The purpose of this study in 2002-2003 was to explore the relationships between individual and community empowerment and community development as reported by five government officials of the City of Oaxaca, Mexico, and by three community leaders, two NGO representatives, and three residents of Rinconada, an urban neighborhood on the outskirt of Oaxaca City. This study documents the dynamics of the Committee for Urban Life (COMVIVE), a community development program founded under the principle of resident participation. More specifically, this study describes the ways by which residents of the developing community of Rinconada were empowered by COMVIVE to participate substantially in community development initiatives.The Case Study research methodology was used to identify the setting, the unit of analysis, and the informants. Ethnographic procedures such as interviews, participant observation, and analysis of documents were used to collect, analyze, and report the evidence. Further analysis of the evidence was done with the help of ATLAS.ti, a computer program that allowed faster retrieval of interview information.The evidence presented suggests that the COMVIVE principles, structure, and process contributed to residents' empowerment to take action for community development. The COMVIVE program and its coordinators recognized and used the community organizational structure as the basis for resident participation, provided residents with a network of agencies and experts to access information and resources to undertake their projects, formed partnerships with residents and local NGOs, facilitated democratic decisions, provided tools to make development processes transparent and democratic, had a direct contact with residents, and facilitated residents participation in the decision-making process.The evidence also suggests that resident empowerment for community development is much more that involvement. It entails residents' control of their projects and responsibility to obtain appropriate information for decision making. In the context of low-income human settlements, having appropriate information is important for residents as they take actions to improve their living environments. Additional studies about empowerment for environmental improvement would add value to this study and inform practitioners to help plan and implement meaningful development programs. / Department of Educational Leadership
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179318 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Pacheco, Pedro |
| Contributors | McElhinney, James H. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | x, 192 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-mx--- |
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