Week 6 - Working With Community 2

8/13/2019 Week 6 - Working With Community 2

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Figuring social capital and social networks

Bringing people together and empowerment

Interactional skills Roles of community workers


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Social capital is about the value of social networks,bonding similar people and bridging between diversepeople, with norms of reciprocity (Putnam)

'features of social organization such as networks,norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and

cooperation for mutual benefit' (Putnam 1995, p. 67). 'the aggregate of the actual or potential resources

which are linked to possession of a durable network ofmore or less institutionalized relationships of mutualacquaintance or recognition' (Bourdieu 1986, p. 248).

'made up of social obligations ('connections'), which isconvertible, in certain conditions, into economic capitaland may be institutionalized in the form of a title ofnobility' (Bourdieu 1986, p. 243).


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'Social capital is defined by its function. It is not asingle entity, but a variety of different entities

having two characteristics in common: They allconsist of some aspect of social structure, and theyfacilitate certain actions of individuals who arewithin the structure' (Coleman 1990, p. 302).

'the ability of people to work together for commonpurposes in groups and organizations' (Fukuyama1995, p. 10).

'Social capital can be defined simply as the

existence of a certain set of informal values ornorms shared among members of a group thatpermit cooperation among them' (Fukuyama 1997)


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Social networks are linkages among defined sets of persons, suchas kin, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. (Voydanoff)

"Individuals or groups linked by some common bond, sharedsocial status, similar or shared functions, or geographic or culturalconnection. Social networks form and discontinue on an ad hocbasis depending on specific need and interest." (Barker, 1999).

"Looking at informal, transient forms of association, such as theflow of gossip, the mobilization of social movements and politicalcampaigns, and the maintenance of patron-client relations. Suchnetworks are groups of persons who do not necessarily know eachother or share anything outside the organizing criteria of thenetwork." (Calhoun, 2003).

Wellman (1999) describes contemporary community networks asnarrow specialized relationships rather than broadly supportiveties; as sparsely knit, loosely bounded, and frequently changing;and as supportive and sociable although spatially dispersed ratherthan neighborhood-based." (Voydanoff 1999).


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Empowerment

the process of increasing personal, interpersonal orpolitical power so that communities can take action

to improve their situations- Can involve community workers giving up / letting

go of their own power

- Involve community building and conscientisation


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Skills in Engaging the Community

Communicate and engage Promote and enable

Lead and facilitate

Negotiate entry, roles and expectation


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Skills in Assessing Community Needs

Community Needs Assessment

Community Profiling Research and Data Collection

Participatory Action Research (PAR) in line

with themes of community self-determination and citizen participation


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Skills in Group Work Processes

Facilitating group bonding and banding

Mobilising community to act on issuesaffecting their own lives

Managing group dynamics

Negotiations and conflict resolutions


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Skills in Networking and Collaboration

Community liaison

Resourcing ( e.g. grant application )

Conducting or organising communityeducation programmes


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Skills in Monitoring and Evaluation

Recording

Report writing

Analysis and reflection


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You are a community worker in a community-based agency. It has come to your attentionthat there is a high number of single mothers inseveral villages; there are also many young

girls who cannot find work after they leaveschool.

Discuss the different level of skills in community

work in relation to this case. In what ways they can be used?

What are the issues and challenges involved? At what level would my own level of

competency be?

Documents

Week 6 - Working With Community 2