Community Economic Development in Social Work

Foundations of Social Work Knowledge Series

by Steven Soifer, Joseph McNeely, Cathy Costa

Community economic development (CED) is an increasingly essential factor in the revitalization of low- to moderate-income communities. This cutting-edge text explores the intersection of CED and social work practice, which both focus on the well-being of indigent communities and the empowerment of individuals and the communities in which they live.

This unique textbook emphasizes a holistic approach to community building that combines business and real-estate development with a focus on stimulating family self-reliance and community empowerment. The result is an innovative approach to rehabilitating communities in decline while preserving resident demographics. The authors delve deep into the social, political, human, and financial capital involved in effecting change and how race and regional issues can complicate approaches and outcomes. Throughout, they integrate case examples to illustrate their strategies and conclude with a consideration of the critical role social workers can play in developing CED's next phase.

584 pages, Hardcover

First published November 18, 2014

Reviews

[Lindsay Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and comprehensive book about community development. It can get a little wordy sometimes and some of the history stuff got a little boring, but overall not a bad book. I thought it was helpful. Definitely going to keep this one around for reference.