Theorising the Practice of Community Development

Based on 25 years of community development practice, six of which have been lived in South Africa, Peter Westoby’s ground-breaking monograph moves away from dominant normative accounts of community development to provide an appreciative and critical analysis of concrete examples of community development theory and practice. By examining community development stories as experienced on the ground, Westoby is able to show how the poor are organising themselves using various forms of community development as well as demonstrating how the state and non-state actors are attempting to organise, engage or accompany the poor through community development. The book also breaks new ground in theorising the practice of community development, drawing inductively from the stories analysed. The diversity of South African contexts and the proliferation of different kinds of community practice, make this a hugely difficult task. Despite this, Westoby argues it is one worth undertaking given the seriousness of the challenges facing the poor and progressive social change agents within South Africa. In this undertaking, Westoby draws upon a unique analytical framework to help illuminate current community development policy and programme challenges, along with practice dilemmas and wisdom.

Dr Peter Westoby is a Senior Lecturer in Community Development, School of Social Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; a Research Associate at the Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, South Africa; and also a Director of Community Praxis Cooperative. Peter has over 25 years of experience in youth, community and organisational development in various settings, such as Australia, South Africa, Uganda, Vanuatu, the Philippines and PNG. His research interests include community development, dialogue theory and practice, and forced migration studies. Together with Lynda Shevellar he edited Learning and Mobilising for Community Development (Ashgate, 2012).