Robertson, Fred R.

English

Research Papers in Economics

PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION  FOR COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT  IN ALABAMA
Fred R.  Robertson
Vice  President for  Extension
Auburn  University
Alabama  has been  a pioneer  in  program  planning  over  the  past
several  decades.  Community  clubs  have  been  used  for  many  years
to  stimulate  local  interest  in  community  development.  Support  for
these  activities  has  come  mainly  from  civic  and  business  groups.
But  until  seven  years  ago,  there  had  been  no  determined  effort  to
tie  local  interest  in  community  development  to  state  and  national
programs  in  a  formal  manner-that  is,  through  special  legislation
and well  articulated  program  activities  on  a state-wide  basis.
To  tie  local,  state,  and  national  interest  together  in  a  sustained
effort  for community  development,  it  was  necessary  to  use  the  term
"community"  in its broadest  sense.  Included  were  the industrial com-
munity,  rural  community,  and  business  community.  None  was  ex-
cluded.  Also,  the  scope  of program  activities  had  to be  designed  to
involve  the  power  structure  at  all  appropriate  levels.  In  Alabama,
the  vehicle  we  selected  for  this  job  was  a  program  entitled  "Rural
Resource  Development."
PUBLIC  AFFAIRS  EDUCATION
The methodology  used  to  get RRD  under  way  was  an  intensive
program  in  public  affairs  education  that  would  develop  a  positive
community  attitude  and  spirit  as  well  as  vision  and  willingness  on
the part of  the  people  to work cooperatively  toward  common  goals.
Extension  used  every  available  educational  process  to  make  people
aware  of the  forces,  both internal and  external,  at work in the  com-
munities.  Most of  these  forces  were  economic,  social,  or  political  in
nature.  Examples  are  increase  or  decline  in  the  population,  loss of
productive  labor  force,  expanding  and  declining  product  and  labor
markets,  urban expansion,  government  programs,  changing  tax reve-
nues.  These  forces,  Extension  explained,  have  an  impact  upon  the
decline  in  community  services  and  facilities  and  the  need  for  their
further  development.  Stimulating  the  interest  of  community  leaders
in  changing  conditions  and  their  influence  on  the  community  has
been  effective  in generating  a total  community  concern  for improve-
ment.
In appearances  before  community,  civic,  and business groups  and
111governing  bodies,  Extension  has  been  able  to  create  awareness  of
problems  and  needs  in  community  services  and  facilities.  Also  help-
ful  have been  community  forums,  radio  panel  discussions,  and  wide
use  of  all  other  mass  media.  Progress  in  developing  needed  com-
munity services  and facilities  rests ultimately  upon developing  among
citizens  a  genuine  will  to  move  forward.  Community  concern  is  a
vital  spark  which Extension  helps  generate.
To  state  the  problem  and  establish  the  need,  Extension  pointed
out:  (1)  decline of the economic base, public  institutions, and services
in rural  areas,  (2)  lack  of  community  concern  about  the  economic
deterioration  which  was  taking  place,  and  (3)  inadequate  financial
resources  to  effectively  attack  community  development  problems  in
Alabama.
Throughout Alabama,  hundreds  of once  prosperous  and  thriving
rural  communities  are  literally  dying.  As  people  move  out,  the  land
often becomes  idle,  churches  and  schools  are  abandoned,  and  local
businesses  close.  State and county governments  then lose tax revenue,
the  entire  economy  suffers,  and  the  affected  areas  lose  people-one
of their major resources  for future  development.  The  high percentage
of  young  men  and  women  leaving  the  farm  and  the  rising  average
age  of  farm  people  are  of  particular  concern.
Extension  felt  that  rural  communities  of  Alabama  needed  spe-
cialized  assistance  to help  their people  who need and  want  to remain
in agriculture  earn  a  satisfactory  income,  and  to  help  those  people
who  are  leaving  the  farm  find  opportunities  in  business  or  industry,
preferably  within  their local  areas.
Initial  steps  were  taken  to  secure  public  and  legislative  support
in  1959  and  1960.  During  that period,  the  Extension  Service  made
a  reasonably  thorough,  but  probably  not  statistically  valid,  study
that  had  three  main parts:
1.  Alabama's  changing  economy,  particularly  changes  occurring
in  agriculture  and  the  problems  resulting  from  them.
2.  The  state's  resources  and  the  opportunities  to further  develop
them.
3.  A  self-analysis  of  Extension's  organization  and  program  to
determine  what  Extension  could  do  to help  Alabama  realize
its  full  economic  potential.
A  brochure  stating  the  need  for  an  intensive  educational  pro-
gram was  prepared  by  the  Extension  staff.  This  publication  told  the
112story  of Alabama's  problems  and  opportunities.  This  story  was  told
personally  by  the  Director  of  Extension  to  practically  every  county
governing  body  in the  state.  This activity  stimulated  interest  and  in-
creased  financial  support  at  the  county  level.  In  addition,  it  set  the
stage for  a successful  effort to obtain  funds  from the  state  legislature
to support  a  program  in  Rural  Resource  Development.
The  next  step  was  to present  the  story  to  the  Governor  of  Ala-
bama and  the  state  legislature  and  to receive  their  support.  We  were
successful  in obtaining  an  initial  appropriation  of  $150,000  to begin
our  program  of  Rural  Resource  Development  in  1961.  The  appro-
priation  has  continued  since  that  time,  with  a  slight  increase  being
granted  by  the  present  administration.
THE  RURAL  RESOURCE  DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAM
The  methodology  used  to  implement  the  program  of  Rural  Re-
source  Development  and  public  affairs  education  was  to  divide  the
state  into eight  geographic  subdivisions  or operating  units  to provide
an acceptable  territory for each  of  the eight  area  specialists  in Rural
Resource  Development.
We  decided  to  make  the  Rural  Resource  Development  program
a  team  effort.  We  believe,  first,  that  success  in  a  state-wide  pro-
gram  in  Rural  Resource  Development  depends  upon  cooperation
among  all  farm,  industry,  education,  and  government  groups  and,
second,  that these groups must be united in a common effort and must
work  toward  common  objectives  that  will  enable  Alabama  to  realize
its normal  potential for economic  development.  To this end,  the area
specialists  in  Rural  Resource  Development  were  instructed  to  be-
come  servants  to county  and  area  committees  involving  all  agencies
and institutions  working  to  improve  the  economic  well-being  of  our
state.
During  the  past  five  years,  we  have  worked  with  community
leadership  at  all levels.  In  all counties  and  communities,  the  process
has  been  the  same:  (1)  problem  identification,  (2)  determination
of developmental  opportunities  appropriate  for the community  effort,
(3)  determination  of  the  relationship  of  contemplated  community
effort  to the  efforts  of  other  development  groups  so  that  community
efforts  complement  the efforts  of others,  and  (4)  initiation of a public
affairs  education program  to make  the  community  aware  of  sources
of public  and private  assistance.
We  presently  are  working  with  sixty-seven  county  committees,
with  about  forty  leaders  representing  each  county.  There  are  eight
113district  committees;  each consists  of  one  representative  from each  of
the  eight  to ten  counties  comprising  the  district.  On  the  state  com-
mittee  are  forty-five  of  the  state's  top  leaders.  All  committees  are
broadly  representative  of  the  agencies  and institutions,  both  public
and private,  of the state.
SUMMARY
The  Rural  Resource  Development  and  public  affairs  education
programs have beeen responsible for substantial progress  in Alabama.
Many projects have been sponsored by the various  committees  within
the  framework  of  the  Rural  Resource  Development  program.  The
program  has provided  an excellent  vehicle  for  taking  university-wide
programs  to  rural  areas.  More  important  is  the  fact  that  RRD  has
presented  the  state  land-grant  university  the  opportunity  to relate  its
competencies  to  the  needs  of  the  people  and  the  communities  of
Alabama.
Some  projects  or  areas  in  which  substantial  progress  has  been
made  include:  (1)  developing  new,  or  expanding  old  agricultural
enterprises;  (2)  rural zoning;  (3)  obtaining  new  businesses  and  in-
dustries;  (4)  providing  community  services  and  facilities,  such  as
sewage,  water, and organized  city and county garbage pickup  services;
(5)  developing  recreation  projects;  and  (6)  stimulating  human  re-
source development.
I first  developed  a very  strong  conviction that public  affairs  edu-
cation  was  the  most  effective  way  to  achieve  program  implementa-
tion  while  working  as  a specialist  in Pennsylvania.  Today,  after more
than  a  decade  of  experience  in  several  administrative  capacities,  I
am more certain  than ever that a program of continuous public affairs
education  is  absolutely necessary  for  successful program  implementa-
tion.
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN ALABAMA

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Research Papers in Economics