Careless Society: Community and Its Counterfeits

Amid all the hand-wringing about the loss of community in America these days, here is a book that celebrates the ability of neighbourhoods to heal themselves from within. John McKnight shows how competent communities have been invaded and colonized by professionalized services,often with devastating results. Overwhelmed by these social services, the spirit of community falters: families collapse, schools fail, violence spreads, and medical systems spiral out of control. Instead of more or better services, the basis for resolving many of America's social problems is the community capacity of the local citizens.

John McKnight is the coauthor of a guide for community development entitled Community Building from the Inside Out. He is the director of the Community Studies Program at the centre for Urban Affairs and Policy Research at Northwestern University, where he also teaches. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Amid all the hand-wringing about the loss of community in America these days, here is a book that celebrates the ability of neighbourhoods to heal themselves from within. John McKnight shows how competent communities have been invaded and colonized by professionalized services,often with devastating results. Overwhelmed by these social services, the spirit of community falters: families collapse, schools fail, violence spreads, and medical systems spiral out of control. Instead of more or better services, the basis for resolving many of America's social problems is the community capacity of the local citizens.

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