THE APPLICATION OF A LARGE GROUP INTERVENTION METHOD BASED ON THE ASSET-BASED APPROACH: A REPOSITIONING OF TRAINING IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/42-3-296Abstract
Since the abolition of apartheid in South Africa in 1994 the policies and practices of social andcommunity development has gained wide recognition as the most appropriate way to address
inequities in South African society. As a result, a wide variety of community training programmes
and models have been introduced and a great deal of resources have been invested in the training
of students in community development. However, up to now the outcomes have mostly been
disappointing. Most training programmes are based on the so-called top-down “expert approach,”
with deficiencies or deficits as the point of departure and an emphasis on felt needs, problems and
the role of the community developer as expert. This is problematic because the concept of felt
needs is inadequate for contemporary community development practice and a needs-assessment
methodology is not an appropriate basis for programme design. Felt needs are products of a pastto-
present orientation in which attempts are made to fix the past. Such an approach is incapable of
addressing South Africa’s social and economic problems (Wade, 1989).
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