Building collective leadership for culture change : stories of relational organizing on campus and beyond

**__Building Collective Leadership for Culture Change__** **shows how five community engagement research projects in the greater Los Angeles area were able to create more collaborative and participatory cultures in their academic institutions and non-academic settings by using community organizing, research-in-action, and narrative inquiry.** These projects focused on integrating civic engagement into the work of scholars, creating a civic engagement minor at CSU Dominguez Hills, integrating community organizing practices within an LA school district, and building a regional organizing network among civically engaged higher education institutions. As the case studies authored by Maria Avila and her collaborators show, these projects succeeded because they took place in collaborative spaces where participants were part of designing the purpose, goals, and specific actions to create culture change. __Building Collective Leadership for Culture Change__ is a vital inquiry into the possibilities of collective interpretation among researchers and participants of their accomplishments.

Building Collective Leadership for CultureChange shows how five community engagementresearch projects in the greater Los Angeles area were able tocreate more collaborative and participatory cultures in theiracademic institutions and nonacademic settings by using communityorganizing, research in action, and narrative inquiry.These projects focused on incorporating civic engagement into thework of scholars, creating a civic engagement minor at CaliforniaState University, Dominguez Hills, integrating community organizingpractices within the Los Angeles Unified School District, andbuilding a regional organizing network among civically engagedhigher education institutions.

As the case studies authored by Maria Avila and hercollaborators show, these projects succeeded because they tookplace in collaborative spaces where participants were part ofdesigning the purpose, goals, and specific actions to createculture change. Building Collective Leadership for CultureChange is a vital inquiry into the possibilities of collectiveinterpretation of accomplishments among researchers andparticipants.

Building Collective Leadership for Culture Change shows how five community engagement research projects in the greater Los Angeles area were able to create more collaborative and participatory cultures in their academic institutions and nonacademic settings by using community organizing, research in action, and narrative inquiry. These projects focused on incorporating civic engagement into the work of scholars, creating a civic engagement minor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, integrating community organizing practices within the Los Angeles Unified School District, and building a regional organizing network among civically engaged higher education institutions. As the case studies authored by Maria Avila and her collaborators show, these projects succeeded because they took place in collaborative spaces where participants were part of designing the purpose, goals, and specific actions to create culture change. Building Collective Leadership for Culture Change is a vital inquiry into the possibilities of collective interpretation of accomplishments among researchers and participants. Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction: Writing Collaboratively, Challenging the Norm 1 Purpose and Overview 2 Building Collective Leadership through Research in Action and Narrative Inquiry 3 Discovering Collaborative Research in Action 4 Igniting a Culture of Relationships and Collective Power in an Elected Office 5 Regional Organizing for Culture Change 6 Reimagining Civic Engagement and Academia 7 Integrating Civic Engagement into General Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills Conclusion: Discoveries and Revelations, Dreaming of Possibilities Afterword Glossary of Terms and Concepts Bibliography Index