Week10(3/27) Search Terms Assignment
Among conversations with two stakeholders from the city of Urbana, though in a different context respectively, both interviewees stressed the importance of one-to-one approach in response to the diverse characteristics of residents and community.
Due to the diverse range of population and needs from the community, we can't apply one size fits all approach in community development, which is my theme for the study.
In order to deliver meaningful services to the community, we need to collect voices from a wide range of population, including those who doesn't necessary raise their voice explicitly. Thus, I mainly focus on assembling the following two themes for my Search Term Assignment.
1.Theoretical studies on a needs assessment with a particular focus on a diverse population. (for contact1)
2.Case studies/model cases based on thorough needs assessment.(for contact1)
3.Case studies/model casesfor rejuvenation of the city (for contact2)
Search Terms
<Contact1>
1.Needs assesment,
2.quality of life plan
3.neighborhood capacity building
<Contact2>
A.Rejuvenation of the city
-What other community are doing to stimulate Rejuvenation of older neighborhood-
Bibliography
1.Building communities from the inside out : a path toward finding and mobilizing a community's assets
In this book, Kretzmann and McKnight thoroughly provide the theoretical concept of what they call ‘second path’, which is an approach that discovering a community’s capacities and assets
in contrast to the approach focusing on a community’s needs. Starting with a rich methodological guide to measure community assets, they stress that the book is intended not only to, recognize and map, but also to mobilize community assets. Various sections can be started reading separately based on the reader’s needs and environment, and this is a comprehensive guide for an alternative approach for community development.
2.Why Social Policy Needs Subjective Indicators
In this paper, Veenhoven proposes a counter argument for the predominant trend of objective approach in policy making, which measures social indicators by hard facts, such as income or living accommodation in square meters. He argues that policymakers need to take into account several subjective indicators due to the following reasons:
- Social policy is never limited to merely material matters.
- Progress in material goals cannot always be measured objectively.
- Inclusive measurement is problematic with objective substance.
- Objective indicators do little to inform policymakers about public preferences.
- Policymakers must distinguish between 'wants' and 'needs'.
3.Building the Capacity for Development
This first chapter from the book Mobilizing Communities explores the application of Community Assets in the community development. The idea of Community Asset emphasizes assets, instead of needs. Green points out that the needs-oriented approach in the context of community development generally focus on the negative issue in the community and come with several drawbacks. For example, dependency on outsiders of the community and powerlessness among community if the issue is caused by structural causes that operate beyond their efficacy. As an alternative, Green proposes asset-based development which stresses on key strength and available resources in the community. In the book, the author gives some conceptual theories and case studies to further elaborate his idea of Community Assets.
4.Why Social Policy Needs Subjective Indicators
Development of Learning City means enabling learning at all city levels (inhabitants and their families, organizations and city administration through networks). The collective learning of individuals and their participation in partnership networks are especially important. Juceviciene states that development of City Learning is not an aim itself, but a tool for tackling social, economic, and ecological issues. In the article, Juceviciene discusses how a Learning City contribute to sustainable development in the community, with a case and trend.
5.Life mapping: a ‘Therapeutic Document’ approach to needs assessment
This study from the UK tested the effectiveness of The Life Map designed by the authors for a holistic needs assessment for the promotion of mental health based on the World Health Organization’s six Quality of Life domains. Authors argue that Life Map can be a useful tool to improve communication between user and care-provider, and empower the service user with a ‘voice’ and empowers the care-provider with the capacity to compare aggregated needs between localities and for change over time. Authors also argue that the task of needs ‘assessment’ itself has a connotation that those ‘not in needs’ have the authority to ask questions of ‘in needs’. Thus they need an innovative tool that facilitates the very process of engaging people in ways that a more therapeutic type of assessment, which engage them better in conversation with potential care-provider.
6.Help From Within: Participatory Research In A Low-Income Neighborhood
This paper examines the role of ethnography as a resource in the process of needs assessment in a multi-ethnic, low-income section of Philadelphia. Curtis applied ethnographical methodology into needs assessment to analyze multi-ethnic, low-income section in Philadelphia and tries to examine the relationship between targeted neighborhood’s socioeconomic characteristics and human service environment. Through the endeavor, they try to seek for development of an action plan based on the research findings.
7.Health-Related Quality-of-Life Assessments in Diverse Population Groups in the United States
Authors stress the importance of effectiveness research to grasp the real needs of an increasingly diverse American society. They argue that Health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) measures were often designed for majority well-educated group and thus misleading to measure the needs of underrepresented people in the community. In the article, they discuss the nature of diversity especially in the context of quality of life with rich examples and models. They also recommend coordinated efforts to develop guidelines for assessing measurement adequacy across subgroups and allocate resources to measure diverse populations.
8.In the Face of Gentrification: Case Studies of Local Efforts to Mitigate Displacement
This article gives us various cases of studies about affordable housing for low-income families. Their study present strategies used by nonprofit organizations, for-profit developers and city agencies to ensure low to middle income residents can live in revitalizing neighborhoods. Since various factors influence strategies, they consider the impact of timing on strategy selection and implementation to clarify whether certain approach work in different environments. Taken cases from all over the States, this article provides us with an insight of applicability and validity of diverse approaches.
9.Neighborhoods Matter . . . Neighborhood Matters
In this chapter of the book, Smith reframes the idea and importance of neighborhoods. She proposes several issue neighborhoods today face, starting with foreclosure to immigration. After conceptualizing the idea of the neighborhood, Smith provides us with a historical trajectory that neighborhood underwent, and discusses dynamics of it in relation to various issues, such as inequality and investment. This is a first chapter from the book Return Of The Neighborhood As An Urban Strategy, and the book is made of chapters focusing on the role of neighborhoods in urban policy solutions.
10.From Long-Term Shrinkage to Re-Growth? The Urban Development Trajectories of Liverpool and Leipzig
This case research analyzes ‘turnaround’ process of cities that underwent a phase of shrinkage in but have more recently seen a recovery in population numbers. Authors took two examples from European cities, Leipzig in Germany and Liverpool in the UK. Although the size of both cities is different from that of Urbana, there are some similarities such as proximity to the big local university and increasing influx and outflow of young population. In the paper, they describe how each process of shrinkage and re-growth impact each other, and how re-growth after shrinkage can be interpreted, and consider their causes, dynamics, consequences, and contextual embedding.
Initial Findings
Among various research approaches scholars have made in the field, both qualitative and quantitative methods were incorporated.
Although most of all the researchers in the field stressed the importance of needs assessments in community development,
one trend I found unique was that there was an alternative approach to focus on existent assets of the community,
instead of collecting the needs from the community. Scholars such as Green (source3) argues this approach would
expand the efficacy of community residents and work toward community development independently.
To assess the diverse needs of the community, several qualitative approaches such as fieldwork or in-depth interview were conducted.
This is obviously not a binary discussion, but a balance between multiple perspectives.
Veenhoven's argument for the needs of subjective indicators,
instead of objective indicators such as housing-income was one of the unique approaches to assess the dynamics of communities.
For Rejuvenation of the city, I chose one comprehensive case studies from the States and one from Europe.
It is difficult to find identical cases with the city of Urbana, but I see some elements in common with that of
city inthe EU. Understanding the local community is also an important first step for rejuvenation, so that I hope
my selection for contact 1 would also help having insights for the rejuvenation of the city(especially source1~4).