| The research examines how the structure of individual and organizational interaction within a community influences community action. The analysis is based on data from three rural, Midwestern communities. Data from a survey of community residents, leadership and organizational network data, and profiles of local community action projects are used to examine the relationship between the structure of local interaction and community action. The findings support a structural approach to the interactional community and confirm that social capital (the structure and character of individual interaction) and social infrastructure (the structure of group-level interaction patterns) influence community action processes. The findings have a number of implications for future community research and community development practice, such as the inclusion of network theory and methods as a tool for development of place-based communities. |
