Megan Meyer

A Collaborative Approach to Service, Learning, and Scholarship

ABSTRACT This article describes a research course that was a collaborative endeavor between a school of social work and a community organization. This project was guided by learning, service and scholarship goals. Specifically, the participants in this course provided a pro-bono evaluation for a community benefits district. The benefits district solicited assistance from the authors, with the caveat that district members not be involved in the data collection and analysis. The authors situate this project on a continuum of traditional versus participatory research, and propose a “mixed” model for collaborative university-community efforts. The authors suggest ways of engaging students in “real world” research that benefits the community and facilitates their own training as macro social work practitioners. Factors that facilitate and hinder such a project are also discussed.

Too Much of a “Good” Thing? Insular Neighborhood Associations, Nonreciprocal Civility, and the Promotion of Civic Health

This article examines whether a high number of neighborhood associations within a community promotes or hinders civic health and offers two concepts for civil society scholarship: the insular civil society organization (CSO), which is primarily or solely committed to internal development and membership cultivation, and nonreciprocal civility, which captures the absence of relational ties between such CSOs. Based on the analysis of two urban neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland, the authors found that a high number of neighborhood associations reflect community-level factionalism, primarily manifested through resource competition and turf conflict. This was apparent despite strong consensus among community residents on key community issues and concerns. Possiblereasons for this factionalism are identified, the consequences of such divisiveness for civic health are examined, and suggestions for addressing the limitations posed by insular associations are offered.

Measuring sense of community: a view from the streets.

Abstract Increasing social capital in poor communities has become a common pursuit among policy-makers, social scientists and community practitioners alike. In this paper, we examine one dimension of social capital, sense of community (SOC), and argue that the dominant instruments used by scholars to measure it are limited. We examine qualitative data from surveys, focus groups and interviews with community leaders and residents in Baltimore, Maryland, to understand how community members conceptualize SOC and how they might measure it. We conclude with a discussion about how our findings can inform and strengthen future community-based research and community building initiatives.

Leadership Challenges Facing Nonprofit Human Service Organizations in a Post-Recession Era

The nonprofit sector has been the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy in the last decade, primarily due to growth in the economy’s service fields of health care, education, and social servi...

A new twist in nonprofit, for‐profit, and public sector relationships: the community benefits district

Explores a new model for civic engagement which may have potential for a cooperative relationship. Examines a form of multi‐sector collaboration named as community benefits district and goes on to explain this in depth. Uses tables for explanation and concludes that there is indeed potential for a bridge between social capital and that this is promising for the future.

Exploring Collaboration Among Urban Neighborhood Associations

ABSTRACT This paper examines collaboration among geographically close neighborhood associations to determine whether they share similar priorities, if they have collaborated on specific projects, and to what extent they desire collaboration to help achieve their goals. Structured interviews/questionnaires were used to gather information about ten neighborhood associations clustered within an urban community. Results show that all ten associations are struggling to address the same community issues with a small number of active members. There is no evidence of joining forces with each other to resolve their common problems. The data illustrate that even when members of community associations recognize the value of collaboration and express interest in collaborating with others, they have difficulty translating that desire into actual collaborative projects.

Does Attitudinal Consensus Lead to Neighborhood Collaboration? An Exploratory Analysis of an Urban Community

This article examines whether high levels of attitudinal consensus on community needs and civic responsibilities among a communitys residents are associated with effective collaborative efforts among that communitys neighborhood associations. Drawing upon both quantitative and qualitative data from an evaluation of an umbrella organization in an urban community, the authors found only a weak connection between attitudinal consensus, which was strong to moderate on most issues, and effective neighborhood association collaboration. The authors conclude that attitudinal consensus may be a necessary first step toward building effective collaboration but is far from sufficient to foster meaningful and stable partnerships. The authors explore the reasons for the lack of effective collaboration, offer suggestions for addressing barriers to collaboration, and discuss the implications of the findings for community building initiatives that aim to build social capital, particularly across “difference,” in distressed and diverse urban communities.

Globalization and Social Work Education: Evaluation of Student Learning in a Macro Practice Class

This paper presents a model for infusing content on economic globalization into macro social work practice classes and assesses student learning in a class on social movements and social action. The analysis of student papers and survey data indicates that students increased their understanding of globalization processes and developed an enhanced commitment to addressing global social problems. The infusion approach adopted, however, was limited in the extent to which it helped students feel prepared for internationally oriented careers. Implications for addressing international content in social work education are discussed.

Civil society and violence: A research agenda

Abstract This article suggests that the relationship between violence and civil society has been under-studied, and that the capacity of civil society for violence has been especially neglected. This results in part from a conception of civil society that tends to blind scholars to the potential for violence of civil society actors. We suggest a less restricted and prescriptive understanding of civil society that will allow scholars to address this relationship. We then identify several research issues relating to civil society and violence that it is important for researchers to address. We argue for the importance of a descriptive account of the prevalence of violence in and of civil society; that attention be paid to the causes and especially the consequences of civil society violence; and that these issues be addressed from a transnational, comparative perspective.

Increasing Both Organizational and Client Capacities During Tough Economic Times: An Examination of the Consumer and Incentive-Based Ambassador Volunteer Program

Various economic and societal conditions are making it more difficult for community-based agencies to sustain volunteer programs. Therefore, concerned managers have to become creative in designing their volunteer programs. This article examines an innovative consumer and incentive Ambassador Volunteer Program designed to meet the dual goals of building the employment capacities of consumers and the volunteer capacity of the agency in a disadvantaged urban community. Survey, focus group, and interview data help detail the structure of the program, assess its benefits to volunteers, and examine its strengths and limitations as viewed through the experiences of both the volunteers and staff.