The evidence around community building is mixed and this must partly be because
of the breadth of diversity in CSA models. Most research to which I have access
relates to CSA in the US; the story may be different in other cultural contexts. The
nature of CSA would indicate that it would be a natural site for community building
with its emphasis on shared risk, collaboration and co-operation, and opportunities
for members to work together in groups participating in various ways to support the
enterprise. Indeed, the early adopters of the model hoped that it would play a role in
“building a sense of community rooted in place” (DeLind and Ferguson, 1999, p192)
and initial research supported this view