ABSTRACT
In this chapter we discuss the current models of community development practice in the UK. This discussion is contextualised by reference to alternative practice models from the USA and Africa. Specifically, we explore:
The current dominant model of community development practice in the UK
That the dominant model is based on producing ameliorative outcomes for small-scale community groups operating within a local neighbourhood focus
That community development has been largely incorporated into a local state-led social planning framework, based on a local partnership model
A snapshot of global practice models built around an authoritarian/libertarian – closed system/open system analytical framework
That more creative and people-driven models of community development are most likely to be found in open system/liberal societies
That more closed system/authoritarian societies are more likely to use community development-like activities as means of delivering top-down government policies
It is important that community development workers understand the nature of their practice, and the alternative models of practice, in order to identify the most effective way forward.
