ABSTRACT
Small communities are being affected differentially by changes related to factors as the population turnaround, rural industrialization, and the current energy crisis. The influence of decisions about a community by units outside local boundaries continues to grow, resulting in less community autonomy. As community attachment expands or diminishes, changes may occur in who makes decisions at the local level and who benefits. Community was once thought of as a place where people could and typically did satisfy most of their basic needs. The "ideal" or "good" community, often used to establish a purpose for community development programs, has "effective structures and processes which make the community adaptive to its changing environment and the changing needs and desires of its citizens". Comparative community studies should include three dimensions: examination of numerous communities, longitudinal collection of information, and the use of a variety of research techniques.
