COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SOLIDARITY, AND CITIZENSHIP

• Community - The word community was derived from the Latin word communis, which means “common” or “shared”. 4. Institutional Perspective
• Community Dynamics - The changes in the community brought about by social, cultural and environmental experiences This perspective views society like that of a human body. It highlights that society is made up of different parts that play its
whether it is positive or negative development that impacts within the community. respective role in the community-building initiatives.
• Non – geographical Community - It is a community formed based on needs, ideas, interests, identity, practices, and roles Institutions – responsible for social arrangements such as values, customs, and norms in the community.
in social institutions. FIRST DIMENSION - It is an existing establishment or physical space where members of the community go for a certain
• Geographical Community - It is a community where members share the same geographical vicinity such as a village, purpose.
province or neighborhood. SECOND DIMENSION - It is the institutional community as a social model. This is defined by networks and institutions
• Micro-level community - A community wherein a group is formed based on personal ties. where community group are formed in certain areas such as schools, churches or companies.
• Community Action - is any activity that aims to increase the understanding, engagement and empowerment of THIRD DIMENSION - Community is composed of the ways people act, interact with each other, react, and expect each
communities for the intention of giving services to people. other to act and interact.
Empowerment - enable the people to independently decide, plan out and take action to control the situation they have in
the community.
Social capital - is a positive product of human interaction. The network of relationships within particular society, to function • Aspects of Community- these include the structure existing in your community which includes natural environment to the
effectively. institutions made by man
• Community- group of people in a particular area who are interacting to one another
Communication and relationships - are imperative in building community. As people communicate and interact, • Community Power- the capacity of the community to exercise control over activities and seek ways to employ available
relationships foster. It develops pattern by which adopted in the environment. resources
• Influencer- the person with the most influence, who can lead others to achieve a goal or accomplish a certain task
Communities may also be in two levels:
• Leader- the person who has the responsibility of controlling or taking charge of a particular group
Micro-level community - This may include groups formed for pursuing common interests or goals like forming a small
• Leadership-the process and qualities of command and decisiveness with regard to the necessary actions that ensure the
organization to hold a fund-raising activity such as concerts.
welfare of the community
Macro-level - large group affiliation is formed such as national communities, international communities, and virtual
• Social change- the changes that occur in the social order of a society. These are related to nature, social institutions,
communities.
social behavior or social relations, cultural, religious, economics, scientific or technological forces.
1. It motivates people to work together – people feel a sense of community and recognize the benefits of their
involvement.
Understanding Community through its Dynamics
2. It encourages social, religious, or traditional obligations for mutual help.
Leaders are important figures that will guide the members to carry out the plans in pursuit of the group’s objectives. The
3. People see a genuine opportunity to better their own lives and for the community
guidance of a good leader in a group ensures the coherence of plans and better implementation of programs.
4. It understands policies promoting community participation that values social capital.
5. Community participation could be understood as the direct involvement of citizenry in the affairs of planning,
Formal Power Structure - includes elected officials, appointed government officials and leaders of civic organizations such
governance, and overall development programs at local or grassroot levels.
as a chamber of commerce.
3-key points in grasping the definition more meaningful:
Informal Power Structure - power that is not tied to any position, often resulting from personal characteristics
• Understanding – raise an awareness about certain communal issues that needs to be addressed. People develop the
Legal authoritative decision-makers - are individuals or bodies whose authority is based on formal rules and institutions.
feeling of involvement once they truly comprehend the situation within.
They are appointed because of their intelligence, reputations, decisionmaking, dictation from laws and policies and
• Engagement – Once issues are assessed properly and people in the community understand the needs, they work
connections.
collaboratively to act on it.
Aforementioned (3) power dynamics are part of individual dimensions of community:
1. The Social Science Perspective
1. Interrelationship- community leaders are with direct relation with you through familial relations, affinities or feeling of
“Social Science” is an umbrella term for various fields of study which examines social relations and human society. It views
kinship, and social network
the community as composed of people interacting with one another, sensitive to each other’s emotions and subjective point
2. Organization- they could be part of an institution or an association, that has a particular purpose in our community
of view. Basically, it describes “community as a group of people in a particular area interacting together.”
Understanding the Community through its Structures
Anthropology - This field examines the various aspects of humans, such as their biology, behavior, culture and social
the essential aspects of the community is necessary in aiding the residents to reflect on ways to be positively involved in
interactions.
its improvement.
Economics - This field studies the production, allocation and consumption of goods and services. In any community, one
finds various forms of wealth distribution.
1. Local Politics
Political Science - The field encompasses the various ways and means of allocating power, influence, decision-making.
• Structure of government
Psychology - This discipline studies the human mind, brain, and social behavior.
• Decision-making power and control
Sociology - This field is the study of society, social order, social interactions, and culture. It introduces the concepts of
• Major issues currently in debate
social capital and communitarianism.
2. Demographics
• Population size (total number of people)
2. Civil Society Perspective
• Population density (ratio of people to the space they inhabit)
Stresses the idea of forming a group, foundation or an organization in service to society. This perspective views society as
• Heterogeneity (the extent to which community members have diverse characteristics)
a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity. Examples include people’s organization, civic
• Ethnic groups
organization, and social movements.
• Names given to various parts of the community
• Areas known for having their own characteristics (ex: industrial area, blue collar families)
3. Local and Grassroots Perspectives
• Isolation from or closeness to other communities
This perspective highlights volunteerism. Members of communities may involve themselves in various programs or
• History of the area
activities.
• Changes and development of the area • Urban Community- described as industrialized and commercial centers where population density is relatively high
compared to rural communities.
3. Geography and environmental influence
• the community’s physical environment Formal and Informal Communities
• the community’s location and proximity to highways, bodies of water or mountains
• existence of recreational areas concerns regarding environment hazards such as pollution, power shortages, among
FORMAL COMMUNITIES
others
• The group is created as per official authority, fulfill certain goals or objectives
4. Beliefs and Attitudes
• The group possesses a systematic hierarchical structure
• cultural values, traditions and beliefs of various segments of the population
• The position of the member defines his/her importance in the group
• spiritual and political values of the residents
• There is professional relationship among members
• available social agencies and the help they can extend
• The flow of communication is restricted due to the chain of command
• perceptions of residents as part of the community.
INFORMAL COMMUNITIES
5. Local economy and businesses
• The group is formed according to the likes, interests, and attitudes of the members
• businesses, factories and other sources of employment that characterize the community
• The group has a loose structure, and the members join to satisfy their social needs
• nature of business (owned by local residents or government)
• Every member is important as any other member
6. Income distribution
• There is a personal relationship among members
• public assistance benefits available to residents
• The flow of communication stretches in all directions
• median income level of residents
• income levels and corresponding percentage of population.
Social Space - is defined as a physical or virtual space which members of the community visit or where they stay. Some
7. Housing
examples of social space include the social center, online social media, or other gathering spaces where people gather or
• housing conditions
interact.
• population density
• types of housing
Rural and Urban Communities
• ownership and status of houses (rental, real estate, etc)
The following are the three general characteristics of rural areas:
8. Educational facilities and programs
a. Population density is found to be low, meaning few people populate the entire community, and they tend to live far apart
• education system
from each other.
• extent of community support
b. The area is situated geographically distant from larger urban areas.
• existence of public and private schools
c. Each area typically specializes in a particular form of livelihood, such as farming.
• adherence to intended curriculum of the Department of Education
Characteristics of urban areas are as follows:
• attention to special population (e.g., children with special needs) and to cultural differences.
a. There is higher population density, with more diverse subgroups (ethnic, racial cultural, age, sexual orientation)
• extent to which education brings out the best in the children (participation in competitions, profile of graduates, training
b. Various industries and businesses are found in the areas.
students holistically)
c. A large portion of people lived in rented apartments or homes.
• adequate preparation for adults to enter the labor force
d. Transportation is readily available although this may be costly
9. Health and Welfare Systems
e. Urban areas are highly developed with many buildings and structures
• adequate numbers of health professionals and specialists
f. Traffic and noise levels are high in these areas
• social service programs
g. The large population gives rise to close interactions among many people as well as more intense political involvement
• respect of service providers to the needs and values of minority populations
among citizens.
• availability of fire and police protection
• safety of the environment
Community sectors - are various groups or subdivisions of the larger community divided based on characteristics such as
• the residents’ view on public safety and justice system.
political, economic, cultural, and religious beliefs.
10. Sources of information and public opinion
1. Health -medical and mental health professionals; pharmacists and pharmacies; hospitals and other in-patient facilities,
• presence of TV and radio stations and newspapers which provide the people information and perspectives on current
clinics, non-traditional health practitioners; public health agencies and systems
events
2. Education - public and private preschools, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, school committees, school
• community organizations’ capacity to update residents on important information
administrators, teachers, other educational institution employees; parents, students, state board of education; adult basic
• the capacity of the sources of information to enhance the residents’ skills to promote positive change
education (ABE) and English as Second or Other Language (ESOL) programs
• the presence of community leaders who speak for various marginalized subgroups
3. Law Enforcement -the local and state police, the court system- judges, probation officers, prosecutors, court appointed
defense lawyers, court-mandated program for offenders.
• Formal Community- characterized by institutionally structured hierarchies, which define the relationship between
4. Government - regional, provincial, state, local, and tribal government bureaucracies, agencies, and officials, both
authoritative and subordinate actors and groups.
elected and appointed.
• Global Community- characterized by integration and interaction between individuals and groups away from each other in
5. Business - from the self-employed carpenter to the multinational corporation with a local facility.
time or space or both.
6. Youth - youth themselves (generally viewed as ages 18 and younger) and those who work directly with them (youth
• Informal Community- seen to typically operate through socio-cultural mechanisms within the community structures.
violence prevention and outreach programs, Big Brother/Big Sister, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, scouting, etc.) parents, human
• Local Community- characterized by close social integration and physical proximity. Moreover, it is defined as a group of
service, culture, and sports/recreation sectors.
people sharing the same environment and conditions such as intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs and risks.
7. The Media - newspapers and magazines, radio, and TV, vast array of blogs, videos, online news, and other materials
• Rural Community- characterized as pastoral, agricultural, and located along the periphery of urban centers or in the
available on the internet.
countryside.
8. Human Services - non-profit professional and volunteer organizations that provide free and affordable services such as
• Typology- a classification according to general type. In this module, this refers to the types of community.
job training, food, shelter, elder services, services for individuals with physical or mental disabilities, support and advocacy
for immigrants, among others.
9. Religion - places of worship and their members, religious organizations (e.g. Knights of Columbus, CBCP) of all faiths,
may include the hierarchy of a national church as well (a Roman Catholic archbishop, for instance)
10. Service/Fraternal Organization - the Lions, Masons, Rotary, Kiwanis, and other local and national or international
service organizations, college fraternities/sororities or other local and national social clubs, as well veterans’ organizations
and the like.
11. Community Activist Volunteer Groups - individuals for or against political issue, supportive of existing institutions
(“Friends of” the local park, a school playground volunteer corps), oriented toward economics (groups that volunteer to help
non-profit and small business owners with financial and business plans), or more generally concerned with the quality of
community life (e.g. organizers of community festivals)
12. Culture - artists such as musicians, dancers and choreographers, writer, actors and directors, designers and visual
artists, as well as arts organizations, theaters, orchestras, museums, galleries, and those who work as support staff in the
arts- stagehands, cameramen, electricians, set builders, etc. regular consumers and supporters of the arts.
13. Housing Development - both public and private non-profit housing agencies and organizations that provide rent
subsidies and/or affordable housing, as well as developers who build market-rate and upscale residential and commercial
properties. -may include everyone from fair housing advocates to those who own and/ or manage urban real estate worth
millions of pesos.
14. Sports and Recreation -sports clubs, town or county recreation departments, amateur and professional athletic
associations, public and private sports and recreation facilities, gyms, coaches, personal trainers, recreation leaders, and
camp directors, as well those who participate in these groups as athletes, spectators, or supporters.
15. The Environment - individual environmentalists, international, national, and local environmental organizations,
conservation land trusts, recreational hunters and fishermen, rock climbers and mountaineers, wildlife biologists and
botanists, ecologists, hikers, canoers/kayakers, and other outdoor people, hydrologists (water specialists), those who make
a living from a pristine or carefully-managed environment.
16. Agriculture - confined to rural areas, may also include dairy farmers, cheesemakers, winemakers and vineyards, and
food processors and packers, including all consumers of the food produced.