Perceptions of The Good Community

Abstract

AbstractIf community action programs are to be realistically developed, some indication of the perceived ideal community must be available as a goal toward which action can be directed. This paper suggests a method of examining selected social factors in the actual community of residence and the good community; the techniques described help define what the community ought to be as well as what it currently is. Based on responses from opportunity samples of participants in a leadership development seminar and university students, analysis reveals that the social criteria thought to operate in the ideal community differ in importance attached to them, that simultaneous maximization of social factors creates few perceived conflicts, and that the ideal and actual communities differ greatly on some of the factors. It is suggested that use of the techniques described can assist change agents in developing effective programs and in measuring progress toward achieving desired objectives. Additional informationNotes on contributorsWillis J. GoudyDr. Goudy is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Iowa State University. This investigation was supported in part through Title V of the 1972 Rural Development Act. The author is indebted to David L. Rogers, John L. Tait, and Roland L. Warren for comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Journal Paper No. J-8043 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 2079.