ABSTRACT
The works of Saul D. Alinsky are widely known but not systematically treated in the social sciences. The present research interprets Alinsky's contribution to community development from the perspective of three underlying themes: community as the unit of analysis and community cohesiveness as one of the goals of community organization; political participation and goal of broadening community participation in city-wide decision making; and the use of non-violent conflict as a means of unifying diverse local interests and effectively bargaining with extra-community agents. Analysis reveals that Alinsky's understanding of the task of community organization complement existing community development perspectives and provides a basis for assessing his strategies.
