Community organization in action : basic literature and critical comments

This book records the initial stages in the history of modern com munity organization and marks a turning point in its development. Having passed the early beginnings, the swing of interest to community organization as a process, the contributions of ASCO, and, most re cently, the establishment of the new national committee, community organization is confronted contemporaneously with numerous and in triguing developments in theory and practice. These include growing interest in work with the "whole community," the controversies cen tering about federated and "independent" financing, the increasing em phasis on "self-help," and the spread of the tremendous movement for community development in technically less-advanced societies. No area of social activity presents sharper challenges or greater opportunities today than community organization.

With respect to its educational possibilities, this volume is designed for use in graduate professional courses in community organization, other graduate and undergraduate courses which are concerned with this subject, and as a source of background information for workshops and institutes relating to various forms of community work. Beyond this, it is hoped that the book may be of practical value to community organization workers in social welfare and other fields, and to all others-citizen participants, interested laymen, and professionals-who are concerned with the great issues of co-operative living and the build ing of the good society.