Community Power and Empowerment
Brian D. Christens
Reviews and Awards
"The research that Brian Christens and his colleagues have done on what brings people into social change, keeps them involved, and propels them to leadership has profound implications for democracy. Community Power and Empowerment is a roadmap for building better organizations. This is rigorous scholarship with practical wisdom for anyone involved in promoting civic participation and political change. It's long past time that these insights into the ingredients that make some organizations more successful than others were available to a wider audience." -- Gordon Whitman, author of Stand Up! How to Get Involved, Speak Out, and Win in World on Fire
"This book is an indispensable reference for anyone working in community development. For public and community health professionals in particular, it is increasingly clear that community leadership is essential for addressing the most pressing issues affecting population health. In this rigorous text, Professor Christens offers the theoretical foundations for community empowerment work. In addition, the book offers concrete research and action plans for practitioners interested in working with communities empowered to identify local solutions to reduce inequities and increase social justice and population well-being." -- F. Javier Nieto, MD, PhD, MPH, Dean and Professor, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University
"Provides a comprehensive and insightful examination of empowerment and of how best to use social power in order to effectively promote transformative and sustained change for equity and social justice purposes. Students, scholars, community leaders and activists, among others, will benefit from this inspiring and thoughtful work." -- London School of Economics Review of Books