8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
1/33
Exploring self, Community and Community WorkDefining CommunitiesCommunities CompetenceCommunity Development and RestorationForces and resources within communitiesAssessing Needs Needs Assessment)Externalities affecting communitiesSustainable Communities
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
2/33
Our Understanding .
We hear and read of and about
community and call ourselves
community.
What is a community or what constitute
a community?
Who/What makes up a community?
How many type of community is there?
Is the concept of community fixed?
What does it tell us about a society
which talks/emphasizes on community?
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
3/33
When we talk of community, the ideagives an impression that it is a fixed,
almost permanent state, separate
and objective, instead of a reality that
depend, for its existence, on thereality and vitality of people's
connections with one another, their
place and what they do or do not dotogether ;
Historically people were more
identifiable with a community;
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
4/33
Modernization took root and there was aperceived "loss of community" with that,
where people often feel insecured,isolated, alienated, vulnerable, rootlessetc by social changes and by oftenimpersonal and alien social forces;
It can be said that the desire forcommunity has represented a deeply feltdissatisfaction with modern life and thusan oblique critique of modern society;
People would recall the "good oldcommunity" where everyone wasintegrated into stable and harmoniouscommunity of kin, friends, neighbours
etc;
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
5/33
Defining Communities Perry and Pantoja
As Geographic Locale : connected by custom, history, language,religious affiliation, and family relationship.
Of Interest : no physical location that they can own or inhabit,but that are bound together by historical and / orcontemporary circumstances, racial, religions, or nationalorigins; and who share a common set of values, mutualexpectations and aspirations.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
6/33
Rubin and Rubin : Community refers both to the place in which
organizing occurs and to the group among whichorganizing is happening.
Community implies social integration the issuesand bonds that link people together.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
7/33
Community as locality
a geographical expression, denoting a humansettlement located within a fixed and boundedlocal territory;
Community as a local social system as a set of social relationships which take
place wholly or mostly within a locality. Thisimplies the existence of a network of inter-relationships between the people living in thesame locality (example - everyone knows oneanother). Nothing is said about the nature ofthe relationship - whether people arehomogenous, harmonious, or full of conflictetc)
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
8/33
Community as a type of relationship
portrayed as a sense of shared identity
(example - when using terms like community"feeling" or "spirit"). However, there is nothingto say that such community share any samegeographical locality - example, Muslimcommunity, Chinese community, Indian
community, Dayak community, or the ScientificCommunity or the Rural Community (whichmay be of different geographical locations arestill shared some identity - like farming),University Community etc.
In addition to not sharing same locality, suchcommunity implies then that people may noteven know one another. So in principle, wecan separate communities.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
9/33
Virtual Community Social aggregates that emerge from the Net
when people carry on those public
discussions long enough, with sufficient
human feeling, to form webs of personalrelationships in cyberspace (Rheingold).
Cultural groups that construct their own
culture through the use of a set of
expressive and interpretative resources
(Marvin)
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
10/33
Forms of Virtual-Community
Email list forum
Chat system such as IRC,
Web based discussion
Usenet news-groups
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
11/33
Gated Community
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
12/33
Different definitions but allhave ONE common factor ..
They all deal with People!
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
13/33
Communitys Functions Major functions : production, distribution and
consumption. Others :
The socialization function The social control function The social placement control The function of mutual support The function of defense The function of communication.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
14/33
Differentiation needed .
Need to distinguish between: empirical descriptions of local social
systems - that is, studies of communitiesas they actually are, and
normative prescriptions - that is, anexpression of values about whatcommunity life shouldbe like.
Important to separate the two, but WHY?
Depends on values and who is to say one
is better than another?
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
15/33
Five Community Types Neighborhood
Integration based on geographic proximity and on issues
facing people within one geographic area. Membership
determined by place of residency.
Solidarity Community Share a common heritage whether ethnic, cultural or religious
that promotes shared values. Born into solidarity though the
degree of identification varies by individual
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
16/33
Social Class : Integration based on common life circumstances as defined by
income and ownership of property. Economic and work status
determine class membership.
Social Network : Integration based on shared interests. Individuals choose to be
involved, but personal background factors influence the
possibilities to choose from.
Community of Interest : Based on shared understanding of the importance of collective
action. Choose involvement after understanding an issue.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
17/33
Community Competence Defined as one in which the various component parts of the
community are able to collaborate effectively in identifying theproblems and needs of the community;
Can achieve a working consensus on goals and priorities; canagree on ways and means to implement the agreed-upon goals;can collaborate effectively in the required actions Cottrell,1983)
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
18/33
Expanded upon by Barbarin 1981) : a communitycompetence refers both to the ability of social systemsto respond to differential needs of the variedpopulations they serve, and the ability of citizens orgroups to use existing resources or developalternatives for the purposes of solving problems ofliving.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
19/33
What is a Good Community? People should deal with each other on a personal basis, rather than an
impersonal basis
There should be a broad distribution of power within the community The community should include a wide variety of different income groups,
ethnic groups, and religious and interest groups
There should be a great deal of local neighborhood control The community should encompass the greatest possible degree of
cooperation in policy-making and the least possible conflict (Warren,1980)
Empowered to decide and act on community interest Generally - socially just, ecologically sustainable, economically productive,
politically participatory and culturally vibrant.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
20/33
INTERVAL
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
21/33
Externalities affecting
communities
Party politics - national, state and local
levels
Market economy - globalization - jobmarkets - making people more dependent
on cash and outside factors - works,
internet allowing access of market
information etc
NGOss and Charitable Organisations
General contextual factors ideologies,
values, beliefs, laws, institutions,
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
22/33
Community Conflict
At one time or another, all communities have conflicts,controversies and tensions. Dimensions of community conflict are :
Controversies arise when groups seek to chase the equilibrium of the
community.
Involves its scope how widespread the conflict is, how many people areinvolved, and how many people the conflict affects.
Whether or not it is conventional or rancorous. Conventional conflicts are
handled within established political rules and procedures and represent
normal differences of opinion about various issues. Rancorous conflicts are
those wherein acceptable and legitimate norms for settling differences arenot followed and a high level of hostility and / or violence occurs during
the controversy.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
23/33
The Process of Community Conflict Initial single issue Disrupts equilibrium of community relations Allows previously suppressed issues against opponent to
appear More and more of opponents enter disagreement The opponents appear totally bad Charges against opponent as a person Dispute becomes independent of initial disagreement.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
24/33
Positive Functions ofCommunity Conflict
Conflict serves to establish and maintain the identity andboundary lines of societies and groups.
Conflict provides an opportunity for group members to venthostility and express dissent and thereby maintainrelationships between group.
Whilst there may be hostility and tensions in conflictrelationships between groups, this is not necessarily so.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
25/33
Conflicts arise in many instances between groups which areinterdependent such as union-management, school-family, andresolutions of conflicts serve to stabilize group relationships as longas the conflicts do not threaten basic consensus. Conflict with another group increases the cohesion of a group. Conflict allows a group to assess the power and influence of
another group and thus, serves as a balancing mechanism tomaintain the overall system. Conflict provides a unifying function by bringing people andgroups together into coalition and temporary associations.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
26/33
Resources within Communities To discover your community resources, ask yourself these
questions:
What natural resources exist in your community? E.g people,
land, water, trees, knowledge etc;What tangible human-made things exist in your community?
E.g cars, bridges, libraries;
What systems have developed to serve members? E.g
democracy,employee grievance procedures;
What relationship have members of this community developed?
E.g families, friends
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
27/33
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
28/33
What resources could serve more purposes? A housecan also be a meeting place
What resources can be combined to produce new
resources? What can be produced with a storage roomand a dozen community people who each own one
hundred books?
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
29/33
Assessing Needs
The issues to be considered What is the purpose of the needs assessment? To clarify objectives?
To assist in detailed planning? To facilitate change? To meet
external demands? To attract resources?
What need assessment techniques will be used? What factorsshould influence the choice of techniques?
Whose views of need am I seeking to tap? Why?
What are the implications of my choices of needs assessment
methods?
Who should undertake the needs assessment? What form should it
takes?
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
30/33
Needs
Needcan be defined as the gapbetweenwhat isand what should be.
It is the difference between the presentconditionand the desiredone (or the
social norm).Tyler (1971) identifies three main sources
of information on clienteles needs:the clientele themselves,
the clienteles contemporary life, andthe subject matter specialists (experts).
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
31/33
Needscont..
An understanding of the needconcept is imperative for changeagent.
Need is the basis for changeChange agents must be able to
identify, assess, and analyseclienteles expressed/felt needs in
collaboration with the clientele groupand their leaders.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
32/33
Social Needs (Jonathan Bradshaw)
Normative needs. Identified according to a norm (or set standard). Generally set by experts.
Felt need.
Equated with want. Is need what people feel that is, need from the
perspective of the people who have it. Expressed need.
The need which they say they have. People can feel need which they feel
they do not express and they can express needs they do not feel.
Comparative need.
Emerge by comparison with others who are not in need.
8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities
33/33
Sustainable Communities
Criteria includes:
Short-term gains not to compromise long-
term potentials;
Community-based determination ofdevelopment;
Environment to be protected;
Social justice, economically productiveand self-sufficient/reliance, participatory
politics and culturally vibrant.
Empowered and self-determined.