS KABUPATEN ACEH BARAT

The highest amount of village funds in Lueng Baro Village is in 2021 at Rp. 1,006,174,231,- where the funds are used for other fields such as the village government of Rp. 424,174,226, - the area of gampong development is Rp. 443,220,000, - in the field of community development, amounting to Rp. 39,550,000, - in the field of community empowerment of Rp. 111.900.000,- and the field of disaster management is Rp. 47.330.000,-. The purpose of this study was to determine the efforts made by the local government to optimize village funds in the agricultural sector. This type of research is qualitative using interview guidelines. The number of samples or informants in this study were 8 people. Based on the results of the research that has been carried out, it is obtained that the Efforts made by the Regional Government for Optimizing Village Funds in the Agriculture Sector to realize an independent village is that the village government supports it is to help make proposals for farmer groups and letters needed by farmers to get assistance from other parties such as the local government agency. agriculture for agricultural assistance. Provide village fund assistance for agriculture. Furthermore, the village independence of the farming community is good, although it is not fully independent. However, they no longer depend entirely on government assistance to run their agriculture, they work on their own to meet their agricultural needs and work together to build agricultural roads.

A community development story and portrayal of a phenomenological reflective practice in the social field of paediatric palliative care

Abstract This article is both a story of community development (CD) practice within the paediatric palliative care and bereavement space – and a portrayal of phenomenological reflective practice in the social field. The story and portrayal are about a tradition of work – understood as participatory CD – amplified, made more visible and alive by a phenomenological reflective practice. While the framework of participatory CD applied in the palliative care space will be thought provoking for readers, the unique contribution of this article is the use of phenomenological reflective practice, one rarely drawn upon within the CD field.

Efektivitas Pengelolaan Alokasi Dana Desa (Add) dalam Pembangunan Desa Bagon Kecamatan Puger Kabupaten Jember

This study aims to determine the Effectiveness of Village Fund Allocation Management (ADD) in Village Development in Bagon Village, Puger District, Jember Regency. This research also explains what developments have been realized and what impacts it has on the community. In this research, the method taken is using the purposive sampling method, which is a sampling technique by determining certain criteria and determining the population according to the study and also determining the number of samples to be taken from the population. While the data collected in this study used the interview method, observation method, documentation, literature study, data validity techniques, observation persistence, participation extension and triangulation. The effectiveness and impact of village funds on the development and empowerment of village communities and to find out the extent of the effectiveness of the Village Funds and their impact in the future. The results of the research show that the use of the Village Fund for the 2020 fiscal year is prioritized in the field of village government administration and the field of village community development, but in village development it does not go unnoticed even though in its implementation it uses more village funds (DDS). This study will describe the results of research and discussion based on interviews and field observations about the Effectiveness of Village Fund Allocation Management (ADD) in Village Development in Bagon Village, Puger District, Jember Regency. One of them is that Bagon village is indeed carrying out village development using ADD and DDS appropriately, in which several facilities and infrastructure needed by the community are built to support daily activities such as the construction of asphalt roads, paving roads, road parapets, road parapets and others. other. And this is very beneficial for the people of Bagon village. From there we can see that the effectiveness of managing the allocation of village funds is right on target in accordance with the needs of the Bagon village community, Puger District, Jember Regency.
 
 Key words: Management Effectiveness; Allocation of village funds; Village Development;

Public Health Resources, Religion, and Freedom as Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: A Global Study of 89 Countries

The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated adequate compliance to safe and effective vaccinations developed against the disease. Vaccination reduces high infection, morbidity, and mortality rates, develops herd immunity, and alleviates overburdened healthcare systems and massive economic costs. COVID-19 also raised awareness about the importance of robust health systems, notably public health competence and the number and training of community health workers. Using the World Health Organization, Global Development of Applied Community Studies project, and other available cross-sectional secondary data on 89 countries, we found that the strength of community health training and research (CHTR), the importance of religion, and freedom score (political rights, civil liberties) are associated with COVID-19 full-vaccination rate. Significant bivariate correlations included per-capita-GDP, number of nurses, per-capita health spending, aged population, noncommunicable disease rate, life satisfaction, government response stringency, nonviolent activism, education, and strength of community development, urban planning, and liberation theology fields. Our assessment of CHTR contribution to the COVID-19 response revealed a great resource for effectively targeting vaccine-hesitant individuals and increasing vaccination rates. The results suggest that to motivate vaccine adherence countries need adequate community health workforce training and research, a population not hesitant to adhere to public health measures based on religion, and societal-level freedoms.