This book examines both the
foundations as well as the strategies
of professional legitimation of... more This book examines both the foundations as well as the strategies of professional legitimation of community development professionals in Chelsea (USA) , Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Doornkop (South Africa) as they cooperate with local communities. Community development emerged in the late 19th century as a socially critical and reform-oriented practice to provide an answer to the social and political disempowerment of factory workers and their families. Since then, according to a great many scholars in the field, started community development as a professional practice to compromise these radical roots. Crucial for this loss of these reformist connotations, was that after Wold War II, many nation states and international agencies started to adopt community development strategies. This adoption of community development was part of a wide, mostly postwar economic reconstruction agenda in the West and in former colonial territories. Hereby the principles of social and political emancipation have not always guided actual practices. Nevertheless are nowadays in all parts of the world community development professionals still active in mobilizing and encouraging local communities to collectively work towards a better life. One way or another, they succeed in getting the mandate of local people to work with them.
This book, based on three field studies, demonstrates how in spite of, and even in the absence of government involvement, community development professionals are very skilful in the development of professional legitimacy for their involvement with local communities. Hereby, it are not always the original radical ideas that legitimize their activities. In this study an in-depth examination takes place of how community development professionals build an agenda based on local development issues, local traditions of social engagement and governance, frameworks of social policy and notions of professionalization.
Lex Veldboer waarschuwt dat politisering van het sociaal werk ten koste gaat van de balanceerkuns... more Lex Veldboer waarschuwt dat politisering van het sociaal werk ten koste gaat van de balanceerkunst die voor de alledaagse praktijk nodig is. Zijn oproep tot professionele realpolitik gaat echter voorbij aan waar sociaal werk in essentie om draait. Sociaal werk is meer dan louter laveren en balanceren, maar dient ook op actieve wijze sociale rechtvaardigheid na te streven op het niveau van beleid en samenleving
This chapter discusses the efforts of community workers to obtain consent in local communities as... more This chapter discusses the efforts of community workers to obtain consent in local communities as a basis for taking action on issues that are affecting local people’s lives. Crucial here is that community workers resist the initial urge to settle for consensus and as a consequence limit the possibilities for creativity, exploration and interpersonal development. Drawing on two case studies, one from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and one from Chelsea (US), the requirements and process of acquiring consent are outlined. Consent in general refers to a form of permission to act or take action. In this chapter we consider it as a sense of approval by neighbourhood community members to engage in a collective course of action. Community workers often play a crucial part in the acquisition of community consent as they support the process of recognition of the diversity of interests, opinions and values that characterises local life. Consent is necessary for creating sustainable local initiat...
The proposal aims to present the first findings of the Better Together project in the Westerpark ... more The proposal aims to present the first findings of the Better Together project in the Westerpark area of Amsterdam. The project targets three urgent - and connected- urban challenges: • firstly the increasing social isolation of older migrants and people with psychiatric histories; • secondly the need of the Westerpark professionals in care and welfare to develop community-based strategies as crucial local resources for the well being of these vulnerable groups; • thirdly the implementation of the Positive Health-approach as a response to the rising costs in the socio-medical care provision
This book examines both the
foundations as well as the strategies
of professional legitimation of... more This book examines both the foundations as well as the strategies of professional legitimation of community development professionals in Chelsea (USA) , Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Doornkop (South Africa) as they cooperate with local communities. Community development emerged in the late 19th century as a socially critical and reform-oriented practice to provide an answer to the social and political disempowerment of factory workers and their families. Since then, according to a great many scholars in the field, started community development as a professional practice to compromise these radical roots. Crucial for this loss of these reformist connotations, was that after Wold War II, many nation states and international agencies started to adopt community development strategies. This adoption of community development was part of a wide, mostly postwar economic reconstruction agenda in the West and in former colonial territories. Hereby the principles of social and political emancipation have not always guided actual practices. Nevertheless are nowadays in all parts of the world community development professionals still active in mobilizing and encouraging local communities to collectively work towards a better life. One way or another, they succeed in getting the mandate of local people to work with them.
This book, based on three field studies, demonstrates how in spite of, and even in the absence of government involvement, community development professionals are very skilful in the development of professional legitimacy for their involvement with local communities. Hereby, it are not always the original radical ideas that legitimize their activities. In this study an in-depth examination takes place of how community development professionals build an agenda based on local development issues, local traditions of social engagement and governance, frameworks of social policy and notions of professionalization.
Lex Veldboer waarschuwt dat politisering van het sociaal werk ten koste gaat van de balanceerkuns... more Lex Veldboer waarschuwt dat politisering van het sociaal werk ten koste gaat van de balanceerkunst die voor de alledaagse praktijk nodig is. Zijn oproep tot professionele realpolitik gaat echter voorbij aan waar sociaal werk in essentie om draait. Sociaal werk is meer dan louter laveren en balanceren, maar dient ook op actieve wijze sociale rechtvaardigheid na te streven op het niveau van beleid en samenleving
This chapter discusses the efforts of community workers to obtain consent in local communities as... more This chapter discusses the efforts of community workers to obtain consent in local communities as a basis for taking action on issues that are affecting local people’s lives. Crucial here is that community workers resist the initial urge to settle for consensus and as a consequence limit the possibilities for creativity, exploration and interpersonal development. Drawing on two case studies, one from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and one from Chelsea (US), the requirements and process of acquiring consent are outlined. Consent in general refers to a form of permission to act or take action. In this chapter we consider it as a sense of approval by neighbourhood community members to engage in a collective course of action. Community workers often play a crucial part in the acquisition of community consent as they support the process of recognition of the diversity of interests, opinions and values that characterises local life. Consent is necessary for creating sustainable local initiat...
The proposal aims to present the first findings of the Better Together project in the Westerpark ... more The proposal aims to present the first findings of the Better Together project in the Westerpark area of Amsterdam. The project targets three urgent - and connected- urban challenges: • firstly the increasing social isolation of older migrants and people with psychiatric histories; • secondly the need of the Westerpark professionals in care and welfare to develop community-based strategies as crucial local resources for the well being of these vulnerable groups; • thirdly the implementation of the Positive Health-approach as a response to the rising costs in the socio-medical care provision
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Books by Jeroen Gradener
foundations as well as the strategies
of professional legitimation of
community development professionals
in Chelsea (USA) , Amsterdam (Netherlands)
and Doornkop (South Africa) as they
cooperate with local communities.
Community development emerged
in the late 19th century as a socially
critical and reform-oriented practice
to provide an answer to the social
and political disempowerment of
factory workers and their families.
Since then, according to a great many
scholars in the field, started community
development as a professional
practice to compromise these radical
roots. Crucial for this loss of these
reformist connotations, was that after
Wold War II, many nation states and
international agencies started to adopt
community development strategies. This
adoption of community development
was part of a wide, mostly postwar
economic reconstruction agenda
in the West and in former colonial
territories. Hereby the principles of
social and political emancipation have
not always guided actual practices.
Nevertheless are nowadays in all parts
of the world community development
professionals still active in mobilizing
and encouraging local communities to
collectively work towards a better life.
One way or another, they succeed in
getting the mandate of local people to
work with them.
This book, based on three field studies,
demonstrates how in spite of, and
even in the absence of government
involvement, community development
professionals are very skilful in
the development of professional
legitimacy for their involvement with
local communities. Hereby, it are
not always the original radical ideas
that legitimize their activities. In this
study an in-depth examination takes
place of how community development
professionals build an agenda based on
local development issues, local traditions
of social engagement and governance,
frameworks of social policy and notions
of professionalization.
Papers by Jeroen Gradener
foundations as well as the strategies
of professional legitimation of
community development professionals
in Chelsea (USA) , Amsterdam (Netherlands)
and Doornkop (South Africa) as they
cooperate with local communities.
Community development emerged
in the late 19th century as a socially
critical and reform-oriented practice
to provide an answer to the social
and political disempowerment of
factory workers and their families.
Since then, according to a great many
scholars in the field, started community
development as a professional
practice to compromise these radical
roots. Crucial for this loss of these
reformist connotations, was that after
Wold War II, many nation states and
international agencies started to adopt
community development strategies. This
adoption of community development
was part of a wide, mostly postwar
economic reconstruction agenda
in the West and in former colonial
territories. Hereby the principles of
social and political emancipation have
not always guided actual practices.
Nevertheless are nowadays in all parts
of the world community development
professionals still active in mobilizing
and encouraging local communities to
collectively work towards a better life.
One way or another, they succeed in
getting the mandate of local people to
work with them.
This book, based on three field studies,
demonstrates how in spite of, and
even in the absence of government
involvement, community development
professionals are very skilful in
the development of professional
legitimacy for their involvement with
local communities. Hereby, it are
not always the original radical ideas
that legitimize their activities. In this
study an in-depth examination takes
place of how community development
professionals build an agenda based on
local development issues, local traditions
of social engagement and governance,
frameworks of social policy and notions
of professionalization.