UNDERSTANDING THE ETHOS OF COMMUNITY-BASED DEVELOPMENT - ETHNOGRAPHICDESCRIPTION FOR PUBLIC-ADMINISTRATORS

Can public administrators ever fully appreciate the ethos of community -based work? Herbert Rubin uses a study of community-based development organizations (CBDOS) in an effort to describe how the directors of C BDOs perceive their work. Despite many successes in partnering with th e public sector, Rubin postulates that many administrators still misun derstand the mission of CBDOs to not only provide services but to fost er broader change. By examining such elements as CBDOs unique criteria for success, Rubin attempts to encourage those in the public sector t o understand better and support an alternative approach to the renewal of poor neighborhoods.