IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/syspar/v33y2020i5d10.1007_s11213-019-09496-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reflective Practices in Community Development: a Grounded Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Juan M. Moreno

    (University of Brighton)

  • Kaliat Ammu Sanyal

    (University of Brighton)

  • Firooz Firoozmand

    (University of Brighton)

  • Pauline Rutter

    (University of Brighton)

  • Marie K. Harder

    (University of Brighton)

Abstract

Reflective practices (RPs) are recognized as fundamental for the conception, development, implementation and improvement of community-based development in international development. Despite acknowledgement that RPs are needed, the ways in which reflection can take place within Community Development (CD) contexts remains under-examined. In this study, the authors conduct a grounded thematic analysis of a values-based elicitation and articulation approach with three community organizations in order to: (i) identify specific elements in the processes of reflection; (ii) explore how identified themes relate to existing concepts within RPs literature, and any useful insights to CD contexts; (iii) explore the ways in which values-based elicitation approaches facilitate RPs. UK organisations are used for convenience, but the study is for transferable learning to international development. In their analysis, the authors identify four main themes: Reasoning (justification, articulation, recall), Active listening (nuanced expansion, replication), Collective articulation (semantic cooperation, semantic negotiations, semantic disagreements), and Tension (confusion, resistance). These highlight the multi-dimensional, non-linear nature of RPs, the importance of productive tensions, and the need for the facilitators enabling processes of RPs to develop skills such as active listening, working with tensions and deep semantic negotiations. Findings indicate this approach can open up new lines of investigation of mechanisms underlying RPs which could assist in planning reliably for them. Challenges and opportunities for further research are outlined.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan M. Moreno & Kaliat Ammu Sanyal & Firooz Firoozmand & Pauline Rutter & Marie K. Harder, 2020. "Reflective Practices in Community Development: a Grounded Analysis," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(5), pages 501-525, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09496-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11213-019-09496-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11213-019-09496-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11213-019-09496-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Archibald, Thomas & Sharrock, Guy & Buckley, Jane & Cook, Natalie, 2016. "Assumptions, conjectures, and other miracles: The application of evaluative thinking to theory of change models in community development," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 119-127.
    2. Gemma Burford & Elona Hoover & Lee Stapleton & Marie K. Harder, 2016. "An Unexpected Means of Embedding Ethics in Organizations: Preliminary Findings from Values-Based Evaluations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Rick James, 2010. "Vices and Virtues in Capacity Development by International NGOs," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(3), pages 13-24, May.
    4. Moreno, Juan M. & Noguchi, Lori M. & Harder, Marie K., 2017. "Understanding the Process of Community Capacity-Building: A Case Study of Two Programs in Yunnan Province, China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 122-137.
    5. Peter Clarke & Katy Oswald, 2010. "Introduction: Why Reflect Collectively on Capacities for Change?," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(3), pages 1-12, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kate Gooding & James N Newell & Nick Emmel, 2018. "Capacity to conduct health research among NGOs in Malawi: Diverse strengths, needs and opportunities for development," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Martínez, Cecilia & Skeet, Ann Gregg & Sasia, Pedro M., 2021. "Managing organizational ethics: How ethics becomes pervasive within organizations," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 83-92.
    3. Moreno, Juan M. & Noguchi, Lori M. & Harder, Marie K., 2017. "Understanding the Process of Community Capacity-Building: A Case Study of Two Programs in Yunnan Province, China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 122-137.
    4. McConnell, Jesse, 2019. "Adoption for adaptation: A theory-based approach for monitoring a complex policy initiative," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 214-223.
    5. Keshuai Xu & Jin Zhang & Fengjun Tian, 2017. "Community Leadership in Rural Tourism Development: A Tale of Two Ancient Chinese Villages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Eger, Claudia & Miller, Graham & Scarles, Caroline, 2018. "Gender and capacity building: A multi-layered study of empowerment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 207-219.
    7. Dana Rad & Gavril Rad, 2021. "Theory of Change in Digital Behavior Change Interventions (Dbcis) And Community-Based Change Initiatives - A General Framework," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 21(1), pages 554-569, July.
    8. Guillermina Tormo-Carbó & Elies Seguí-Mas & Víctor Oltra, 2018. "Business Ethics as a Sustainability Challenge: Higher Education Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    9. Nielsen, Steffen Bohni & Lemire, Sebastian & Bourgeois, Isabelle & Fierro, Leslie A., 2023. "Mapping the evaluation capacity building landscape: A bibliometric analysis of scholarly communities and themes," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    10. Gamo, Bereket Roba & Park, Duk-Byeong, 2022. "Community capacity influencing community participation: Evidence from Ethiopia," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    11. Miao, Qing & Schwarz, Susan & Schwarz, Gary, 2021. "Responding to COVID-19: Community volunteerism and coproduction in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    12. Arasanz, Carla & Nylen, Kirk, 2020. "The theory of change of the evaluation support program: Enhancing the role of community organizations in providing an ecology of care for neurological disorders," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Carbajo, Ruth & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2019. "Sustainability and social justice dimension indicators for applied renewable energy research: A responsible approach proposal," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Che, Feng & Zhou, Yalin & Liu, Yipeng, 2022. "Social Quality, Knowledge Hiding, and Community Capacity: A Study on Multi-Ethnic Communities in Chinese Cities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1024-1038.
    15. Genowefa Blundo-Canto & Gonzalo Rodríguez-Borray & Ángela-Rocío Vásquez-Urriago & María-Margarita Ramírez-Gómez & Gregorio Zambrano-Moreno & Leidy Tibaduiza-Castañeda & Bellanid Huertas-Carranza & Adr, 2023. "Impact Weaving: An Approach to Strengthening the Plausibility of Anticipated AR4D Impact Pathways," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(2), pages 402-425, April.
    16. Nylen, Kirk & Sridharan, Sanjeev, 2020. "Experiments in evaluation capacity building: Enhancing brain disorders research impact in Ontario," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    17. Pablo Aránguiz & Guillermo Palau-Salvador & Ana Belda & Jordi Peris, 2020. "Critical Thinking Using Project-Based Learning: The Case of The Agroecological Market at the “Universitat Politècnica de València”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-23, April.
    18. Cook, Ailsa & Morton, Sarah & Henderson, Flora, 2023. "Interrogating assumptions about the relationship between service providers and recipients: Learning from a new service for survivors of In Care Abuse," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09496-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.