Blest Be the Tie That Binds

This chapter explores the relationship between program evaluation and social change through the lens of key historical periods in the development of the field. Also profiled is the relationship between the practice of program evaluation by evaluators, and the communities or contexts in which the evaluand is situated. And finally, the chapter explores the strong bonds that support group consciousness and a desire for change. “Oppositional Consciousness,” a sociological construct, serves as a heuristic that may be useful for program evaluators seeking to promote, support, or inspire social change.