Keys to the Community: A multiple case study into professional legitimation in community development practice

Abstract

This study examines how community development professionals obtain a sense of legitimacy in their work with local communities. In a comparative study derived from field research in Chelsea (USA), Amsterdam (The Netherlands ) and Doornkop (South Africa) the building blocks of their sense of legitimacy and the strategies they apply to obtain it are outlined in depth. This study has taken place against the background of a lively scholarly debate about the contested legitimacy of community development as traditionally a social reformist practice. Nevertheless are nowadays in all parts of the world community development professionals still active in mobilizing and encouraging local communities to collectively work towards a better life. One way or another, they succeed in getting the mandate of local people to work with them. This study demonstrates how in spite of, because, or even in the absence of involvement by the government, community development professionals are very skilful in the development of professional legitimacy for their involvement with local communities. Hereby, it are not always the original radical ideas that legitimize their activities. In this study an in-depht examination takes place of how community development professionals build an professional agenda based on local development issues, local traditions of social engagement and governance, frameworks of social policy and specific notions of professionalism.