Consensus Organizing: A Community Development Workbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Community Change Initiatives / Edition 1

by Mary L. Ohmer, Karen DeMasi

Overview

A person doesn't have to be a consensus organizer to think like one. Consensus Organizing: A Community Development Workbook—A Comprehensive Guide to Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Community Change Initiatives helps students and practitioners begin to think like consensus organizers and incorporate this way of strategic thinking into their lives and their work. Through a wide range of exercises, role-play activities, case scenarios, and discussion questions, this workbook presents the conceptual framework for consensus organizing and provides a practical and experiential approach to understanding and applying consensus organizing to address a range of issues. This workbook is designed to be used by itself or along with Mike Eichler's text Consensus Organizing: Building Communities of Mutual Self Interest (SAGE, 2007).

Accompanying Website
Instructors and students have access to the many activities and cases on the accompanying website at www.sagepub.com/ohmerworkbookstudy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412939836
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/15/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Mary Ohmer has over twenty years of experience working in community organizing and development around the country with national and local nonprofit and community based organizations, foundations, and government. Dr. Ohmer has taught consensus organizing approaches as part of macro practice and community organizing social work courses. She received her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Pittsburgh in August 2004, and she is currently an assistant professor at the School of Social Work at Georgia State University. Dr. Ohmer is also currently working with the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta to help them develop and implement an evaluation of the community training.

Karen De Masi has over twenty years social work experience with nonprofit agencies with expertise in program development, strategic planning, fundraising, community development and administration. Ms. De Masi later worked with the Consensus Organizing Institute developing and implementing new training and consulting opportunities in both the private and public sector markets across the United States. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton, with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Ms. De Masi currently works as an independent consultant to community building organizations throughout the Ohio/Kentucky region, including LISC.

Table of Contents

SECTION ONE: CONSENSUS ORGANIZING IN CONTEXT
Introduction to Section one
1. Approaches to Community Organizing and Their Relationship to Consensus Organizing
Community, Civic Engagement, and Social Capital
Community Organizing Approaches
Defining Consensus Organizing and Comparing it with Other Approaches
The Conceptual Model for Consensus Organizing
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
Field Exercise
Web Resources
2. How the Economic, Political, and Social Context Influences Low-Income Communities and Community Organizing
Why Context is important to Community Organizing
Overall Economic, Political, and Social Trends and their Influence on Low-income Communities
How Can Community Organizers Respond To These Trends
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
Field Exercise
Web Resources
3. Understanding and Applying the Strategic Principles of Consensus Organizing
The Strategic Principles of Consensus Organizing
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise
Field Exercise
Web Resources
SECTION TWO: WHAT DOES A CONSENSUS ORGANIZER DO?
Introduction to Section Two
4. The Process of Consensus Organizing
Community Organizing Versus Community Outreach
The Consensus Organizing Process
Basic Steps in the Consensus Organizing Process
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: The Jamestown Neighborhood
Field Exercise
Web Resources
5. The Role of the Consensus Organizer
Characteristics of a Consensus Organizer
Fundamental Attitudes and Competencies of Consensus Organizers
Roles for Consensus Organizers
Tools for the Organizer and Supervisor to Monitor Progress
Raising Resources for Community Organizing Work
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
Field Exercises
Web Resources
Suggested Reading
SECTION THREE: THE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS IN CONSENSUS ORGANIZING
Introduction to Section Three: The Community Analysis: Building Trust, Relationships, and Strategies for Positive Community Change
How does a Community Analysis differ from other types of Community Studies?
Why do a Community Analysis?
What are the Expected Outcomes of the Community Analysis
What is the Consensus Organizer's Role in conducting a Community Analysis?
Engaging the "Community" in the Community Analysis: Getting your Foot in the Door
Discussion Questions
Role Play Exercise
6. Step One in the Community Analysis: Understanding Neighborhoods - Their History and Current Conditions
Overall Purpose of Step One of the community analysis
Gathering Information about the Community
Strategic Questions for Step One
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: Step One of the Community Analysis: Palm Beach County Development Team
In-Class Exercise: Getting Started on Step One of the Community Analysis
Field Exercise
7. Step Two in the Community Analysis: Understanding and Engaging Individuals from Internal Community Resources
Purpose of the Internal Community Analysis
Strategic Questions for the Analysis of Internal Community Resources
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
In-Class Exercise: Getting Started on Step Two of the Community Analysis
Field Exercise
8. Step Three in the Community Analysis: Understanding and Engaging Individuals from External Community Resources
Purpose of the Analysis of External Community Resources
Identifying the Self-Interest of External Community Resources
Using the Analysis to Engage Members of the External Power Structure
Strategic Questions for the External community analysis
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
In-Class Exercise: Getting Started on Step Three of the community analysis
Field Exercise
SECTION FOUR: WRAP-UP: THE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS - TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
Potential "Red Flags" in the Community Analysis
Writing up your Results from the Community Analysis
Case Study Exercises
Discussion Questions
Role Play Exercises
Field Exercise
Web Resources
SECTION FOUR: CONSENSUS ORGANIZING STRATEGIES AND TACTICS: BUILDING ON THE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS TO FACILITATE PARTNERSHIPS AND EFFECT CHANGE
9. Building Personal Relationships by Identifying and Harnessing Mutual Self-Interest
Understanding Self-Interest
Identifying and Harnessing Self-Interest inside the Neighborhood
Identifying and Harnessing Self-Interest outside the Neighborhood
Relationships and Social Capital
Strategies for Harnessing Mutual Self-Interest
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: The UJIMA Network, Dayton, Ohio
Field Exercise
Web Resources
10. Power Matters: Understanding and Using Power to Build Partnerships
The Consensus Organizing View of Power Compared to Conflict Approaches
How do Consensus Organizers Grow Power?
Strategies and Tactics to Facilitate Power
Case Illustration: Sharing Power in Las Vegas
Summary
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: Lawrence Community Works, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Field Exercise
Web Resources
SECTION FIVE: BUILDING A FUTURE FOR CONSENSUS ORGANIZING
11. Seeding Civic Participation through Youth Organizing
Introduction: Youth as Community Assets
Do Young People care about the community
Case Illustration: Bridging the Divide: Engaging Youth in Community Work
Practical Consensus Organizing Strategies to Engage Youth
Consensus Organizing: Examples of Youth Organizing Initiatives
University Programs Engaging Youth in Civic Action
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: Y.O.! - Youth Organizers! Williamsburg, New York
Field Exercises
Web Resources
12. Applying Consensus Organizing to Other Fields
Introduction
Important Assumptions of a Consensus Organizing Approach
Designing programs like a Consensus Organizer
Thinking like a Consensus Organizer
Introducing Consensus Organizing into your Organization
Final Thoughts
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercises
Field Exercises
Web Resources
SECTION SIX: STRATEGIES EVALUATING CONSENSUS ORGANIZING AND COMMUNITY LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
13. Designing an Evaluation of a Consensus Organizing Intervention
Why are Evidence-based Practice and Program Evaluation Important?
Approaches to Evaluation and Research Compatible with Consensus Organizing
Basic Elements of Program Evaluation
Summary
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise on Program Evaluation: Kansas City Building Blocks Program
Field Exercises
Web Resources
14. Evaluating Consensus Organizing as a Community Level Intervention
Comprehensive Community Initiatives and Consensus Organizing
Strategies for Evaluating Consensus Organizing as a Community Level Intervention
Summary
Discussion Questions
Case Study Exercise: The Evaluation of the Urban Health Initiative: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Field Exercises
Web Resources
Foreword

Editorial Reviews

"The case studies and class activities are excellent. The concise summary of consensus organizing would be useful."

Gary Paul Greenn Sociological Association

"Mary Ohmer and Karen De Masi have carefully (and possibly lovingly) written a book that can be used as a workbook and/or a resource in both the classroom and for staff trainings, and with some adjustments, in community settings to enhance resident capacity and skills."

Patricia W. Murphy

"The world is changing rapidly and the practice of Community Organizing needs to change with it. Representing both an homage to, and a departure from the "alinsky traditions" of organizing, Consensus Organizing offers techniques that are specifically designed for urban and rural communities struggling to succeed in the global economy and the information age. Ohmer and De Masi are experienced organizers who offer a relentlessly thorough examination of the process of bringing diverse communities together to make change and to bridge the ethnic and economic divisions that keep many communities from succeeding. "

Bill Traynor

"The case studies and class activities are excellent. The concise summary of consensus organizing would be useful."

American Sociological Association - Gary Paul Green

"The case studies and class activities are excellent. The concise summary of consensus organizing would be useful. "— Gary Paul Green

American Sociological Association