| Abstract: | In an applied field of study and action such as community developmentthe process of theorization and the role of critical writingand publishing are crucial. Journals such as the Community DevelopmentJournal (CDJ), along with the countless but invaluable magazines,newsletters, reports and working papers, simultaneously provideopportunities for critical reflection and theory building onpractice and the evaluation of theorize in practice. Those whowrite within and about community development are almost inevitablyengaged emotionally, intellectually or economically with thesubject as academics, researchers, policy makers and analysts,practitioners, managers and even occasionally beneficiaries.Thus, community development can be a practice that to some extentreflects who we are and what we value. At its best criticalwriting challenges personal assumptions and behaviours and providesinsights that extend our conceptual understanding of the fieldin which we are |
