Theory and Practice of Dialogical Community Development

<p>This book proposes that community development has been increasingly influenced and co-opted by a modernist, soulless, rational philosophy - reducing it to a shallow technique for ‘solving community problems’. In contrast, this dialogical approach re-maps the ground of community development practice within a frame of ideas such as dialogue, hospitality and depth. For the first time community development practitioners are provided with an accessible understanding of dialogue and its relevance to their practice, exploring the contributions of internationally significant thinkers such as P. Freire, M. Buber, D. Bohm and H.G Gadamer, J. Derrida, G. Esteva and R. Sennett. What makes the book distinctive is that: first, it identifies a dialogical tradition of community development and considers how such a tradition shapes practice within contemporary contexts and concerns – economic, social, political, cultural and ecological. Second, the book contrasts such an approach with technical and instrumental approaches to development that fail to take complex systems seriously. Third, the approach links theory to practice through a combination of storytelling and theory-reflection – ensuring that readers are drawn into a practice-theory that they feel increasingly confident has been 'tried and tested' in the world over the past 25 years. </p>

Theory and Practice of Dialogical Community Development: International Perspectives

Westoby, Peter

Dowling, Gerard

Reference

Routledge

The North story.

Playwright Publishing

Community development has been increasingly influenced and co-opted by a modernist, soulless, rational philosophy, which has reduced it to a shallow technique for 'solving community problems' and threatens the very legitimacy of community development as an instrument of society's renewal and fulfilment. Dialogical Community Development is a courageous, ground-breaking attempt to re-draw the parameters and re-map the ground of community development practice. By re-imagining community as dialogue and hospitality, the authors create an alternative vision of community development practice: a deep, soulful exercise that demands a re-examination of personal values, and a respect for and solidarity with the groups within the community. In a series of conversations on transformative community processes, challenges for practitioners, and practical care for the multiple dimensions of community life, the authors set out the details of this vision. Highly recommended for students, scholars, policy makers, activists, and anyone who is interested in bringing more life and collaborative movement into their ways of engaging with community.

Dialogical Community Development

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