Using Theory to Frame Community and Practice

Abstract

University-community partnerships stimulate reflection on the body of knowledge that informs professional practice in community settings, and they provide places to challenge assumptions about both theory and practice. This article calls attention to the multiple perspectives on community and considers how theory also shapes images for professional practice. It discusses the importance of becoming aware of such frames and suggests how safe places for conversation contribute to that awareness as well as to enhancing community. As such, it is also an example of praxis in that it is a reflection on experience.

Keywords:

• theory
• practice
• conversation