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Strange bedfellows: community development, democracy, and magic

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  • Esther Farmer

Abstract

"Magic moments" are experienced when people are transformed by feelings of surprise and delight, moments when they experience that collective "aha" feeling, or experience the joy of connection with a group. These moments allow people to temporarily suspend their belief systems and feel a collective openness to something new and transformative. They can sometimes be life changing. These moments do not happen on their own; rather, practitioners often have to facilitate the creation of environments in which they can happen. Community developers in this field strive to engage citizens holistically, including their emotional and creative assets. These community development workers challenge traditional models that often reflect class, race, and gender biases. The process of creating environments for magic to happen can promote a culture of democracy, where principles of inclusion and participation are manifest. This article will reflect on examples of magic moments in the author's theater and community development work, discuss the methods used to create environments where they were possible, and explore the impacts of such environments on democratic practice and community development.

Suggested Citation

  • Esther Farmer, 2015. "Strange bedfellows: community development, democracy, and magic," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 294-306, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:comdev:v:46:y:2015:i:3:p:294-306
    DOI: 10.1080/15575330.2015.1023818
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