Description
Please answer 1 of the 2 questions below and clearly indicate which question you select. Throughout the quarter, we learned about various theories and conceptual frameworks shaping community development and engagement, how they are shaped by socio-economic relations as well as the different actors that are supposed to lead the development process. Informed by different theories of development, some research groups presented a wide array of issues affecting different communities (race, class, political economic policies etc.), while others shared their findings about the development effects of global value chains organized for the creation, production, and consumption of various commodities and services. Drawing on analytical frameworks discussed in class or informed by your texts, journal articles and class presentation.
A) Explain how Latin American communities different from U.S communities. How are the factors shaping community development, practices & engagement different and similar? And in what ways do the similarities and dissimilarities shed light on the complexities and contradictions surrounding the meaning and different conceptualization of community. Provide a definition of community in your own analysis. Be sure to draw on theoretical frameworks, books, lectures, films and articles we have read or discussed in class. B) Provide a definition of community development that you think is the most accurate and identify at least two indicators one can use to measure it. Describe the conceptual arguments/theories that support your definition. Provide examples from class discussions/lecture to illustrate how your definition would work on the ground. Critically analyze how your definition of community development addresses dimensions of social differentiation such as gender, race, class, ethnicity/culture, local and national conditions, as well as international/transnational business relations.
