Abstract
This research applies Newman's hermeneutic-dialectic method of pattern recognition to the lives of 12 adolescent males convicted of murder who were invited to be co-investigators in the process of understanding patterns of meaningful relationships and experiences in their lives. Comparison of the 12 life patterns revealed a strikingly similar experience of interactions with the community and yielded insight into community pattern. The process of pattern recognition was found to be transformative. This article proposes a unitary-transformative process of community pattern recognition for nurses and communities interested in understanding complex community dynamics and engaging in healthy transformations.