New Book: Democracy in Action: Community Organizing and Urban Change

Posted by on January 30, 2004

[posted from Comm-Org]

From: “Kristina Smock”

I am pleased to announce the publication of my book on models of community organizing, Democracy in Action: Community Organizing and Urban Change (Columbia University Press, December 2003). Here’s a brief summary from the book’s back cover: In cities across the United States, grassroots organizations are
working to revitalize popular participation in disenfranchised communities by bringing ordinary people into public life. By engaging local residents in collective action to achieve common goals, community organizing expands the democratic process and enables people to create strong communities that serve their needs.

This book examines the techniques these organizations use to achieve their goals. Through the stories of ten organizations working in economically and racially diverse urban neighborhoods (in Chicago and Portland, Oregon) Democracy in Action explores the strengths and limitations of the five dominant models of
community organizing in use today: power-based, community-building, civic, women-centered, and transformative. Based on original empirical research, the book combines in-depth analysis with invaluable lessons for practitioners.

“Democracy in Action is both a splendid critical analysis of the value and power of community organizing and a practical guide to the efficacy of various models of community organizing. Invaluable for a broad audience concerned with grassroots civic renewal.” – Robert Fisher, author of Let the People Decide:
Neighborhood Organizing in America

Contents:
Chapter 1: Popular Democracy and Urban Change
Chapter 2: Models of Community Organizing: An Overview
Chapter 3: Building Individual Capacity: Developing Local Leaders
Chapter 4: Building Community Capacity: Networks and Social Capital
Chapter 5: Building a Community Governance Structure
Chapter 6: Diagnosing and Framing the Community’s Problems
Chapter 7: Taking Action: Strategies and Outcomes
Chapter 8: Widening the Scope: Organizing for Broader Social Change
Chapter 9: Conclusion: Lessons Learned

Democracy in Action: Community Organizing and Urban Change can be ordered from the publisher (Columbia University Press), from online booksellers like Powells.com and Amazon.com, and is also available at bookstores.