Social Entrepreneurship in Communities

The United States ranks low on many measures of population health. In addressing this societal problem, nonprofit health conversion foundations are emerging as important, local social entrepreneurs. We investigated the processes by which these organizations create and implement locally situated innovative approaches to promote health and wellness. Using an inductive, qualitative approach, we identified central themes by which conversion foundations, as social entrepreneurs, developed collaborative solutions to health. We found that they defined the social problem, generated social capital in the community, and educated potential partners. These mechanisms helped build a groundwork for collaboration among community actors. Conversion foundations then convened partners with complementary competencies to develop creative solutions. This research contributes to the literature on social entrepreneurship and nonprofits by expanding understanding of how foundations can foster community collaborations to develop innovative solutions to social problems. Further, this study sheds light on the activities and processes of nonprofit health conversion foundations as actors with the potential to improve population health.     

Cross-border partnership – the impact of institutions on creating the borderland communities (the case of Spree-Neisse-Bober Euroregion)

The aim of the paper is to present the cooperation nets generated as a result of the operation of an organization of a cross-border scope and impact, and such is the Spree-Neisse-Bober Euroregion, and to evaluate and assess their role in creating the bonds among the inhabitants. The main research area is the role that the SNBE plays in creating social connections. The authoresses will pay close attention to: the characteristics of Polish-German relations in the borderland; existing social networks within the frames of created partnerships, and the role of the Euroregion as an institution fostering the development of transborder community. The analysis presented here is the result of the research project “Trust beyond Borders. Sprewa-Nysa-Bóbr Euroregion in Perspective of Integrating Processes in Polish-German Borderland”. Conducted in 2013, it used content analysis, survey (800 respondents) and unstructured interviews (70 experts from Poland and Germany) methods.     

Implications of urbanism for the use of local news media: effects of population concentration on types of news acquisition in Japan

The Internet, a global computer network enabling people to send and receive information anywhere in the world, also functions as a local medium of communication. This study focuses on the role of the Internet in transmitting local news and examines the effects of community population concentrations as socio-ecological environments on the use of local news media consumed online and offline. Data from 1367 respondents across 156 Japanese communities were used to analyze the relationships between type of community and type of news source. The findings suggest that people who live in highly populated communities tend more often to use the Internet to access local news, whereas those in less populated communities tend to use more traditional mass media. However, the results of this study did not show a relationship between population concentrations within communities and the acquisition of international news, nor did the social features of residents adequately explain the effects of population concentration on the acquisition of local news. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions based on network externalities, urbanism, and collective action. The findings indicate that local news consumption is embedded in local social contexts in a way that international news is not, reinforcing the importance of urbanism in the information age.     

Domesticating technology for shared success: collective enactments of World of Warcraft

In this paper, we analyse processes of domestication as collective enactments, using online game playing of World of Warcraft as a case. We study how groups of players – guilds – develop practices and sense-making with respect to the technologies they use in their shared endeavours in raids to battle monsters. Previous studies of domestication have mainly focused on single-actor strategies and relatively little attention have been given to the impact of concerns for particular domestication outcomes, for example in competitive situations or with goals related to efficiency. This paper contributes to domestication theory by analysing what we call collective domestication in a performance-oriented setting, to see how domestication may produce compatible outcomes for individuals that need to act together. The paper is based on a one-year participant observation and qualitative interviews with players. Three types of players were identified – hardcore, casual and moderate – representing three rationales of play: a high level of performance, social benefits, or a combination of the first two. In the analysis, we compare how these three types of player groups’ domesticated the game. A main finding is that collective enactments of technology need extensive managerial efforts unless the group share a coherent and uncontested rationale for playing, thus being a moral community.     

Negotiating With the Growth Machine: Community Benefits Agreements and Value‐Conscious Growth

Scholars have extended, challenged, and molded growth machine theory to examine growth—in terms of population, basic industry, labor force participation, commerce, financial activity, and land development—in a variety of contexts. The theory's core, however, has remained the same: cities are conceptualized as growth machines, which consist of unified and powerful growth coalitions. These coalitions pursue a pro‐growth agenda, seeking to enhance the exchange value of local land and property. They often face opposition from local residents, who are more oriented toward use values of land. Resident opposition, however, tends to be unsuccessful in the face of large‐scale commercial development. Aware of this, communities across the country are pursuing new strategies to address development projects in their backyards. In particular, some have formed coalitions to negotiate for benefits from developers through legally binding community benefits agreements (CBAs). Drawing from a case study of Pittsburgh's first CBA, this article analyzes the implications of CBAs for pro‐growth agendas. Pittsburgh's CBA surrounded the construction of a professional sports facility, a development project that presents an ideal example of growth processes in today's cities. Ultimately, CBAs can achieve “value‐conscious” growth, but they do not fundamentally alter dominant standards of growth or growth machine processes.     

Afrocentricity as an Alternative World View for Equality

An official goal of the social work profession is that of equality for all. However, social work's ability to achieve this goal is hampered by the Eurocentric world view, wherein reality is structured to emphasize fragmentation, conflict, and domination, which foster inequality. A better philosophical ''fit'' for social work is the Afrocentric world view. Its view of reality that underscores interdependency, collectivity, and spirituality places it in an excellent position to promote equality. Social workers are encouraged to apply the Afrocentric paradigm to transform social work from a profession primarily concerned with direct practice to a social movement of equality and justice.     

Identity and Self-Presentation in the House/Ball Culture: A Primer for Social Workers

Members of the house/ball subculture, a segment of the population of young men and transgendered people of color who have sex with men in the United States, are examined in relationship to self-identity and presentation. To enhance cultural awareness and understanding for helping professionals, historical backdrop, categories of identity, theoretical applications, and insight concerning the social network and fluidity of self within the house/ball community are described and examined. Case illustrations demonstrate the importance of cultural competence concerning this marginalized population, especially when considering HIV prevention and care, health disparities, violence, and poverty.     

Building Community for Toronto's Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transsexual and Transgender Youth

SUMMARY

This paper describes the development of Supporting Our Youth, an innovative grassroots program that builds community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgender youth in Toronto. Hundreds of adults and youth have worked together to develop a broad range of arts, cultural, recreational, and employment training activities, as well as a very popular mentoring and housing program. Initiated in 1997, Supporting Our Youth has been developed according to underlying principles of community development and community building which value broad participation, diverse skills, partnerships, coalition building, and grassroots ownership and direction. As a model, it is transferable to other queer and trans communities, as well as to other marginalized populations.     

A Fair Representation

SUMMARY

Relying on archival documents as well as the author's involvement with Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), this article traces the historical development of the gay liberation movement in that country. The author focuses on the GALZ's relationship to the media and to the state in describing community organizing efforts against homophobia. A case example of organizing is provided in order to emphasize the importance of self-empowerment and to discuss the birth of liberationist sentiments in the gay and lesbian community.     

Reconceptualizing Community Organization in India

SUMMARY

This article traces the history of community organization (CO) in the disciplinary and practice arena in India. Although CO within the academia grew with social work, the trajectory of CO practice reveals an increasing tension with the discipline of social work, especially the way it is structured and taught in India. The interface with the community development (CD) programme of the government, as also the growth of the voluntary sector and the influence of new social movements, compelled a review of the orientation of CD and CO. A sectoral thrust on livelihoods, health, education, housing, wages, land alienation, access to entitlements along with the pluralization of debates on caste, ethnicity, tribal and gender identities enriched CO in India. The article offers a perspective on CO based on practice and the critical engagements of faculty members in one of the premier institutes of India which offers social work programmes. Concerted efforts to respond to the changing social and political context with consistent pro-poor stances provided unique insights which are reshaping, refining and re-conceptualizing the perspective of CO in India. This is reflected in course work, the conscious recasting of fieldwork, the criteria of selecting sites of practice and agencies, and the policy work undertaken by faculty members. Could the new curriculum be termed as transdisciplinary or is CO emerging as a distinct discipline? This is a question posed for further debate.