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History at the Table: Conflict in Planning in a Community in the Rural American South
Author(s) -
Messinger Lori
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-006-9051-6
Subject(s) - racism , poverty , sociology , rhetoric , context (archaeology) , identity (music) , political science , economic growth , gender studies , law , economics , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , physics , acoustics , biology
This article is a case study of problems that emerged during the planning of an anti‐poverty program in a community in the rural American South in the early 1990s. Issues of racism, sexism, and classism in the planning process are discussed as they are informed by the national welfare reform rhetoric of the time, a local context of historical and current White racism, and the historical and current identity positions of the local Black planners. The author argues that understanding local history is a vital component in planning and implementing social programs. The article offers an analysis of the deployment of power in the planning of social change projects that can be used to develop inclusive planning processes that are responsive to the needs of economically and socially oppressed populations.