ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of rural community development. Community Development has a variety of historical origins, including urban social reform efforts, rural and urban development efforts in the United States, and rural and agricultural development efforts in third world countries. Much of community development is ideology—even a social movement. Much of the literature on community development, as well as much community development practice, displays an unequivocal commitment to certain values. As science community development seeks to make generalizations about community change processes; these generalizations are or can be based upon empirical analysis. The ideology, principles, and techniques of community development may be brought to bear upon real communities by community people themselves, or by persons working for organizations or agencies committed to community improvement. A number of community development approaches that focus upon community competition also grew out of the community development movement.
