Building Civic Capacity in Urban Neighborhoods: An Empirically Grounded Anatomy

Abstract

:While community building and organizing initiatives aimed at improving marginalized communities have proliferated in recent decades, controversies have arisen as to their efficacy. A divide has emerged between community builders, who emphasize bonding and bridging social capital, and community organizers who work with disenfranchised communities to make demands on the existing power structure though confrontational actions. Drawing on four case studies this article examines the differences and similarities of the two approaches in practice. Based on an extensive review of the literature and interviews with U.S. community builders and organizers, this article presents a heuristic model of community building and organizing activities and their ability to bring about change, including increased external social capital, ability to confront the power structure, and engagement with the political process. Case study examples of consensus and confrontational approaches and of intentional and unintentional approaches to community building are presented and compared. Implications for research and practice are discussed.