Community structure and change / by Lowry Nelson, Charles E.Ramsey and Coolie Verner

The aim of the authors in writing this book is to provide a meaningful theoretical framework for community thalysis and to demonstrate its practi cal application to community development. The book should prove helpful to citizens participating in local community affairs; to professional workers in health, recreation, education, welfare, or similar work; and to students in college and university courses.

As a textbook, this volume should be appropriate for courses variously called "The Community," "Community Organization," "Community De velopment," and "Rural-Urban Sociology." The authors kept in mind that these courses are offered in departments of sociology, education, and social work. It is hoped that the approach is equally fruitful for the courses offered in each of these departments. Although the problems encountered by per sons with differing professional orientations vary, the principles and gen eralizations presented here are applicable to all types of interest.

In presenting this material, three main features have been employed that differ from those used by most other books on the community. First, there is a complete dependence upon theoretical concepts. The con cepts which have been found to be so fruitful in the study of social structures generally are used here in analyzing the factors involved in community be

havior. A second feature is our attempt to maintain, as far as possible, a simple, familiar terminology, without diluting or materially altering the basic theo retical approach. In this way we hope to accommodate the general reader with no previous social science education as well as the more advanced student. The only characteristics of the reader assumed by the authors are those of intelligence and interest in community behavior.