ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the articles and publications which take an overview of the social impact assessment (SIA) process - the state of the art and the major critical issues. C. P. Wolf of the Social Impact Assessment Center in New York. He started, and still publishes, the SIA newsletter. The evolution of social assessment from the days of early cost-benefit is outlined by Gregory A. Daneke and Jerry D. Priscoli. K. Finsterbusch suggests a systems framework for assessing social impacts of projects or policies on communities. The framework includes inputs such as human and natural resources, and economic and community facilities; structural characteristics and functions of the community; and activities such as economic, social, and cultural activities and government services. A second enlightening article by Finsterbusch explores the potential role of SIA in increasing the social utility of policy decisions.
