Journal Articles

Participatory community development: evidence from Thailand

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Participation in community development is the key to promoting efficiency, accountability, and transparency in resource allocations for community development, resulting in fewer problems of social inequality. Many ‘participatory’ development projects, however, have not been successful in arousing participation among community members. In many such cases, cultural values and social norms are key barriers. Approaches developed with little understanding of local contexts may yield no incentive to participate. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms that may operate within certain cultural contexts remain under-researched to date. This study examines evidence from Thailand, using examples from communities that have been able to get people's participation despite a hindering culture of compliance to superiors. These examples suggest that the enabling mechanisms include three important factors: actor (self-esteem), action (engagement of community members throughout the development process), and alliance (management of roles, rules, and resolutions). This study contributes to knowledge about the socio-culturally embedded character of community development and suggests ways to promote participation based on an understanding of a specific context.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Community Development Journal

Call Number

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Publisher

Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications., 2015

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0010-3802

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 50, Number 1 January 2015, pages 55-70

Subject(s)

Community development
Accountability
Efficiency
Development projects

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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