Studting your community

THIS BOOK IS A WORKING MANUAL for people who are interested in study ing their own community in one or all of its aspects. It is designed for the layman but may be of help also to professional people, particularly in those aspects of the community not directly within their field of professionalb competence.

Even the most modest community survey is a venture in human relations. The processes involved in planning, organizing, and conducting a survey, as well as the different types of surveys which are possible, are considered in Chapter 18. In community survey work, there are many resources avail able to the investigator, such as the material in the federal censuses and in reference books of various kinds. In addition, there are certain methods of gathering facts which will be of service to the investigator. This material is taken up in Chapter 19. It is possible to gather and record all sorts of facts about a community without gaining sufficient comprehension of the intricate network of processes and relationships which constitute a human community. Chapter 20 is designed to supply some of this basic under standing of the "wholeness" of communities, as well as to point out certain underlying realities which often elude the investigator concerned only with specific answers to detailed questions.

The rest of the book is devoted almost entirely to chapters that help the reader to learn more about a particular aspect of his community. Each chapter consists of descriptive and interpretive text, as well as question outlines. In general, the text is designed to afford a framework of meaning for the questions. It does this by explaining some of the issues which are raised in the question outline, and occasionally referring to widely ac cepted standards for community appraisal. In this connection, frequent reference is made to various publications which will provide further back ground in the topic under consideration. Wherever possible and advis able, publications have been cited which are authoritative, readily available, and either free or relatively inexpensive. Publications which are out of print or otherwise inaccessible have usually been avoided. In order to conserve space, the references for further study listed at the each chapter do not repeat works which have been cited in the body of the chapter. In addition to consulting supplementary interpretive material, the reader may want to avail himself of the services of the various agencies which operate in one or another field relevant to community studies. A list is appended to the book.