Abstract:
The concept of community p a r t i c i p a t i o n has been permeating
development ideology since the 1970s. The concept was f i r st
a r t i c u l a t e d in the community development s t r a t e g i e s which had
been p r a c t i s e d during the 1950s. The main focus of t h i s study i s
on the s e c t o r a l approach to p a r t i c i p a t i o n in the r u r a l water
supply and s a n i t a t i o n sector in S r i Lanka. The concept of
p a r t i c i p a t i o n involves a r e - a l l o c a t i o n of power, d e c i s i o n making
authority and resources i n development programmes. The study
explores the implications of the concept for the agencies
involved i n development through a case study of a v i l l a g e i n the
Matale D i s t r i c t.
The main research problem i n t h i s study i s , what happens
when development s t r a t e g i e s which espouse community p a r t i c i p a t i on
are confronted with the socio-economic, p o l i t i c a l and
bureaucratic structures which operate in the implementation
environment.
In order to analyze the main research question the w r i t er
reviews the t h e o r e t i c a l approach to community development. Of
these theories Kaufman's analysis of community development as an
i n t e r a c t i v e process of change r e l a t e s to the a n a l y s i s of change
in the study v i l l a g e .
