building community capacity adefinitional framework and case studies英文资料.pdf

Chaskin / DEFINING COMMUNITY CAPACITYURBAN AFFAIRS REVIEW / January 2001 BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY A Definitional Framework and Case Studies from a Comprehensive Community Initiative ROBERT J. CHASKIN University of Chicago The notion of community capacity building is both explicit and pervasive in the rhetoric, mis- sions, and activities of a broad range of contemporary community development efforts. How- ever, there is limited clarity about the meaning of capacity and capacity building at the neighbor- hood level. The author suggests a definitional framework for understanding and promoting community capacity, explores the attempt to operationalize a capacity-building agenda through the examination of two contrasting case studies within a multisite comprehensive community initiative (CCI), and suggests some possible next steps toward building community capacity through social change efforts such as CCIs. The past decade has seen a renewed policy emphasis on community-based approaches to promoting social change and economic development, deliver- ing services, and addressing the needs of people in poverty.1 The current gen- eration of these efforts includes a growing set of comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) operating across the country that focus in particular on building the capacity of communities to identify priorities and opportunities and to foster and sustain positive neighborhood change. CCIs are generally