Community Power and Grassroots Democracy: The Transformation of Social Life

by Michael Kaufman, Haroldo Dilla Alfonso

Popular participation, local democracy and grassroots organizing have become watchwords not only for social movements the world over but even for official development agencies. In refreshing contrast to the tendency to skate over the internal divisions and stratification that characterise all communities, this book asks the hard questions - about the power of central bureaucracies, the lack of local skills and organizational experience, the impact of national and transnational structures, and social divisions.

Not only does the reader learn an immense amount about the limits as well as potential of community initiatives in the South, but the new social movements approach is skilfully married with resource mobilization theory to develop a more nuanced and inclusive theoretical paradigm. This can help us to understand and advance community-based forms of popular power in all their rich variety as one part of the solution to the development crisis.

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Michael Kaufman is the author of three novels and six non-fiction books. His first mystery, "The Last Exit" hits the stores in January 2020. His previous book, "The Time Has Come: Why Men Must Join the Gender Equality Revolution" draws on decades of work in fifty countries as an advisor and speaker with the United Nations, governments, NGOs, companies, trade unions and universities. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Nation, the Globe and Mail and a slew of other places.

source: Amazon