Growth Machine Attitudes and Community Development in Two Racially Diverse Rural Mississippi delta communities: A Monolithic Approach to a Complex Region

Residents and identified community leaders from two rural Mississippi Delta communities were studied to determine the extent to which diverse groups of this region advocate the same needs of, perceived attitudes toward, and approaches within community development. Five assumptions concerning community development in the racially diverse Mississippi Delta, a region argued to have a patronage approach to economic development and social opportunities, were empirically examined through cross-tabulations, exploratory factor analysis, and independent sample T-tests Virtually no differences were found across race, gender, income, owning additional property (other than a house) in the region, and leaders versus non-leaders in their needs, attitudes and approaches. All groups adhere to a monolithic "growth machine" approach which seems to perpetuate a patronage system in the region. To keep political and economic elites from dominating the community development agenda, more emphasis needs to be placed on local community betterment than on community economic development, potentially giving rise to different voices in the community.