This work identifies the factors that are moving society toward extremism and authoritarianism focusing particularly on the community level. Given the turmoil in communities that is degrading democracy and leading to authoritarianism today, the issues of Community Solidarity and Pluralism (CS&P) must be attended to before the traditional political, economic, and material issues that are regularly addressed by CD and SP&P practice can become the focus for change and development once again. This book will have widespread appeal to academics, researchers, and postgraduate students throughout the social sciences including sociology, social work, political science, economics, philosophy, environmental studies, and international and community development studies. It is also intended for the general reader who is interested in understanding the authoritarian forces that are attempting to infiltrate the democratic process.
Donald G. Reid, University Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, is internationally recognized for his theoretical and practical research on society in transition, community development, poverty, and the changing patterns of work and leisure. He has authored a total of 194 publications, and his work has been cited to date in 2,756 scholarly works. His books include Work and Leisure in the 21st Century: From Production to Citizenship (1995), Tourism, Globalization and Development (2003), Social Policy and Planning for the 21st Century: In Search of the Next Great Social Transformation (2017), A New-World System: From Chaos to Sustainability (2021), and Social Progress and the Authoritarian Challenge to Democracy (2023).