Bennett, Austin E.

English

Research Papers in Economics

COMMUNITY  DEVELOPMENT-MID-COAST
MAINE
Austin  E.  Bennett
Community  Development  Specialist
University of Maine
This  paper  describes  a  community  development  action  along  a
sixty-mile  stretch  about  halfway  down  the  Maine  coast.  The  action  was
generated  by  the  Education  Development  Center  (EDC)  of  Newton,
Massachusetts  and the University  of Maine Cooperative Extension  Service.
This  account  is  intended  to  identify  some  characteristics,  difficulties,  and
successes  that  have  been  encountered  and  seem  likely  to be  met  in  other
attempts  to change  social  systems.
THE  CHANGE  AGENTS
Mutual  interest  in  exploring  ways  to  attack  problems,  a converging  of
objectives,  and  a  chain  of  circumstances  led  the  University  of  Maine
Cooperative  Extension  Service  to  join  efforts  with  the  EDC  in  the  area
defined  by  EDC's  Maine  Pilot  Community  Program.
PROJECT  DEVELOPMENT
The  mid-coast  Maine  project  sprawls  over  four  counties,  where
occupations  spring  from  such  diverse  sources  as  shipbuilding  and  shoe
shops,  lobstering  and  the  tourist trade,  clamming  and broiler  farming.  It is
nonurban;  the  largest  town  has  about  10,000  people.  Schools  vary  from
tiny  grade  schools  on  islands  in  the  sea  to  consolidated  regional  high
schools  to old  ivy Bowdoin  College.
Our  project  objectives  within  this  regional  community  are that:
1.  Community  members  come  to  share  responsibility  for  decision
making  with  the  formally  organized  community  leadership.
2.  The  community  apply  a  systematic  approach  to  relating  the
educational  process  to  community  concerns.
3.  The  community  see  education  as  a  process  directly  related  to
community  concerns.
These  objectives  arose out  of long discussion  of the question,  "How do
you influence  change  in the total educational  system in a community?"  We
agreed  that  to influence  change  in such  a major community  element  as the
educational  system  requires  change  in the  entire  problem-solving  process
27in  the community.  To help us think from that stage to a statement  of values,
assumptions,  objectives,  and a plan for action, we arranged  for consultation
with  a  group  from  the  New  England  Center  for  Continuing  Education.
The  team included  an  educational media  specialist,  a  community psycholo-
gist,  an  operations  research  analyst,  a  sociological  statistician,  and  a
community  development  specialist.
When  we  had  hammered  out  the  objectives,  we  faced  the  question  of
knowing  when  they  are  accomplished.  What  are  community  members
doing  when  they  participate  in  decision  making?  What  is  an  appropriate
level  of  participation  for  each  citizen  and who  determines  it?  Such  ques-
tions  led  us  to  analyze  problem  solving  and  community  development
processes.  The result  was  a series  of  questions for the community  develop-
ment  educator  to  answer  relative  to  a  community's  performance  on  a
specific  problem.  Answers  to  these  questions  can  provide  five  categories
of information  for an evaluation  of the quality of community development:
problem  definition,  goal  setting,  solution  finding,  breadth  of  participation,
and  level  of  collaboration.
The initial  plan of  action that emerged  was  to select pilot communities
within  the  region,  then  to:
1. Identify  influential  persons  in  each  social  subsystem.
2.  Interview  influentials  to  identify  their  major  concerns.
3.  Bring  influentials  into  a  group  to:
a.  Examine  concerns  identified  by  individuals.
b.  Determine  group  concerns.
c.  Establish  group  goals.
d.  Determine  plans of  action to reach  goals.
As  individual  communities  established  procedures  for broad  participa-
tion  in  educational  management,  we  could  expand  the  pattern  to  the
regional  community.
This  plan  has  not  been  followed.  It  requires  an  organization,  or  at
least  an  individual,  within the  community  to initiate  action.  Efforts to find
a  ready-made  sponsor  have  failed,  and it  has become  necessary  to develop
an  organization  to  take  leadership.  Since  for  various  reasons  it  has  not
been  feasible  to  initiate  action  at  the  local  community  level,  an  attempt
has been  made  to establish  an  informal  regional  organization.
The  approach  we  followed  was  to  establish  a  consulting  relationship
with  a  few  organizations  to  discover  their  problems,  then  to  bring  them
together  to  stimulate  joint  action  based  on  their  common  concerns.  The
28core  organizations  have  been  the  Maine  unit  of  the  EDC, the  community
action  agency  serving  most  of  the  regional  community,  and  two  county
extension  services.
This  approach  seems  to  be  working.  The  core  is  gradually  expanding
to  include  representatives  of  other  social  groups  and  is  actively  planning
the  initiation  of  subregional  workshops  on  educational  issues.
PROBLEMS  ENCOUNTERED  IN  THE  PROJECT
Perhaps  this  is  enough  description  to  define the  general  outlines  of the
project.  Its  specific  nature  is  less  significant  than  that  it  represents  an
attempt to effect  change  in  a broad  social  system rather than  to deal  with
individual  problems  that often  arise  because  of the  system.  Following  are
some  of the  conditions  that seem  to  go  with such  an  attempt.
1.  While  the  basic  concepts  are  relatively  simple,  implementing  them
becomes  complex.  The  concept  of  integrated  planning  and  management
for  the  community's  total  educational  needs  is  readily  accepted.  Thinking
through  the  requirements  for  implementing  the concept  tends  to  be  over-
whelming.  A frequent response  is,  "'The idea sounds great,  but I wonder if
it isn't too  ambitious."
2.  The  magnitude  of  the  task  requires  much  time  and  effort.  Just
identifying  and inventorying  the  groups  in a regional community  that need
to  have  communication  in  the  problem-solving  process  is  a  substantial
task.
3.  Analysis  of  functions  to  be performed,  of  resources  required,  and
of  alternative  organizational  structures  is unorthodox  procedure  for  most
people.  Implying  that  a  system  might  be  improved  is in  itself threatening
and  automatically  creates  resistance  to  change  within the  system.  We  are
trying  to  change  processes  in a  bureaucratic  system when  bureaucracy  by
definition  aims to  ensure  stability  and continuity  of established  routines.
4.  A  community  tends  to  expend  its  energy in  coping  with immediate
problems  and  is  little  inclined  to  undertake  the  long-time  effort  needed  to
remove  the  cause  of  those problems.  A  small  peninsula-bound  elementary
school in  the project  area faced  a  self-appointed  committee  of irate parents
this  past  winter.  The  parents  charged  that  the  teachers'  introduction  of
ungraded  groupings  of  students  by  study  areas  was  destroying  discipline.
After  a  few months  of heated  conflict the  crisis  was mediated,  but no real
change  has  resulted  in  the  system  with  its  inadequate  school-community
communication  links.
5.  Individual interests  make it difficult to maintain a broad perspective.
We  repeatedly  catch  ourselves  discussing  some  generalization  about  the
29"educational  system"  when  our  meaning  is  obviously  the  "public  school
system."
6.  We  just  do not  have  adequate  knowledge  of  reliable  change  strate-
gies  and  techniques  for  democratic  action.
7.  In  the  early  stages  the  problems,  goals,  and  plans  were  explained
in  great  detail  to  potential  agency  participants.  I  believe  this  was  a  mis-
take,  that  each  participant  has  to  struggle  through  concept  development
and goal setting  to arrive  at his own role.
8.  The  basic  objectives  seem  too  abstract  to  generate  deep  commit-
ment,  while  more  specific  and immediate  goals  tend  to becloud  and  detract
from  them.  My  own  impatience  must  constantly  be  held  in  check;  it  is
agonizing  to  wait  for  six  or  eight  members  of  a  steering  committee  to
arrive  at a  consensus  about the  approach  to use  in  an opening conference.
OUR  SUCCESSES
We  have  successfully  avoided  predetermining  solutions  to  problems.
The  opportunity  for  wide participation  in decision  making  has  been  care-
fully  guarded.  This is  basic  for the entire approach.  Our role  is to help the
community  do  what  it wants  to do,  not  to provide  solutions  to  cure  what
we think are its ailments.
We  have  not  permitted  time  and  other  pressures  to  divert  us  from
deliberate  concept  development  and  planning.
I  sense  a  gathering  momentum  toward  greater  collaboration  of  the
core  organizations  and  an  expansion  of  the  core.  Slowly,  the  initiative  for
developing  a  regional  community  system  for  education  problem  solving
is  shifting  to  community  members.  At last  we  seem  to be  moving toward
wider  participation  by  the  regional  community.  Subregional  conferences
have  been  scheduled  to provide  large  numbers  of citizens  an  opportunity
to express  their views  and  concerns  about  learning needs  and  problems  of
education.  If  this  problem  census  is  successful,  we  can  then  build  the
organizational  structure  and  processes  to  weave  the  common  threads  into
a  fabric  of  action.
Perhaps in  a decade  we  will  know whether our objectives  are realistic.
GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS
A  substantial  concern  in  our  society  is  centered  on  education-on
learning  skills,  knowledge,  or  attitudes  that  are needed  for a  full  life  amid
fast-changing  conditions.  Because  the  demand  for  learning  is  heavy,  the
number  of  organizations  engaging  in  educational  functions  in  any  com-
munity may  be staggering.  In addition to schools  at elementary,  secondary,
30higher,  and  specialized  levels  are  churches,  industries,  families,  youth
groups,  service  clubs,  health  and  welfare  agencies,  community  action
agencies,  Cooperative  Extension  Service,  and  others.
Two  questions  nag  most  of  these  organizations  and  the  community
members  whom  they  serve:
1.  How  can  the  educator  make  programs  and  methods  more  re-
sponsive  to  learners'  needs?
2.  How  can  more  community  members  participate  effectively  in
decision  making  about  education?
No  matter  what  organization  performs  it,  the  application  of  the  edu-
cational  process  to  content  is  the  same  function  and  requires  the  same
resources:
1.  Physical  facilities.
2.  Sources  of  knowledge,  skills,  and attitudes.
3.  Educators  who can  design,  organize,  and implement  effective  learn-
ing  situations.
Planning  and  management  of  education  is  isolated  or  fragmented.
Program or curriculum  development  in the public  schools,  in the  churches,
in  the  Cooperative  Extension  Service,  in  industry  training  is  achieved
within each institution  and within  its narrow perception  of its role, interest,
and  capability.  Although  some  coordination,  or  even  collaboration,  may
occur  among  institutions,  it  is  either  accidental  or  results  from  personal
administrative  styles,  not  from the existence  of any  community  procedure.
For instance,  have  you ever heard  of a  community  deliberately  identifying
the  learning  needs  of  retired  and  about-to-retire  citizens,  considering  the
facilities,  educators,  and  finances  required,  then  determining  the  most
effective  organization  to  provide  them?
It  is very  difficult  to  restructure  an existing  agency  to  meet the  newly
identified  needs.  It  is  usually  easier  to  create  new  organizations  than  to
change  a bureaucracy.
Alternatives  for  improving  the  educational  system  are  often  limited
by  decisions  being  made  at  the  wrong  community  level.  A  town  has  an
outgrown,  obsolete  high  school  building.  It  is  too  small  to  support  an
adequate  facility or faculty.  Neighboring towns refuse  to admit nonresident
students;  consolidated  districts  are also  closed.  The town has  no acceptable
alternatives.  But it has  to do  something!  It often ends up with a new build-
ing  it  cannot  afford  and  a  generation  or  more  of  inadequately  prepared
youth.
31A  decision  by vote  taken  within the  boundaries  of a  municipality  may
affect  as  many  people  outside  as  within  and  vice  versa.  Several  major
economic  enterprises  are  causing  problems  of  this  kind  in  Maine:  a
possible  oil  refinery  and  free  port  in  Machiasport,  a  possible  aluminum
smelting  plant  in  Searsport,  an  atomic  power  plant  under  construction  in
Wiscasset.  Each  situation  involves  a sudden injection  of millions  of dollars
of  capital  and  operating  finances,  increased  population,  and  the  accom-
panying  demand  for  community  services.  The  decision  to  permit  site
location  is  made by voters  of the town where  the  real estate  lies, yet  many
of  the  demands  on  community  services-including  education-fall  on
surrounding  towns.
Attempts  to  redefine  communities,  as  in  the  establishment  of  con-
solidated  school  districts,  only  partially  reduce  the problem.
Too  often,  most  community  members  have  only  veto  power  as  a
realistic  means  of  participation.  For  example,  the  individual  citizen  can
only  express  displeasure  about  an  educational  program  by  voting  against
the  annual  request  for  a budget  increase.  He has, or feels  that  he has,  no
effective  means  of  making  a  positive  contribution  in developing  a  better
program.  Effective  public  affairs  education  programs  and  gradual develop-
ment  of increased  participation  can  help remedy  this  situation.
32

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT--MID-COAST MAINE

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics