What Role Does Community Play In Community Development Essay

The important role of the community in development by Shaffer, Deller & Marcouiller (2006) lead to the understanding about the community and various types of communities within the society and nations. As construed by Shaffer, Deller & Marcouiller (2006), Community is a group or unit having some common interests, such as community of football fans. They elaborated more that space plays a vital role in the definition of community, which then invites the notion of spatial community. There are three different ways to define spatial community. First, community as a place where space is a dominant part of the definition, such as the political boundaries of a municipality or country. Second, community as a group of people with specific interest, where space has very little role in the definition, such as a community of world anthropologists, economic developmentalists, etc. The last view embarks community as a

To ensure development could apply sustainable approach, the process of development should fulfill at least three criteria of Sustainable Development: Environmentally sound, Economically Productive, and Socially Just. In this context, development progress should not only improving the economic condition of the people where they have economic activity that generate income (productive). It should also achieve equal distribution among people at the society by reducing income disparities (Socially Just), and at the same time also preserving the environment and the needs for future generations. (environmentally sound). The report of IUCN Renowned Thinkers Meeting in 2006 concluded that sustainable development is a concept by which economic factors are considered together with social factors and environment in the development theory and practices (Cf. Swisher, Rezola & Sterns