Book note for Emily Barman. Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2006. $53.00 hardcover, $20.95 papercover

Kimberlin, Sara E.

English

ScholarWorks at WMU

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 
Volume 35 
Issue 2 June Article 22 
2008 
Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace 
Charity. Emily Barman. 
Sara E. Kimberlin 
University of California, Berkeley 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw 
 Part of the Social Work Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Kimberlin, Sara E. (2008) "Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity. Emily 
Barman.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 35 : Iss. 2 , Article 22. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol35/iss2/22 
This Book Note is brought to you by the Western 
Michigan University School of Social Work. For more 
information, please contact wmu-
scholarworks@wmich.edu. 
Book Notes
Emily Barman. Contesting Communities: The Transformation of
Workplace Charity. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press,
2006. $53.00 hardcover, $20.95 papercover.
What does community mean in the United States? In recent
decades, the concept of community has received significant at-
tention from social scientists. Some have decried the decline
in neighboring and drop in participation in local community
organizations among Americans today. Others have analyzed
the rise of identity politics, rooted in the civil rights, women's
liberation, disability rights, and other social movements, re-
sulting in the emergence of new communities based on gender,
ethnicity, and other specific shared identities. Globalization
and the widespread use of the internet have created further
opportunities and pressures to redefine community in new
ways.
In Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace
Charity, Emily Barman adds to the debate on defining "com-
munity" by investigating how conceptions of community
manifest themselves in an arena little researched by social sci-
entists, namely: charitable donation campaigns in the work-
place. Barman outlines two distinct conceptions of community,
the traditional "community of place," determined by geogra-
phy, and the more recently conceptualized "community of
purpose," centered on shared identities or interests without
regard to physical proximity. She traced the recent history of
workplace charity, and focuses specifically on the shifting roles,
power, and approaches of the United Way versus "alternative
funds." These are competing confederated charitable fundrais-
ers such as the Black United Fund and EarthShare. She then
argues that the concept of "community of place" embodied in
the United Way has been increasingly challenged by the "com-
munities of purpose" represented by these Alternative Funds.
Through case studies of the contrasting workplace charity en-
vironments in Chicago and San Francisco, Barman identifies
factors and pathways that influence the relative dominance of
these alternative definitions of community in a given locality.
The author offers a detailed and thorough history of the
United Way and alternative funds, with rich and insight-
ful case studies of charitable donation environments in
180 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
workplaces in Chicago and San Francisco. Furthermore, her
core premise is persuasive-the decline of the United Way and
rise of alternative funds reflects the increasing importance of
new, non-place-based conceptions of community. However, in
the drive to support her thesis, Barman glosses over the com-
plexity of some of the issues she raises. For example, the book
touches on other factors besides cultural conceptualizations of
community that have contributed to the decline of the United
Way, such as financial management scandals and donors'
demands for individual control over the use of their contri-
butions. Such issues suggest that the landscape of workplace
charity has been shaped by multiple complex factors, beyond
just changing definitions of community, but Barman does not
explore these other factors in depth. Overall, though, the book
makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of both
the evolving meaning of community and the field of work-
place charity in the United States.
Sara E. Kimberlin, University of California, Berkeley
Michael Wessells, Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006. $45.00
hardcover.
The UN estimates that 300,000 children around the world
are exploited as combatants in armed conflicts. Although the
plight of child soldiers remains an under-researched field, chil-
dren have become increasingly drawn into the violent chaos of
war. The development of lightweight weaponry, children's psy-
chological and physical vulnerability, and their innate desire to
please adults all conspire against their welfare. International
law struggles to address this severe problem, which is linked
to other major issues of child labor, ethnic violence, political
instability, and poverty. Attempts to free children from armed
conflict are frequently undermined by the re-recruitment of
children back into their former fighting groups.
Theses issues and more are effectively addressed in Michael
Wessells's Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection. Drawing
upon over 400 field interviews with child soldiers, Wessells


\u3cem\u3eContesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity.\u3c/em\u3e Emily Barman.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 35 Issue 2 June Article 22 2008 Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity. Emily Barman. Sara E. Kimberlin University of California, Berkeley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Kimberlin, Sara E. (2008) "Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity. Emily Barman.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 35 : Iss. 2 , Article 22. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol35/iss2/22 This Book Note is brought to you by the Western Michigan University School of Social Work. For more information, please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu. Book NotesEmily Barman. Contesting Communities: The Transformation ofWorkplace Charity. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press,2006. $53.00 hardcover, $20.95 papercover.What does community mean in the United States? In recentdecades, the concept of community has received significant at-tention from social scientists. Some have decried the declinein neighboring and drop in participation in local communityorganizations among Americans today. Others have analyzedthe rise of identity politics, rooted in the civil rights, women'sliberation, disability rights, and other social movements, re-sulting in the emergence of new communities based on gender,ethnicity, and other specific shared identities. Globalizationand the widespread use of the internet have created furtheropportunities and pressures to redefine community in newways.In Contesting Communities: The Transformation of WorkplaceCharity, Emily Barman adds to the debate on defining "com-munity" by investigating how conceptions of communitymanifest themselves in an arena little researched by social sci-entists, namely: charitable donation campaigns in the work-place. Barman outlines two distinct conceptions of community,the traditional "community of place," determined by geogra-phy, and the more recently conceptualized "community ofpurpose," centered on shared identities or interests withoutregard to physical proximity. She traced the recent history ofworkplace charity, and focuses specifically on the shifting roles,power, and approaches of the United Way versus "alternativefunds." These are competing confederated charitable fundrais-ers such as the Black United Fund and EarthShare. She thenargues that the concept of "community of place" embodied inthe United Way has been increasingly challenged by the "com-munities of purpose" represented by these Alternative Funds.Through case studies of the contrasting workplace charity en-vironments in Chicago and San Francisco, Barman identifiesfactors and pathways that influence the relative dominance ofthese alternative definitions of community in a given locality.The author offers a detailed and thorough history of theUnited Way and alternative funds, with rich and insight-ful case studies of charitable donation environments in180 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfareworkplaces in Chicago and San Francisco. Furthermore, hercore premise is persuasive-the decline of the United Way andrise of alternative funds reflects the increasing importance ofnew, non-place-based conceptions of community. However, inthe drive to support her thesis, Barman glosses over the com-plexity of some of the issues she raises. For example, the booktouches on other factors besides cultural conceptualizations ofcommunity that have contributed to the decline of the UnitedWay, such as financial management scandals and donors'demands for individual control over the use of their contri-butions. Such issues suggest that the landscape of workplacecharity has been shaped by multiple complex factors, beyondjust changing definitions of community, but Barman does notexplore these other factors in depth. Overall, though, the bookmakes a valuable contribution to the understanding of boththe evolving meaning of community and the field of work-place charity in the United States.Sara E. Kimberlin, University of California, BerkeleyMichael Wessells, Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006. $45.00hardcover.The UN estimates that 300,000 children around the worldare exploited as combatants in armed conflicts. Although theplight of child soldiers remains an under-researched field, chil-dren have become increasingly drawn into the violent chaos ofwar. The development of lightweight weaponry, children's psy-chological and physical vulnerability, and their innate desire toplease adults all conspire against their welfare. Internationallaw struggles to address this severe problem, which is linkedto other major issues of child labor, ethnic violence, politicalinstability, and poverty. Attempts to free children from armedconflict are frequently undermined by the re-recruitment ofchildren back into their former fighting groups.Theses issues and more are effectively addressed in MichaelWessells's Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection. Drawingupon over 400 field interviews with child soldiers, Wessells

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3349&amp;context=jssw

\u3cem\u3eContesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity.\u3c/em\u3e Emily Barman.

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