Read more
List of contents
Preface -- General Principles -- Introduction -- The Purposes of Social Assessment -- Decision Making and the Assessment Process -- The Role of the Community in Social Change -- A Framework for Social Assessment -- Defining the Context of the Assessment -- Scoping the Social Assessment Effort -- Formulating Alternatives -- Description of the Existing Environment -- Refining the Forecasts of Baseline, Direct Project, and Total Inputs -- Forecasting and Evaluating the Social Effects -- Mitigation, Monitoring, and Plan Selection -- Methods and Techniques -- Organizing and Conducting a Field Trip -- Sampling, Surveying, Interviewing, Questionnaire Design, and Data Analysis -- Use of Secondary Data and Sources -- Appendixes -- Guide to Facilities/Services and Fiscal Assessment
Summary
Designed to provide clear and detailed assistance in the complex process of assessing social change, this book emphasizes the development of an analytic approach and a theoretical framework that can be applied to the assessment of very diverse events--changes in the natural environment, the local economy, or the dominant technology. The guide, based on a sociological perspective that highlights the importance of community social organization in analyzing social change, focuses on the development of user skills in assessment design, research, analysis, and presentation. The guide's theoretical basis and emphasis on the interrelationships that create social change make it valuable to those studying social change in general, as well as to those responsible for conducting or utilizing social impact assessments. Detailed "how to" information, clear writing, and careful design impart the skills necessary to identify and analyze the factors and processes leading to social change and to interpret and present research findings in an effective manner.
