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Community: The Structure of Belonging
by
Peter Block
"Most of our communities are fragmented and at odds within themselves. Businesses, social services, education, and health care each live within their own worlds. The same is true of individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost. What keeps this from changing is that we are trapped in an...more
Paperback, 264 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
(first published 2008)
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Peter Block shows, in his work and his presentations, that it doesn’t take much effort to initiate the process of building and strengthening communities—just a few people willing to gather and cross barriers they don’t normally cross so that ideas flow freely and exchanges strengthen relationships. It's all about engagement—that moment when people are drawn together by a common interest or goal and, in the process, begin to build the sort of communities which result in long-lasting and productiv...more
Peter Block is a well respected organisational consultant and facilitator who has been working within organisations to help make sense of complexity of social relating in the context of work, authenticity and consulting. In "Community: The Structure of Belonging" he begins to engage with the approach/philosphy of Appreciative Inquiry to look at how groups and networks and communities can reinvent themselves and achieve amazing things together on the basis of a collaboratively developed...more
Block does a great job to challenge our most basic assumptions about what makes for a successful community or a productive community development effort. He calls for an inclusive, empowering, bottom-up approach that makes heros out of the common man and forces the experts and professionals to listen for a change. Block's writing style is conversational and narrative, which might frustrate those looking for empirical evidence rather than subjective observations, but the process of community forma...more
I had to read this book for class, and thus had something to which I needed to connect its contents: libraries. I think you do need an anchor for yourself while reading this book. A lot of the language is sort of out there. Somebody called it academic. I sort of feel like it's sort of new ageish, or progressive psychologistish. You know what I mean.
But there are some good things in here. You have to be patient, and stick with it, but there are lots of good ideas about getting...more
But there are some good things in here. You have to be patient, and stick with it, but there are lots of good ideas about getting...more
This book strikes me as covertly religious: addressing religious topics such as human suffering, transformation, personal fulfillment, and relational imperatives, all from a perspective which is superficially compatible with but fundamentally contrary to my own Christianity.
The book is based on the philosophical underpinnings of Werner Erhard, the founder of Est, the Forum, and Landmark Education. In the book, Block promotes the idea that human action can fulfill longings and elimi...more
The book is based on the philosophical underpinnings of Werner Erhard, the founder of Est, the Forum, and Landmark Education. In the book, Block promotes the idea that human action can fulfill longings and elimi...more
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I read this nonfiction book as part of Pikes Peak Library District's All Pikes Peak Reads program, and thought it would be interesting to me as a former leader of a small nonprofit community organization.
The book did have some good ideas about a different approach to creating better communities. Leaders need to change their roles, we need to stop looking at our communities as just problems to be solved, responsibility, accountability, and commitment have new nuances, and this book...more
The book did have some good ideas about a different approach to creating better communities. Leaders need to change their roles, we need to stop looking at our communities as just problems to be solved, responsibility, accountability, and commitment have new nuances, and this book...more
This book is like a gateway into thinking about community organizing. The strongest takeaway for me was the idea that the role of a leader is to act as a convener. This is instead of the iron-fisted "strong" leader who makes "hard" decisions. I've since noticed around me all sort of apathy that results from "strong" leaders. But leaders unwilling to genuinely include and listen to the community and guide them to creating their own action plans are not good either. T...more
Elizabeth
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people soaked up already too much landmark
Recommended to Elizabeth by:
client
Shelves:
requested-by-client
c2008 from the library ......finish this someday
gw
mostly landmark speak
possibly useful with Landmark influenced people to broaden their horizen
Welcome
Introduction: The Fragmented Community and Its Transformation Part One: The Fabric of Community
Insights into transformation
Shifting the Context for Community
The Stuck Community
The Restorative Community
Takign Back Our Projections
What It Means to a Citizen
...more
gw
mostly landmark speak
possibly useful with Landmark influenced people to broaden their horizen
Welcome
Introduction: The Fragmented Community and Its Transformation Part One: The Fabric of Community
Insights into transformation
Shifting the Context for Community
The Stuck Community
The Restorative Community
Takign Back Our Projections
What It Means to a Citizen
...more
Jenny
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
religious leaders; members of Duke Divinity administration, folks interested in community
Recommended to Jenny by:
my boss
Shelves:
professional-reading-for-a-communit
I really love it when white guys decide to popularize what feminists and well, the Hebrew Bible, some forms of Christianity, and pop-psychology have been saying for a long time.
Really though, I understand that it is a radical notion in American (capitalistic) society.
If you get the theory, part II is more helpful in terms of practice
Really though, I understand that it is a radical notion in American (capitalistic) society.
If you get the theory, part II is more helpful in terms of practice
This is an extremely thought-provoking and challenging book that was not written for mass consumption. I am wow-ed by this book and will propose it to be included in the civility series being held this year in our community. I would LOVE to have this author in town to talk about stewardship and community.
In an age of individualism, Block takes a look at how we can build community from fragmentation. In a society where the individual units often do not work together, it is thought provoking to consider a society in which mutually beneficial communities exist.
Community Building is more and more important to us. Block points st sharing possibilities, and being creative in forming or joining community organizations. Belonging makes us feelo like we matter!
A bit of a paradigm shift for me about how to lead, manage, persuade. He speaks about how communities transform, and it ain't by meetings and analysis and plans and to-do lists!
If you care about community, read this book. Block suggests that wise questions, intent, possibility and convening will inspire community engagement.
If I could only have one book to inform my work with individuals and groups it would be this one. Every sentence is a jewel of wisdom.
fantastic book. He clearly describes what is out of place with our leadership today and proposes a radical solution.
Overall, I found this book helpful, though at times it was a little too theory focused for me. I went into my reading, hoping to walk away with clear strategies - instead I have quotes and ideas, but also feel somewhat disappointed that at a certain point, its all too lofty to a.) really feel connected and b.) offered few real suggestions. The book was also in need of a good trimming - it didn't need to be as long as it was.
The appendix, as it happens, turned out to have some helpful...more
The appendix, as it happens, turned out to have some helpful...more
Gavin White
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Gavin by:
Nathaniel White
Shelves:
books-to-live-by
An amazing book about how we can restore and reconnect our communities by creating a new conversation.
There are some interesting things in this book, but it wasn't really what I was expecting.
A book that provides so many idea about structures of community.
Chock full of useful insights and distinctions
Filled with insight after insight.
this is what social change looks like.
gayle gifford recommended.
Dense but interesting and really more of a condensed summary of current urban development sociology theories as applied to community building. Will definately need to re-read woudn up often stopping every few pages to meditate on concepts and how they could be applied and interpreted.
If you have any interest in community outreach or how an individual can empower larger communities (i.e. more than a single individual) this is something worth delving into...
If you have any interest in community outreach or how an individual can empower larger communities (i.e. more than a single individual) this is something worth delving into...
Read this for a pastoral leadership conference in which Peter Block was a facilitator. Block references a number of sociologists/theory and melds it into a helpful guide. This book is part manual part string of inspirational stories. It's full of great questions and is a quick read. The thesis is a helpful interpretation bridging the academy with the world...great nuggets for promoting meaningful civic engagement.
The most transformative book I've ever read! Anyone who is passionate about living in healthy community should read this book!
Reading this as part of a Global Citizenship will weigh in on it's thesis after I've read more of it.
Given the recent masacre in Arizona community is a clearly relevant topic.
Given the recent masacre in Arizona community is a clearly relevant topic.
So far I am again impressed with Peter Block's practical advice on building community and transforming hope. Not finished yet..
I want to buy a dozen copies and give them away to people that I know who are community activists but don't know it yet.
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