The anthropology of public policy critically examines policy and its processes and the myriad ways in which power is exercised. To explore these power dynamics, anthropologists studying policy often study up, or study through a particular policy field. This entails the risky work of studying powerful people, whose ability to retaliate against the researcher and others create methodological and ethical dilemmas and contradictions, as well as potentially harmful consequences. Politicians, bureaucrats, employees of powerful non-profits, and, in the public-private neoliberal reality, even the head decision makers within corporations are all prospective research participants--an intimidating prospect for most anthropologists. In contrast, engaged ethnography, with its presupposition that researchers will be aligned with politically marginalized groups, encourages the researcher to engage on a more transparent, reflexive, and expressly positioned level that attempts to make the researcher more exposed, thus equalizing the power differentials between the researcher and the researched. The inherent contradictions between engaged ethnography and studying up create a situation ripe for methodological and ethical dilemmas, but also for breaking new theoretical ground. This paper will critically examine my experiences with a dominant community development corporation involved in housing and urban development. As such, the purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, I aim to explore the theoretical contradictions, ethical dilemmas, and methodological quandaries that arise from pairing engaged anthropology with the studying up required by the anthropology of public policy. The aim of this query is to show how the difficulties that arose during my thesis research project expose gaps within each body of literature. Second, I hope to present engaging-up as a promising (not just problematic) method that can be employed to better understand a myriad of topical interests of anthropology. Because of its promise, it is important to document this failed attempt so that others may be better prepared. As such, my hope is that my consideration of the contradictions that were unable to be overcome will be described with enough ethnographic clarity and framed in broad enough methodological terms as to be helpful to other engaged ethnographers.

This thesis examines three prevalent models of community engagement in the black churches in the United States of America since the year 2000. It will contribute to existing scholarship by identifying theological motivations for community engagement by the black churches, and assessing the extent to which the black churches address and fulfill criteria for advancing liberation delineated from three generations of scholarship in Black Theology. This shall provide theological insight into the continued social relevance of the black churches. Existing scholarship has shown that the black churches historically have engaged the oppressed communities they have served by addressing their secular and social needs in addition to their spiritual ones, with a sense of mission to affirm human dignity and advance social justice. This praxis of liberation through community engagement was necessitated by the oppressive contexts in which the black churches were founded, and has continued in varied ways in tandem with shifts in social location of black people in America. Black church community initiatives have also been marked among three generations of scholars in Black Theology, who have delineated imperatives for which the black churches might engage their communities to fully continue the praxis of liberation in the present. The interrelated aims of this thesis are to discover the theological motivations of black church community engagement agents, and, to consider the extent to which the community engagement initiatives of the black churches of the twenty-first century address critical theological criteria from Black Theology for advancing liberation; each of which will help to illuminate theological implications for the continued social relevance of the black churches. This project requires an examination of contemporary models of black church community engagement in their own social reality. The models of community engagement that are researched are grass-roots movements where black churchpersons use non-violent direct action to advance particular social justice causes, community development corporations where churches filter grant money from the government to create economic opportunities for their local communities, and megachurch initiatives where congregations use the revenue of their large memberships to effect positive change in their communities. Local examples of each model are examined from a grounded theory approach through interviews with clergy and community workers, observations of worship and program activities, and textual analysis of bulletins, websites, and brochures.

South Africa has witnessed series of social unrest, many of which ended in violence by very poor communities who allege poor delivery of basic goods and services. The majority of South African citizens are poor and pervasive inequality exists between men and women and between black and white peoples of the country. The poverty alleviation strategies inequalities and the consequences of poverty amongst women in rural areas (Ozoemena, 2010). Cacadu District municipality has done a study analysis on poverty alleviation in 2009-2010 together with the Baviaans municipality to verify which areas was the most poorest in Baviaans municipality. The findings came as Vondeling and Riertbron which was the poorest area. The focus was on tourism side because Baviaans is the tourist area.Rietbron and Vondeling is part of Baviaans Arts and craft program that was previously funded by DEDEAT R500, 00 but only benefited after incorporated to Baviaans municipality as they were previously managed by Cacadu District Municipality before and the municipality decided to invest in this areas. The funding for DEDEAT was utilized for trainings, starting material and equipment’s and building of the Baviaanskoof Craft Shop for two projects which is Vondeling and Steytlerville and Rietbron did not benefit at that time. This study focuses on the income generating projects in Baviaans municipality with the view to describe the experiences of individuals who participate in these income generating projects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of income generating projects in addressing poverty alleviation. Steytlerville projects is using waste materials like old newspaper, raw material, broken cups to do jewellery .Vondeling and Rietbron project is an angel factory producing beaded wire angels by using materials locally produced merino wool, wire wool, beads and local products such as ostrich feathers .This study is based on a case study which gives a description of poverty and reflects an involvement process of beneficiaries or communities in an income generating project and how it is impacting on their livelihoods. Qualitative and quantitative methodology were used. According to Neuman (2000: 30), the quantitative data methods refer to the collection of data using numbers, counts and measures of things and qualitative research basically involves the use of words, pictures description and narratives”. Data was collected for interviews. In order to collect accurate information, an interview was conducted based on the author’s research questions. Research was conducted in different areas like Steytlerville, Vondeling and Rietbron. A questionnaire was used as a form of data collection for the three projects. These interviews were conducted formally in a focus group composed of the projects members. In Steytlerville they were 5 members, Vondeling 7 members and Rietbron10 members which make a sample of 22 members. These projects have two craft shop where they sell their product which is Willomore craft shop and Baviaanskloof craft shop. The craft shop has been established to create an outlet by which locally sustainably made craft can be displayed and sold. The craft shop has been developed in such a way that is a real life example of a green building and business .The craft shop is an example of how to be environmentally friendly and utilise nature in such a way that it is sustainable and does not destroy it. The research findings suggested that in certain instances, Baviaans Craft project has been successful in generating income for members. The market for these crafters is mainly tourists. From this research it came out clear that some of the project members were able to acquire skills which help them to find employment in well-established craft business. Despite the successful of Baviaans Craft project, the project members were somewhat constrained in managing and running the business. For example with response for special markets, they had to make use of external skills i.e. someone who made contacts with the export market and there after divide the profits amongst members. The project members were not adequately empowered in management skills.

This project is a comparative case study of five Community Development Corporations (CDCs) that emerged in the seven central neighborhoods of Inner North/Northeast Portland, Oregon in the late 1980s. Of the five organizations that began at that time, only two exist currently. Analyzing how and why these organizations rose and fell, merged and failed, struggled and survived in a compressed time frame and geographic area will elucidate the different paths that each organization chose in a neighborhood that changed from derelict to gentrified. Drawing on the overlapping bodies of literature that cover low-income and affordable housing development, CDC structure and evolution, and neighborhood revitalization, this study will highlight issues of local government participation in the expansion of CDCs and a changing community context. The choices that organizations made, or were compelled to make, in response to these particularly local conditions contribute either to their fortitude or their demise. This case study is intended to fill in gaps in the existing CDC and gentrification literature and to contribute an understanding of survival strategies for CDCs in an intensely competitive environment.

No description available.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Misunderstanding of poverty and lack of sound poverty alleviating strategy, among others, are problems of some of the few NGOs existing in Ethiopia. There is a problem of understanding their roles in relation to the State and other stakeholders. The principles they apply in their intervention are other problems. These are the issues that were researched in the PRO PRIDE case study. The legitimacy of PRO PRIDE as a poverty-alleviating programme in view of global and Ethiopian poverty and the consequent policy focuses is justified. The principles of PRO PRIDE - community participation, gender equity, intersectoral collaboration, appropriate technology, focus on prevention, participatory management, cost effectiveness and sustainability of programmes - are sound principles. Reviewing the practices of PRO PRIDE as guided by the aforementioned principles it is understood that the community development principles - human orientation, public participation, empowerment, ownership, release, social learning, adaptiveness and simplicity - are commendably achieved. PRO PRIDE well dealt with understanding poverty and its interwoven nature. Issues such as the deprivation trap that the poor are entangled in; the general explanation of poverty that are given by different authors; vicious cycles of poverty and social, economic and political causes of poverty which are operating at local, national and international levels; and the rural-urban dynamics that work in exacerbating the urban poverty are covered in its socio-economic study. The study of the programme areas shows that they depict a dismal picture as a result of the operation of these poverty dynamics. Regarding the integrated rural-urban poverty alleviation strategy, the State has made favourable policies and itself dwelled on rural poverty due to lack of financial capacity to cover both rural and urban areas. The State's rural focus is accepted to impact on the urban poverty through changing the migration pattern. PRO PRIDE is operating in the urban setting to connect the nexus - the rural-urban strategy. PRO PRIDE is operating with an integrated urban development strategy encompassing income generation, basic education, primary health care, HIV IAIDS prevention and control and environmental sanitation. Through integrating these areas of intervention PRO PRIDE is improving the quality of life, promoting sustainable urban economic growth, creating income and employment generating opportunities, giving people access to resources and opportunities, improving the distribution of income and welfare, and applying sound developmental principles. The functioning of PRO PRIDE is proven to be in a well compliance with the requirement for organisations alike. It is functioning in collaboration and participation with the popular sector - the people themselves and their community leaders. It operates with the agreement of the State bodies such as FRDCB and with other line bureaus such as Health, Education, Environmental Development, and Labour and Social Affairs. It collaborates with donors the major being ActionAid - Ethiopia (AAE). Internal components of PRO PRIDE such as the Board and the staff as well as its organisational development influence its operation. All the programmes and the projects are managed through PRO PRIDE's interaction with its internal and external stakeho lders. PRO PRIDE as an agent of development has played as a catalyst to initiate development, focused on empowerment and using the people's latent potential, materialised capacity building and facilitation. These are basically the requirements that the current NGOs should fulfill, which PRO PRIDE commendably did. The study has indicated that although PRO PRIDE is an organisation of overall success, there are some areas of future focus both by the State and PRO PRIDE. Recommendations are made as to what both parties should do in their future focuses. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanopvattings oor armoede en die gebrek aan gesonde strategieë vir die verligting van armoede, onder andere, is swakhede van sommige van die paar bestaande NGO's in Ethiopië. Verder ondervind hulle ook probleme om hulle rol met betrekking tot die Staat en ander deelhouers te verstaan; ook die beginsels wat hulle by intervensie beoefen, is problematies. Hierdie is die kwessies wat deur die PRO PRIDE gevallestudie ondersoek word. Die legitimiteit van PRO PRIDE as 'n armoede-verligtende program, gesien in die lig van die globale en Ethiopiese armoede en die voortspruitende beleidsfokusse, word geregverdig. Die beginsels van PRO PRIDE - gemeenskapsdeelname, geslagsgelykheid, intersektorale samewerking, geskikte tegnologie, fokus op voorkoming, deelnemende bestuur, koste-effektiwiteit en die volhoubaarheid van programme - is gesonde beginsels. Oorweging van die praktyke van PRO PRIDE aan die hand van voorgenoemde beginsels toon dat die beginsels van gemeenskapsontwikkeling - menslike oriëntasie, openbare deelname, bemagtiging, eienaarskap, bevryding, sosiale leer, aanpasbaarheid en eenvoudigheid - noemenswaardig verwesenlik is. PRO PRIDE het goed daarin geslaag om armoede en die verweefde aard daarvan te verstaan. Kwessies soos die ontberingsvalstrik waarin die armes vasgevang is; die algemene verklarings vir armoede deur verskillende skrywers; die bose kringloop van armoede en die sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke oorsake van armoede, aangetref op plaaslike, nasionale en internasionale vlakke; asook die landelik-stedelike dinamika wat meewerk tot die verergering van stedelike armoede word gedek in die sosio-ekonomiese studie. Die bestudering van die programareas verbeeld 'n droewige prentjie te wyte aan die operering van hierdie armoede- dinamiek. Betreffende die geïntegreerde landelik-stedelike armoede-verligtingstrategie, het die Staat gunstige beleide gemaak en oorheersend gefokus op landelike armoede vanweë 'n gebrek aan finansiële kapasiteit vir die aanspreking van die probleem in beide landelike en stedelike gebiede. Die Staat se landelike fokus is aanneemlik gevind vir die impak wat dit op stedelike armoede kon hê deur verandering van die migrasiepatroon. PRO PRIDE opereer vanuit 'n stedelike omgewing om die verbinding, landelik-stedelike strategie, te bewerkstellig. Dit opereer binne 'n geïntegreerde stedelike ontwikkelingstrategie behelsende inkomstegenerering, basiese opvoeding, primêre gesondheidsorg, VIGS-voorkoming en -beheer, asook omgewingsanitasie. Deur integrering van hierdie tussenkomsgebiede verbeter PRO PRIDE lewenskwaliteit, bevorder dit volhoubare stedelike ekonomiese groei, genereer dit inkomste- en indiensnemingsgeleenthede, maak dit hulpbronne en geleenthede toeganklik vir mense, verbeter dit die distribusie van inkomste en welvaart en pas dit gesonde ontwikkelingsbeginsels toe. Die funksionering van PRO PRIDE is bewys te voldoen aan die vereistes gestel vir ooreenstemmende organisasies. Dit funksioneer met die samewerking en deelname van die volksektor - die mense en hulle gemeenskapsleiers. Dit opereer met die instemming van Staatsorgane soos FRDCB en ander lynstaatsinstansies soos dié van Gesondheid, Opvoeding, Omgewingsontwikkeling en Arbeid en Sosiale Aangeleenthede. PRO PRIDE werk ook saam met donateurs van wie die vernaamste ActionAid-Ethiopië (AAE) is. Interne komponente soos die Raad en personeel, asook die organisatoriese ontwikkeling van PRO PRIDE beïnvloed die operering daarvan. Alle programme en projekte word bestuur deur PRO PRIDE se interaksie met sy interne en eksterne deelhouers. PRO PRIDE as 'n ontwikkelingsagent het as 'n katalisator opgetree om ontwikkeling te inisieer, het gefokus op bemagtiging en gebruik van die mense se latente potensiaal en het kapasiteitsbou en fasilitering bewerkstellig. Hierdie basiese vereistes waaraan NGO's behoort te voldoen is noemenswaardig deur PRO PRIDE gerealiseer. Die studie het getoon dat hoewel PRO PRIDE in die geheel geslaag het as organisasie, daar tog sommige gebiede is wat toekomstige aandag van beide die Staat en PRO PRIDE verdien. Aanbevelings word gemaak oor wat beide partye in hul toekomstige fokus behoort te onderneem.

Nonprofit housing organizations primarily exist to address the housing needs of low-income residents, whose housing needs are not sufficiently met by the public or private housing market. NHOs are very similar to private corporations in their size, productivity and commitment to the “bottom line.” However, unlike private firms, NHOs are “mission driven” instead profit-driven corporations. The development of affordable housing in the nonprofit housing sector requires a myriad of financial and non-financial resources. As competition for financial resources intensifies many organizations are adopting strategies as a means to not only reduce organizational uncertainty and sustain them, but also increase or maintain organizational capacity. The evolution of the role of nonprofit organizations coupled with market pressures such as attracting investment, competing for clients, and retaining and hiring skilled employees shapes the need for them to adopt market culture strategies (Salamon, 1999). A key strategy of market culture is collaboration (Frost and Sullivan, 2006). This dissertation study was designed to examine interorganizational relationships between nonprofit housing organizations in the Richmond Metropolitan area, and the influence of organizational characteristics, environmental conditions, and resource availability on an organization’s Level of Collaboration. Furthermore, the study examined the attitudes and perceptions of executive directors of collaboration. The primary research question is: Do nonprofit housing organizations display identifiable patterns of relationships with each other? This study contributes several important findings to furthering the understanding of collaboration within the nonprofit sector, and the relationship between organizational characteristics, environmental conditions, and resource availability and an organization’s Level of Collaboration (interorganizational relationships). Study findings convey that the examination of the network itself using social network analysis is a useful tool for examining relationships and identifying opportunities for collaboration. For this network it revealed that the organizations interact on an informal basis as well as identified the prominent actors are in the network. The findings of this study suggests that there are two key factors that influence nonprofit organizations establishing relationships interorganizational learning and personal characteristics.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study questions if the advocacy efforts of community based organizations, like community development corporations, voluntary member associations, and community action agencies, can achieve policy development. Policy development is defined as the proposal of a policy by a community based organization. That policy proposal receives the attention of local decision makers for consideration. This study uses the stages of the policy process to assess what coordinated activities are most effective to achieve policy development. It was concluded that community based organizations can achieve policy development, if they identify an issue or problem, conduct some level of strategic planning, create a policy agenda, and seek access to decision makers. In all three case analyses, the hybrid organization, community action agency, and the voluntary member association were able to achieve policy development. This research does not focus on policy impact or evaluation. The goal was to ascertain how effective an organization can be at proposing a solution and receiving the attention of local decision makers. This research explores how organizational development can become the foundation for advocating for issues and achieve policy development. Community based organizations are not only government funded service providers, but also community collaborators and educators who stimulate citizen participation and increase public awareness about social issues. Their role as autonomous service providers puts them in a conundrum because of their funding streams. Since the 1950s, researchers have explored the roles and responsibilities of government-funded service providers. This study provides an overview of the roles of community based organizations and activities that define their political participation. It explores how these organizations mitigate issues to ensure overall community success.

The rise of civil society organisations in South Africa is crucial to development as it contributes to the bridging of the communication gap between civil society and local government organisations and municipalities and promotes access to resources. The contribution of civil society organisations to development has been widely acknowledged as they are involved in service delivery, advocacy, innovation and poverty reduction initiatives. In spite of the development work done by civil society organisations in developing countries, they still face challenges in promoting development as poverty, inequality and unemployment persist. This research focused on the social capital approach as a strategy for the development of local communities in South Africa. The social capital approach involves increasing social stability and enhancement of development issues. Social capital relies on the basic idea that “it is not what you know but who you know”. Social capital refers mostly to social cohesion, which makes a community more committed to better living conditions for all. People in communities have the capacity to improve the quality of their lives with the support of all sectors, civil society, the state and the market by letting the people in communities get involved in all the stages of the programmes because they know better from living in those communities. Civil society organisations can meaningfully add value to economic and social development in any third world country through their work. The government, the market and civil society can complement each other and add value to the development of the country. This study employed a qualitative research design. It used in-depth interviews, direct observation and focus-group interviews to collect data, which was later transcribed and analysed thematically. The main focus of this study was to critically evaluate the roles and strategies of civil society organisations in the development of South African communities, using Planact as a case study. The specific objectives were to: 1) To explore the role Planact plays in development in Johannesburg; 2) To evaluate how Planact uses social capital as a strategy in promoting development if at all; 3) To explore the challenges of civil society organisations, particularly that of Planact in the development process of poor communities and 4) To make possible recommendations in the light of the roles and strategies of civil societies identified in analysing Planact ‘s strategy in development process for the poor. This study found that as a civil society organisation Planact is acting as a voice for the voiceless through its advocacy programme. It contributes to policy making, good governance and accountability. In addition, Planact promotes participation and assists in education and training. Planact uses different strategies to promote development in the community, such as mentoring, promoting integrated human settlement, using technology in networking, encouraging participation, community economic development and social organisation. Furthermore, the organisation uses forums, awareness campaigns and empowerment as strategies to promote development in the community. However, the study found that the organisation faces challenges because of limited funding. The community also encounters certain challenges as they engage with the organisation, for example, lack of accountability, unresponsiveness and inaccessibility. It was noted that civil society organisations should adopt a higher priority in development planning and practice and should allow the participation of poor people in the development process. / Development Studies / M.A. (S.S.)