No abstract

Community associations are generally formed to ensure the maintenance of standards of living, property values, and, to a lesser degree, the welfare of residents. Like other governing bodies, they are charged with achieving a balance between protecting individual interests and preserving the cohesiveness of the community as a whole. With increasing frequency, they are experiencing a degree of divisiveness that threatens to upset that balance.This article chronicles one such instance in the life of a community and describes how a planned intervention altered events. The article also seeks to shed light on the forces that create such rifts and to explore how models of organization development and mediation can be applied to bring about constructive resolution and to create an opportunity for citizens to experience a form of interaction that allows them to be more effective participants in a democratic society.