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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 146 415 CB 013 435 AUTHOR Warden, John W. f , TITLE . Citizen Participation. What Others Sayp.'.What Others- Do . INSTITUTION Virginia UnixAte.Charlottesville. rid-Atlantic Center 'for Community Education. PUB DATE - Sep 77 NOTE 25p. : AVAILABLE FROM University of Virginia, School of-Education, -Mid-Atlantic Center for Community Education-, 217 . Ruffner Hall, Charlottesville, VAqinia22903 (single copy, $1.00, reduced rates on multiple copies, 10% shipping charge unless prepaid) EDRS PRICE MR -$0.83 Plus Postage. BC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Action Programs (Community); *Citizen Participation; Citizens Councils; Community Action; *Community Development; Community Education; Community Inforfation Services; Community Involvement; *CommunityOrganizations; *Community Programs; Community, Schools; Definitions; *Neighborhood Centert; Resource Centers ABSTRACT o . This booklet is about what people say and do With regardto citizen participation. Expfanations and keyresources are provided for eleven techniques to obtain citizen participation: Alinsky organizations, charrettes, citizenadvisory comlittees, ,community audio and video access, community developmentcorporations, community retourcd/information-centers, communitr schoolsi neighborhood associations and councils, patent involvement councils, self-help grpups, and user consultation process. Additionally, brief 4etcriptiont are provided for_fourteen other methods. The booklet concludes With thirty statements or short paragraphs from researchers, theorists, and practitioners about codminity ifivolVement and participation and a list of ten critical queitions,on citizen (EM) 0 I I ***********i************14******************************************** * Documents acquired by ERIC include many infotpall unpublished * * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makesevery effort * * to obtain the best, copy availible. Nevertheless, items-of marginal * * reproducibility are Offensencounteredrand this affects the quality * . *'of the microfiche acid hardcopy. reproductions EgIC makes available * * via the ERIC Doculent Reproduetion:Seriage*IEDRS): BDRS'-is not * - *4responsible for the quality of, tWe original doausent. teOroductions * * supplied by, EDRS art-lihg besi-th# can be madCfrom the original. 4, **********************#*****ig******i*****31*****i********************. ,, -, .1 ,, -4 t' ''. 3 :CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WHAT OTHERS SAY . WHAT OTHERS do... By John W. Warden. e "PERMISSION TOREPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL BY MICROFICHEONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY -1.1C.14,r V 4 TO THE EDUCATI NALRESOURCES INFORMATION CE TER(ERIC) AND Published by THE ERIC SYSTEMCONTRACTORS" Mid-Atlantic Center for Corhmtinity Education School of Education' University of Virginia eco: 0:cEe4::::4,44 Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 7::: r ° 4t ,,,ivetpe4I:re:4,v: .4 i/VG "440/A-4c 37'4 ri rkt.4 e re.0 rPobi,iop-). 4S eb4.40op,., 4-,..8elf: fi.. AD A S 0 rtc4t. P1.,/§.4,I? r/04, 4, ecess P4,041 'V °O OR S/ .4rON4c op41C/4., 4"4. 441(). 04,'Ais 7.._4,141104.4 . 130t,c):-/Tec4,.ei:,i,c. Graphics: Creative Cartoon CoMpany,1,1tElottesville. Typesetting: Fred Heblich 4 Printed in.the United States'of America September 1977 _ 4 CITIZEN PARTICIPATION .WHAT OTHERS SAY WHAT OTHERS DO... by John W. Warden As the title of this booklet suggests, this publication is about what peoplesay and do with reg,ird to citizen participation. The first half of the publication explains various citizenparticipa- tion vehicles in some detail along.with key references anda few quotations.The tatter half is divided into still more participation vehicles and a host of other statements about citizenparticipa- tion.The result is a publication on twenty-five different participation vehicles,over forty key referenCes and plenty of quotations concerning citizen participation. So let'sget on with it.... A. , . Table of,Contents , gage /Minsky Organizations , . 5 Charrettes ' 6 s Citizen Advisory Committees 7 Community Audio and Video Access .. Community Development Corporations., 9 Community Resource/Information Centers 10 Community Schools 11 Neighborhood Association and Councils 12 Parent Involvement Councils 13 Self-Help Groups , 14 User Consultation Process ,) 15 Still Other Vehicles 17 . What Researchers, Theorists and Practitioners Say 19 A list of Critical Questions , 23 . ., i :.` S, / ALINKSY OR. GANIZATIO S For nearly thirty years the late Saul Alinksy Wasaoutspoken organizer traveling throughout the puntry organizing groups of people in a particular style of organizationwhich.has now become associated with his name. No one knows how manylirlsky style organizations exist but four such examples can be found in Chicago alone. Best kno n of theie organIzationS isperhaps Woodlawn Organization (TWO) which Alinsky nurtured in a jcago slum. Alinsky community organizations are proble -oriented. Accordingto Alinsky,othe organization is born otit, of the issues and the issues are boout of the organization. Organizations ate therefore built on issues that are specific, immediate d realizable. A single large communityforganization thus-composed of other organizations in a ort of confederation which seedsdelegates to meetings at the comm.unity organization. Memberip is therefore not extended to individuals but rather to organizations .which are drawn frotre,b1 ck clubs, churchgroups, tenants, public education, youth, btisiness and otheis. Membecorganiza ions forma Congess and senate which in turn elects bfficers, establishes Committees, hires staff,, etc. The specific community organizationsand action projects vary from year to ytar and community to community.- The use of confrontation and conflict as an organizing tactic is anintegral part of an Alinsky organization. Community activists become comfortable and adeptat handling'themselves in conflict situations. conflict is viewed not in avoidance terms but rather /- as a constructive process which can help people 'achieve their goals. Conflict is thus utilizedto disrupt social stability and renegotiate a compromise' more favorable to the organization. Alinsky organizations develop a broad-base fundingarrangement whereby funds for the organkation are not dependent upon any singlesource who may withdraw support. Both organizers from outside. the community and local volunteers playan important role with efforts directed toward strong local'grass -roots organizing efforts. Leadership developmentis also a critical function of the Alinsky organizations. Since Alinsky organizationsare multi-issue, focused, a constant attempt is made to generatesocial problems and involvepeople. Single issue community organizations, according to Alinsky, willsooner or later die or lose their significance as the times change. Tangible evidence of the success of Alinsky style organizations inclnde,majorlandlord-tennant agreements, economic job programs and a variety of local communityimprovement projects. As a study of Minsky organizations by Bailey concludes, "thesurprising aspect of Alinsky organizations is not their radicalness but their conventionality." What Others Say .-. "An Alinsky organization is a vehicle well suited' "...he may have contributed far more richly to the to the needs of persons seeking to actualize a diverse edulcattlin of grassroots Americans thanhave any set of community related values. The multiissue number of superintendentsofschools,not to orientatiqn of such an organization permits activists mention a still greater superfluity of professors of 4 simultaneouslytoseekactualizationofseveral education. Alinsky accomplished this remarkable feat conditions." by teaching everyday citizens how and for what Bailey purposes to learn together as they worked together." Brameld r Key-References Alinsky, Saul D. Reveille for Radicals, NeW York: RandomHouse, Vintage Books, 1969. Alinsky, Saul D. Rules for Radicals,'New York: RandomHouse, 1971. Bailey, Robert. Radicals in Urban Politics: The Alinsky Approach,Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974. Industrial Areas Foundation, SaUl D. Alinsky TrainingInstitute, 528 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611. Rose, Stephen C. "Saul'Alinslcy and His CritiCs," Christianityand Crisis,' (July 20, 1964). ",t , CHARRE ES Charrette ?;?If you've never heard of one you needn't feel alone.At various times the chafrette has been described as a, "prtocess bf community planning," "a vehicle for citizens' participation" and a "technique for studying and resolving educational facility prbblemL" Iris in essence a community plannikg,.avorkshop generhy designed around the, construction of public The concept originated in Paris in the. 1890's *where architecture students once used.a two- wheeled cart, la charrette, to transport their drawings to.a faculty jury, often working feverishlyon the way to -complete. the'. designs.Today's charrette is basically a community planning process desined to a4ive9-..0 implementable pips and solutions to community concerns in-a very short time period. t a citizen patticipatiqn technique, the charrette approach requires: (I) a majority of the planningparticipantstd-be community residents. (2) matfers ie1ative to the solution of problems are discussed in forums and open public ,meetings with the presence of decision-makers, (3) participation of professionals as resource personnel, and (4) a short-intensive time period (anywhere from three d4s to two weeks) for the charrette activity or happening.Charrmettes have been , condpcted in such places as Baltimore, Maryland, Des Moines, lowa.,-Vd York, PennS'ylvabia.