Title: Community development and New Zealand local authorities in the 1970s and 1980s
Abstract: This research is about the community advisers employed by New Zealand local authorities in the 1970s and 1980s. Their roles included community engagement, and assisting and training community groups to provide local services and run facilities. Most started with citizen's advice bureau, community centres and community houses. As needs were uncovered, their work extended to include emergency housing, women's refuges, women's groups, child care facilities, housing for the elderly and youth work. Explorations into the background of the community advisers revealed a number of qualities and experiences in common. These included a strong belief in social justice, strong family life, stewardship and service. Most had been involved in voluntary work, had travelled extensively and had gained experiences overseas. For a significant number, religious family life also helped form their values. In particular the influence of catholic social theory provided a key motivation. The 1970s and 1980s was a period of social and political change in New Zealand. Rapid urbanisation and migration from rural New Zealand and from the Pacific Islands to the cities affected many people. This rapid change was a catalyst for local authority action to take on a new community development role, and support for the community advisers primarily came from the political wing of local government. However with political change in the 1980s came new ideas for reforming local authorities and new public management became the dominant ideology. In such a setting the role of the community advisers changed to the provision of services and policy advice. However, the search for community is still present in New Zealand today and the mantle has been passed on to civil society organisations.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 6
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