ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the bedrock, or supportive layers, that undergird the lineage of transformative community organizing practice. It critically analyzes and problematizes bedrock concepts, such as social change, participation, and empowerment and goes on to offer a set of ideas and inquiries into the meaning of “community.” It discusses geographically based, choice-based, and identity-based communities. Defining community organizing requires discernment and comfort with ambiguity, as organizing is distinctive from other kinds of interventions, such as social services and advocacy. Moreover, organizing may include a variety of different tactics, such as direct action, resilience-based organizing, and mutual aid.
