Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities

8/13/2019 Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities

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Exploring self, Community and Community WorkDefining CommunitiesCommunities CompetenceCommunity Development and RestorationForces and resources within communitiesAssessing Needs Needs Assessment)Externalities affecting communitiesSustainable Communities


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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?


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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;


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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;


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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.


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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.


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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)


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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.


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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)


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Forms of Virtual-Community

Email list forum

Chat system such as IRC,

Web based discussion

Usenet news-groups


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Gated Community


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Different definitions but allhave ONE common factor ..

They all deal with People!


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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.


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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?


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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


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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.


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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)


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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.


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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.


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INTERVAL


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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,


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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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?


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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?


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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).


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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.


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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.


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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.

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Week 2 - Defining-Analyzing Communities