ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on theories of community development and change, which stem from the political and economic contexts in which they originated. The power approach to community change has both rural and urban origins in the United States. A central assumption in the self-help model of community development is that communities are homogeneous and based on consensus. Participation and democratic decision making are essential to the self-help model of development. The technical assistance model stresses the task that is to be performed. A few local leaders might decide that the community needs child care. Government bureaucracies are the most frequent users of the technical assistance approach. Increasingly, communities are recognizing that planning is a key part of development. Planning may serve any of the types of community development, but the approach to planning differs significantly according to the model of community development being pursued.
