Four change approaches encompass much purposive social change at the community level: locality development, traditional planning, advocacy planning and social action. Locality development and traditional planning are similar on at least six dimensions, as are advocacy planning and social action. On two other dimensions similarities exist between locality development and social action and between traditional planning and advocacy planning. If social change practitioners are to select the most effective strategies for the situations in which they will act, it is essential that they understand the characteristics and assumptions of these approaches
