Introduction
Since its emergence in the 1950s, the field of community development has emphasized resident participation in decision-making and leadership. From a normative perspective, resident participation is an end in itself. From an instrumental standpoint, the knowledge, skills, and energy that resident participants bring to initiatives are seen as invaluable to the achievement of meaningful outcomes. Most rural communities in the United States do not have the chance to enjoy most of the recreational as well as employment opportunities that their counterparts (urban dwellers) enjoy. One of the factors that have led to this disparity is the lack of such facilities ...
