Community Linkages: Addressing Social Issues from a Community Perspective

Abstract

Collaborations offer communities one way to address complex social issues, such as family violence. Collaborations are an essential feature of community building that involve the community at two distinct levels because they enable both individuals and the organizations they represent to agree on a vision, mission, and goals. The establishment of a community collaboration is influenced by the communities' readiness to work cohesively to address the identified problem. This study examined three collaborative efforts and analyzed four mediating factors that influenced the sustainability of these community efforts. The findings suggest that clearly stated goals, identified key membership, and good internal and external communication are associated with the sustained progress of a collaboration; conversely, the absence of any one of these factors constrains the collaborative process. The findings are discussed in terms of the community development process.