Attitudes Toward Community Change: A Comparison Between Rural Leaders and Residents

Abstract

Community development practitioners are faced with a complex array of challenges and opportunities brought about by technological change. Some communities seem to be better able to deal with change than others. It is believed that the attitudes of leaders and residents toward community change underlie local actions. The similarities or differences between attitudes of leaders and residents may indicate the amount of community support for or opposition to various local actions and therefore affect the community's ability to deal with change effectively. In an attempt to better understand attitudes toward community change, this paper examines several factors believed to affect such attitudes. Leaders' and residents' attitudes are then compared. Leaders differed significantly from residents in socioeconomic characteristics and were more change-oriented. The level of psychological attachment to the community and the degree of participation in local organizations had the strongest effects on both leaders' and residents' levels of interest in affecting community change. Strategies for more effective local action relevant to community development practitioners are presented.