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Tomorrow’s Communities: Lessons for Community-Based Transformation in the Age of Global Crises
Henry Tam, ed. 2021. Policy Press. [ISBN 978-1-44736-111-4. 254 pages, including index. US$45.95 (softcover).]

by Geoffrey Hart

Previously published as: Hart, G. 2022. Book review: Tomorrow’s Communities: Lessons for Community-Based Transformation in the Age of Global Crises. Technical Communication 69(3):94.

Governments are unreliable sources of aid for disadvantaged communities. Even with the best intentions, policy and funding change in response to polls and with each election. Moreover, governments rarely understand the true issues communities face. In Tomorrow’s Communities: Lessons for Community-Based Transformation in the Age of Global Crises, a collection of 14 essays, Henry Tam and his colleagues answer the question of how to do what governments won’t: empower communities to meet their own needs.

The key? Build and nurture self-sufficient, mutually supportive communities that can sustain long-term development by taking on many government roles. Communities often do this more efficiently because they understand the problems and opportunities better. Of course, some problems are too big for communities alone, and require government assistance. Tam and his authors recommend “subsidiarity”: delegating power and accountability to the level that’s best suited to use that power. “Think global, act local” captures this approach: local community actions can, if adopted sufficiently widely, begin solving the global crises of the title.

Contributor John Restakis wonders (p. 195): “What if an entire economy was based on the premise that it is the social worth of an action that generates its value?” This reflects the book’s emphasis on a human focus for solutions. Tam suggests three principles to accomplish this at a community scale: cooperative enquiry (working together to develop a shared understanding of the situation), mutual responsibility (collective action to promote collective well-being), and participatory planning (so that all voices are heard).

Contributors provide concise case studies and cite many others, thereby grounding the book’s theory in the real world. Examples are weighted towards the United Kingdom, but it’s generally clear how to apply the lessons to other contexts after accounting for cultural and institutional differences. Although the writing’s generally clear, Tomorrow’s Communities seems written more for researchers; as a result, authors often forget to define key terms, which can be disorienting until context reveals the meaning. The authors also occasionally overindulge in jargon, though I rarely lost the thread.

Communities create powerful flows of information and resources. Technical communicators can apply our audience analysis skills to this context. We can identify sub-communities, their distinct needs, and ways to meet those needs. Ongoing communication’s essential for any community-based project, and that’s another opportunity: we can help leaders understand their audiences and manage expectations, facilitate communication among sub-communities, document and explain information, and identify knowledge gaps to fill.

If we want to change the world, we should start at the community level and build upward. During two pandemic years, I’ve found myself fibrillating over how to help. Tam’s book helped defibrillate me and put me back on the path towards striving for meaningful change. Tomorrow’s Communities isn’t a “how to” manual, but it provides a clear understanding of the community development context and a sound foundation on which to build.

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