Becoming a Neighborhood Saver: Engaging the Community in Los Angeles.

Studies of alternative cultural spaces conceptualize them by external structures to the neglect of the internal workings, actions and understandings of participants on their own terms. This study considers how participants in two radical community centers in Los Angeles engaged a local community. Members defined themselves in three categories, those of "activists," "organizers" and "community members." While activists were white, idealistic and flighty, organizers were Latino, practical and grounded. Although marginal participants, community members - the local, Latino population - were important to the goals of the organization. This led to conflicts, as organizers saw the activists as a liability, alienating the local people and impeding their progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]