Tag Archives: ABCD

Power and strengths-based practice

Posted on 4 February 2019 by

Despite the wide spread acceptance of strengths-based practice—What family or community service would not claim to be strengths-based?—practice does not always live up to the rhetoric.
One of the things that often undermines practitioners’ claims to be strengths-based, is that they fail to recognise the way in which strengths-based practice challenges traditional power relationships. Continue reading →

Posted in Families & parenting, Social change, Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A video introducing asset-based community development (ABCD)

Posted on 15 October 2018 by

This is a brief introduction to ABCD—asset-based community development (or asset-based community-led development)—produced by The Calabash Trust in South Africa. I like how it discusses the idea that the health of our minds and hearts affect our material well-being.  Too much … Continue reading →

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Resources for churches on asset-based community development (ABCD)

Posted on 20 September 2018 by

A while ago somebody asked me about resources on strengths-based approaches to community development for churches. Here are some suggestions, mainly related to asset-based community-driven development (ABCD). Articles about ABCD and churches or faith communities. Barrett, A. (2013). Asset-based community … Continue reading →

Posted in Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Updated my introduction to asset-based community development

Posted on 7 November 2017 by

I’ve just completed a major update of my post What is asset-based community development (ABCD)?, in preparation for a major revision to a course I’ve been teaching for a while. I’ve expanded on the importance of it being a community-driven … Continue reading →

Posted in Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

New resources on asset-based community development (ABCD)

Posted on 19 October 2017 by

I’ve just added the following resources to the reading list on asset-based community development (ABCD) I’ve created. Cameron, C., & Wasacase, T. (2017). Community-driven health impact assessment and asset-based community development: An innovate path to community well-being. In R. Phillips … Continue reading →

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An example of asset-based community development

Posted on 2 August 2017 by

Asset-based community-driven development (ABCD) is built on four foundations (Kretzmann, 2010; Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993; Mathie & Cunningham, 2003): It focuses on community assets and strengths rather than problems and needs It identifies and mobilises individual and community assets, skills … Continue reading →

Posted in Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The relationship between community engagement and community development

Posted on 12 July 2017 by

Community engagement is at the heart of community development. In her useful discussion of community development, Jessica Smart (2017) discusses the difference between community-based work “which involves the community”, and community development, “which is led by the community” (para. 5, … Continue reading →

Posted in Working with communities | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Updates to the reading list on ABCD

Posted on 3 March 2017 by

I’ve just updated the reading list on ABCD (over 100 resources). I’ve added nine articles or other resources. Most of them are fairly old (still worth looking at) but some of them are quire recent. Please let me know of any … Continue reading →

Posted in Good articles/links, Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Mobilising community assets and volunteers can have side effects

Posted on 23 October 2016 by

One of the strengths of asset-based community-driven development (ABCD) is how it builds on the passions and skills of volunteer community members. It’s amazing what communities can achieve when they rely on their own resources. But there can be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Social change, Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A reading list on ABCD (over 100 resources)

Posted on 11 April 2016 by

[Updated 19 October 2017 to add new resources. Click here for a list of the new ones.] The following are readings I’ve collected about asset-based community development (ABCD) and other asset-based approaches to working with communities. (If you want you … Continue reading →

Posted in Good articles/links, Strengths-based approaches & ABCD, Working with communities | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments