Almost unnoticed, growing numbers of working poor people are entering politics at the community level in dozens of major cities in Texas and across the United States. These people are unusual because they view politics as a long-term process to build relationships, new institutions, and humane communities. This book tells the story of a new kind…

Describes Healing Wind, a community wellness and development program on the Passamaquoddy Reservation in Maine. Discusses the grassroots response to community problems such as substance abuse, school vandalism, and suicide; the program's foundation on cultural traditions such as the talking circle; formation of a core group to implement the…

In 1977 a group of urban American Indian organizations got together to protest the leveling of rental housing for urban renewal; then they learned that a community college was going up to replace that housing, right in the middle of the Indian community. Realizing the opportunities for jobs, education, and training, the community leaders decided…

A sociological field study of the development of a Puerto Rican community organization in an American city (Maplewood, New Jersey), this book describes what happens when an ethnic minority attempts to attain a voice in the affairs of an affluent city. Chapter 1 discusses the study's purpose. Chapters 2 to 11 narrate, from the members' viewpoint…

It is vitally important for all U.S. citizens to know that they can make a difference, that they can affect the futures of their towns, cities, and nation. The grass roots tradition is alive and flourishing in communities all over the country. This document proposes programs in which members of different generations work together as partners on…

The Office of Economic Opportunity has commissioned a number of research organizations to undertake detailed studies of specific Community Action Agencies (CAAs) in conjunction with evaluation studies of the effectiveness of the programs run by these CAAs. A major difficulty in this type of research is that the variables selected for study and the…

I examine the concept of the community field to identify the structures, elements, and processes that generate improved capacity for community action. I conduct analysis of interlocking leadership among local organizations and recent community action in three Midwestern communities to determine the structure and attributes of the community field.…

This paper reports on the progress of eight Chicago-based community initiatives designed to redefine social services and broaden social responsibility for the development of children and families. The paper has three sections describing: (1) general background on the children, youth, and families initiative; (2) early lessons from an initiative in…

This implementation manual has been developed to describe four model mathematics and science programs designed to increase African-American students' interest in mathematics and science. The manual will help affiliates of the Urban League to mobilize existing community resources to achieve the goals of the national education initiative. The four…

This handbook describes the roles that parents, tribal governments, law enforcement personnel, courts, schools, and health care and social service providers play in alcohol and substance abuse intervention and prevention in Indian communities. It explains the legal responsibilities each group has and actions community members should expect the…

While specific subjects vary, the theme of this collection of seven articles is the nonformal education of adult migrants in India. The first article documents several aspects of adult education activities undertaken by Mobile Creches for Working Mothers' Children, an organization providing integrated day care for the children (from birth through…

Three basic questions form the focus for this inquiry into the educational decision making process. First, can community groups which are or have been involved in educational issues be identified within local school districts and can they be classified for further inquiry? Secondly, do these groups have influence in educational decisions which are…

This dissertation examines the developmental process and output (student performance) of a public alternative school, the Everywhere School, founded by the citizens of the South Arsenal community of Hartford, Connecticut. The objectives of the study were: (1) to explore the process whereby a community organization interacted with the Hartford…

The successor to a volume on concepts and issues in urban citizen participation, this work documents selected patterns of participation, issues that trigger participation (school decentralization, housing needs, a proposed highway, and other crisis situations), and outside assistance as embodied in urban planning advocates, community development…

This manual has been prepared to assist community groups understand what is necessary to do if funds are sought to support a program. Contents of the manual are comprised of: Part I - Federal programs: what are Federal programs; where to find out about these programs; what to ask for from the funding department; general kinds of information needed…