Community development’s core values

offering services. This approach is embodied in the strengths-based model of community development, sometimes known as ‘asset-based community development’, or ‘ABCD’ (Kretzmann and McKnight, 1993; Russell, 2015).1

Community development’s core values

Community development is commonly described as a long-term value-based process. Its overarching purpose is to promote social justice and it is therefore essentially political (albeit with a small ‘p’). However, social justice is a tricky term to define, tending to mean whatever its proponents want. Within community development, it is usually understood as the development of a fair and inclusive society, with wealth, opportunities and power more equitably distributed across the population.

Equality

Equality is a core value for community development, and practitioners are expected to demonstrate an awareness of structural inequalities and incorporate anti-discriminatory measures into all aspects of their work – the most prevalent dimensions of discrimination being generally associated with class, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and age. Addressing these means tackling barriers, promoting opportunities and adapting arrangements to take into account the needs and preferences of diverse participants or target communities.

Empowerment

Community development places great emphasis on collective leadership, inclusive participation and empowerment, so that community members can contribute directly to decision-making about what happens in their areas or spheres of interest. The term ‘empowerment’ can be problematic for community development. There is a persuasive argument that people can only empower

themselves rather than be empowered by others. However, community development practices are often concerned with creating the conditions for people to have a greater say over decisions that affect their lives and to challenge unfair power dynamics. Processes of empowerment are experienced individually and collectively. They therefore have psychological, practical and political dimensions that need to be actively addressed by community workers. Developing community leadership and people’s capacity to influence and implement decisions (thereby empowering them) is crucial for opening up democratic processes, often using participatory methods of engagement.

Co-operation

As indicated earlier, collective working and co-operation are also key principles of community development so, wherever possible, community workers encourage individuals, groups and organisations to work together as partners and allies, informally or through formal arrangements. They will often act as brokers between different agencies or parts of the community, identifying potential synergies and mediating latent rivalries or tensions.

Natural networks of relationships and contacts connecting many people within communities form a firm foundation for teamwork and sharing. However, this ‘community capital’ can be eroded through neglect or antagonisms. Coalitions may need constant tending and occasional mending if they are to provide a robust and inclusive foundation for collaboration.

Learning together

Community development recognises the value of reflection and dialogue in its commitment to shared learning and capacity building. Through informal conversations, workshops and group discussions, community members develop their ideas of what’s happening in their lives or their part of the world. Only by understanding how things are now is it possible to change them for the better (Mayo, 2020a).