Needs assessments in eight rural Illinois counties were used to analyze the extent to which male and female respondents differed in their willingness to support community services. Tests of significance showed virtually no differences between men and women in terms of the types of services they were willing to support. (Author/JOW)

Evaluation of public service programs uses language and techniques inimical to community development. Key elements of a better approach are as follows: (1) community participation; (2) emphasis on qualitative measures of success that complement the quantitative; (3) strong awareness of the importance of process goals; (4) concern with sustainable…

Explores ways in which community development can be integrated into community colleges through their outreach programs, such as community services and community education. Clarifies the importance of the role of community development in community colleges and the relative ease with which it can be incorporated. (NRJ)

One hundred ninety-seven volunteers were surveyed to assess community development knowledge and skill gains and community involvement and community building behavior from participation in a Master Gardener program. Though the program was intended to disseminate horticultural information, it was found to have a serendipitous effect on community…

Cook explores the feasibility of a strategy to attract retirees to rural areas using amenities, service availability, and cost-of-living factors. Glasgow examines growth in nonmetropolitan retirement counties and considers strategies for community development. (SK)

In a West Texas community that is 70% Hispanic, school-based community services build solidarity and contribute to well-being. The school provides social services, a community clinic, and service learning opportunities for students. This model is successful because it is self-initiated and self-organized. (Contains 43 references.) (SK)

Presents a case study of the integration of a community survey and a community development seminar into a total community effort. Describes the results which included the initiation of new action programs in recreation and housing, the involvement of more citizens in leadership roles, and the development of communication networks. (LRA)

Disengagement, the final phase in the community development process, receives little attention in the literature. Many community development practitioners make decisions regarding disengagement intuitively. This exploratory study of disengagement from community units was based on interviews with eleven University of Missouri Extension Community…

This article presents a case in which age was isolated as a highly significant factor affecting reported community satisfaction. Authors explain the findings as the result of four factors: (1) selective migration, (2) influence of length of residence, (3) acceptance of one's surroundings as one ages, and (4) rising expectations among the younger…