Communitarianism is inherent in the culture of the United States, contends John Tropman, and a significant amount of the work of bettering society comes not from the government nor the individual, but from groups of people working together to realize a shared goal. A community is a group that is unified around common elements, and each community shares a sense of a common fate. Communities do not just happen, but are built and tended. They require organization and leadership from within the community. Organization and leadership, in turn, are skills that require training and development. Successful Community Leadership and Organization sets out to address this goal.
“This book helps people know what to do when they are involved in community leadership,” writes Tropman.
It is a sort of cookbook, with recipes for making communities better. It is based on the premise that excellence is never an accident. Well-functioning communities function well because people work at making them do so. And as communities function better, tensions are reduced, connection is established, and caring is expressed. (p. xii)
Tropman’s book updates his earlier edition to more detail, including introductory chapters on the idea of community itself. This edition is divided into four sections:
- Essential Elements of Community Organization: Helping Communities Toward Positive Change
- Taking Leadership in Community Groups
- Conducting Effective Community Group Meetings
- The Rewards of Community Leadership
Successful Community Leadership and Organization primarily focusses on leading community meetings and arriving at high-quality community decisions. The techniques in this practical guide will help community leaders, organizers, and groups at work, church, or school better their decision-making and implementation processes.
