03 - Introduction and Scope of Community Development - Theories and Practices p.2

Q: What is community development?

A participatory, bottom-up process that empowers communities to identify needs, mobilize resources, and build collective capacity.

Q: How does community development differ from community work?

CD is process-oriented and long-term; community work is task-oriented and often short-term.

Q: How does community development differ from social work?

CD targets collective, structural change; social work focuses on individual or family welfare.

Q: What are the core principles of community development?

Empowerment, participation, sustainability, and social justice.

Q: What characterizes pre-colonial community development practices?

Indigenous communal systems, self-help traditions, and collective problem-solving.

Q: What defined colonial-era development approaches?

Top-down welfare, imposed structures, and paternalistic interventions.

Q: What shift occurred in the 1980s–90s in CD?

Movement toward participatory approaches and responses to structural adjustment impacts.

Q: What are the five major theoretical foundations of CD?

Systems theory, social capital theory, ABCD, participatory development, and critical theory.

Q: What does systems theory emphasize?

Communities as interconnected, dynamic systems where change in one part affects the whole.

Q: What is social capital theory?

The idea that networks, trust, and norms enable collective action and strengthen communities.

Q: What is Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)?

An approach that builds on community strengths rather than deficits.

Q: What is participatory development?

A model where marginalized voices lead decision-making—“putting the last first.”

Q: What is Paulo Freire’s contribution to CD theory?

Conscientization—critical reflection leading to transformative social action.

Q: What are the five dimensions of community development?

Economic, social, political, environmental, and cultural.

Q: Who are internal stakeholders in CD?

Community members, local leaders, CBOs, volunteers, and traditional authorities.

Q: Who are external stakeholders in CD?

NGOs, government agencies, donors, private sector, and academic institutions.

Q: What defines the top-down approach?

Expert-driven, externally designed interventions with limited community ownership.

Q: What defines the bottom-up approach?

Community-initiated development with high ownership and sustainability.

Q: What is community-driven development (CDD)?

A model where communities control decisions and resources, often through block grants.

Q: What is the needs-based (deficit) approach?

Identifying problems and gaps; risks labeling communities as lacking.

Q: What is the rights-based approach?

Viewing poverty as a violation of human rights and supporting communities to claim entitlements.

Q: What is the sustainable livelihoods approach?

A holistic model analyzing assets and vulnerabilities across human, social, natural, physical, and financial capital.

Q: What is bonding social capital?

Strong ties within homogeneous groups; good for “getting by.”

Q: What is bridging social capital?

Connections across diverse groups; good for “getting ahead.”

Q: What is functionalism in CD?

Viewing society as interdependent structures that must work together for stability.

Q: What is conflict theory’s relevance to CD?

Highlights power imbalances and the need to reshape unequal structures.

Q: What is symbolic interactionism?

Understanding shared meanings and how people interpret social interactions.

Q: What is communicative action theory?

Using dialogue to create understanding and drive social change.

Q: What is rational choice theory?

Explains decision-making based on perceived benefits and motivations.

Q: What is Giddens’ structuration theory?

Integrates agency and structure, showing how people shape and are shaped by systems.

Q: What is naive consciousness in CD?

Focusing on single issues without addressing underlying structural causes.

Q: What is the role of social learning in CD?

Communities reflect on experiences to improve collective action.

Q: What is the role of social mobilization?

Organizing communities to challenge power structures and advocate for change.

Q: What is the role of a CD worker?

Facilitate community-driven processes, build capacity, and support empowerment.

Q: What are silent communities?

Communities that deny or ignore problems due to historical marginalization or powerlessness.

Q: What are corrosive communities?

Communities fractured by disaster, mistrust, and blame.

Q: What are activist communities?

Communities that mobilize collectively for environmental or social justice.

Q: What is the key takeaway about CD approaches?

Effective CD is hybrid—combining theories and adapting to context.