The Power Of Community Organizers - 1273 Words

Saul D. Alinsky believed in the power of community organizers. In 1972, he wrote a book titled Rules for Radicals in which he created a set of thirteen rules of tactics to be used by community organizers. Community organizers are known as change agents; someone who sees a need for change in an organization and must overcome opposition to bring about change. He wrote a second set of eleven rules comparing ends versus means. This set of rules is used to answer the question, â€Å"Does the end justify the means?† In today’s business world, many people follow some of these rules in how they run their business. In some situations, this is a good thing, in others, not so much. Through studying his rules, I found a few that I agree with and others which I did not. Alinsky’s fourth rule of tactics reads â€Å"Make opponents live up to their own book of rules.† I agree with this in a normative sense. In today’s society, people tend to be quick to judge others for their wrongdoings, but are quickly upset when someone points out our own. I believe that we should take a different approach. Before we point out the flaws of others, we should first make sure we are doing right. Matthew 7:3-5 states â€Å"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and thenShow MoreRelatedCommunity Concerns And Goals : Observance Of Low Group Moral Prompted1664 Words   |  7 PagesCommunity Concerns/Goals Observance of low group moral prompted this community organizing effort. The three prominent behaviors shown were silence (a traditional Native response), an overabundance of an argumentative stance, and unprofessionalism during governmental meetings, exhibited even by elected officials at times. Minkler (2012) states, â€Å"issues to organize around can be found by talking with community members and trying out various themes† (Kindle Locations 2694-2695). Individual membersRead MoreEssay about Bshs 485 Week 2 Capstone Worksheet1200 Words   |  5 Pagesprinciples of consensus organizing demonstrated in the Mon Valley Case Study. Provide 150- to 200-word answers for each of the following principles and the summary. |Strategic principle 1: Solutions to local problems should come from affected communities. | | | |The Mon Valley, a region of cities and towns alongRead MoreComparing The Alinsky Tradition And Friedman Approaches, Marty Martinson And Celena Sue916 Words   |  4 Pageswhich Alinsky dealt with situations which he thought could benefit the parties that were oppressed. He believed power lies with the people and forming of organizations was one of the ways that a society or community would receive positive results. The main premise of the organizations was to select a leader who could be seen as an outsider with a passion to motivate members of that community to plead their cause with the aim of winning. One example in which Alinsky’s approach was successful was duringRead MoreThe Transition From An Agrarian Society1183 Words   |  5 Pagessuccesses for workers’ movements due to the drastic nature of change during this time period. The transition from an agrarian society to an industrial empire had challenged old American values such as outwork and interdependence found within rural communities. Specifically, division of labor and technological advancements during this time period had shifted society from being self-reliant (agrarian) to dependent on large businesses (industry). In Who Built America by Christopher Clark, Nancy HewittRead MoreLeadership707 Words   |  3 Pagesnew book, As One: Individual Action, Collective Power (Portfolio, 2011): †¢ The landlord and tenants – Tenants voluntarily decide to join landlords, but once they do, the boss has the top-down power, controlling access to scarce resources, doling out rewards and sanctions, and di ctating the terms of tenants’ participation. †¢ The community organizer and volunteers – The power for setting direction comes from the bottom up, but the community organizer is the glue that holds things together. VolunteersRead MoreNorma Rae and Labor Issues1478 Words   |  6 Pagescotton textile factory were intolerable and management was abusive. In the summer of 1978, a union organizer from New York came to this small town and approached the employees at the cotton factory to start a union. The union organizer, the mill workers and the management of the factory had very different perspectives as to the ramifications of starting a union. PERSPECTIVE OF THE UNION ORGANIZER Warshovsky was a New York City operative who came to the cotton factory to help the employeesRead MoreShould Activists Be Transition Into A Politician?1361 Words   |  6 PagesCan activists, more specifically community activists, successfully transition into a politician? Can they hold on to community-based interests over self-interest and ensure that the community remains a creator and not an object of policy? In the New York Times, Room for Debate opinion section, Bob Kerry, former governor of Nebraska and U.S. Senator, defines both terms. â€Å"An activist†, he notes, â€Å"is someone who organizes and acts for the purpose of changing a public policy or law. A politician is someoneRead MoreMy Good Friend Miguel Rodriguez Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pagesfavorite Taco truck. I interviewed Miguel because he is a strong individual with solid morals and a community organizer in his hometown of Ventura California. Miguel is 32 years old and is considered a non-traditiona l student at UCLA, we both graduated in June 2016. I am also considered a non-traditional student except I am right at the minimum of the category. Miguel’s years of hard work as a community organizer make him the ideal candidate for an interview because he delivers a unique perspective on educationRead MoreElementary Students Learn About Their Community s Government And Leaders Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pagesdesigned for third grade and fits in with our community, as our government officials are part of our local community. †¢ This lesson may require extra time, as our town of Beacon Falls does not have a mayor, which I think the students would be more familiar with. Instead, the town has a Board of Selectmen. Objectives: †¢ Students will understand how our local government is run. †¢ CCSS CIV 3.1 Students will be able to distinguish the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levelsRead MoreThe Theory Of Legitimacy Of Political Authority Essay729 Words   |  3 Pagesorganizing, or community organizing, which refers to the collective action of the part of a community or group in order to effect change at the local, regional, national, or international level. They empower communities whose aims can range from encouraging political conversation to increasing mass participation in politics. Despite historically consistent and effective organizing, in the past decades there have been systemic changes that have altered the ways in which organizers organize, and the