Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship: Quarter 1-Week 6
Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship: Quarter 1-Week 6
DEPERTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IV-A- CALABARZON
Schools Division of Laguna
STA MARIA INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
Santa Maria, Laguna
Community Engagement,
Solidarity, and Citizenship
Quarter 1- Week 6
Module 6
What I Know
Suri-Nilay
Objective: It aims to determine the student’s level of understanding and appreciation of a poor
community by exposing them to an urban poor community near the school and make an assessment
based on community observation.
Instructions:
1. You will write a letter to the nearby barangay chair and ask permission for a preliminary visit and
class exposure in their barangay.
2. After getting a go signal from the barangay, you prepare for the date of the visit and exposure.
4. Before the exposure, you mobilize a class orientation about community exposure.
Be aware that as you visit an area, you carry not only your own identity but the name of your
school. Be conscious of your behaviour.
Wear and keep your ID.
Avoid wearing jewelries, accessories or anything that will call the attention of other people.
Cellular phones are strictly for emergency only. Don’t display your cell phones.
Gadgets of any kind are not allowed.
Be mindful of your language
Be courteous and do not forget to ask
Be friendly
Try to interact
Avoid making commitments
Avoid openly expressing your disgust
Observe and listen to the people
b. What to observe in the community:
Living condition of the community (type of house, environment, basic facilities such as
electricity, water, etc)
Ask some basic questions about job. Employment, education, etc
People’s activities
The way people communicate
People’s dynamics
Community problems
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What’s In
What’s New
Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: I don’t pity easily. Such emotion gets eaten by lazy people. Instead, I offer
alternatives on how to live better. My advice is cheap.
Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: By not being a litterbug, I help make this country a better place to
live in.
What Is It
THE SOCIAL SITUATION
The Philippines is rich in natural resources and in cultural heritage. However due to problems with historical
and structural roots, the country suffers from economic, political, social and ecological issues. This section
provides a brief overview of the social situation.
ECONOMIC
There is a relatively high poverty in the country. Although the economy started to pick up, growth
fluctuates because of environmental problems, political uncertainties and crime rates. Economy fluctuations
affect income improvements and restrain economic development of the people, especially the poor.
ECOLOGICAL
The natural resources of the country have been imperiled by unrelenting exploitation. There I land
degradation remain as a problem of poor families who depend on land. Man-made activities such as logging
and slash and burn that causes deforestation to persist. The equality of water continues to deteriorate and
increase in population results to an increased human encroachment to the country’s natural resources.
POLITICAL
Despite the restoration of democratic political institutions, and the development of participatory and
community-oriented development strategies, the country is still far from a stable, strong and functioning
democracy. Corruption, nepotism, patron-client relations, cronyism persist, and political conflicts persist.
SOCIAL
The social sector remains to face massive challenges in terms of access to basic social services
despite the gains in health, education and nutritional status. The greater challenge is how to expand access to
basic education and health services. The housing issue also persists. The state and magnitude of poverty
affect the marginalized, disadvantaged and the vulnerable.
In any analysis of our social reality, we explore a number of society’s elements, namely, historical
dimensions, structural elements, divisions of the society and interrelated issues. In terms of history, the
question is: Where are we coming from?
Through a scientific moment of historical awareness, the past can be carefully analyzed. As
indicated by Holland and Henriot (1984), the Scientific Moment of Historical Awareness describes social
change according to various stages. Below is an illustration of a relationship that has evolved based on the
situation. Looking at the experience of the United States, there are three stages in the shifting of the forms of
racism concerning black in the country which occurred in the plantation of the economy.
1. The first stage of racism is called paternalism. The main racial conflict occurred between the white
planters and black slave population.
2. The second stage of racism is discrimination. With emancipation, black citizens in the US faced a
new form of racism. They were thrown in the industrial economy where the black labor competed
with white labor and both where at the mercy of white entrepreneurial class. The result was a dual
or two tiered labor market with the black frequently at the bottom holding the lowest paying an
menial job.
3. The third stage is called marginalization. With a shrinking industrial economy, structural
unemployment is heavily concentrated among non-white. An urban permanent underclass is
developing – a class of people who are isolated from the economic mainstream and ignored.
What about in the Philippines? Where are we coming from? How did history influence the
Philippine social systems and structures? How has it contributed to the social issues that we are
confronting today?
Social analysis looks into the structures of our society, including government, law, education, labor,
church, and family. These structures have to be analyzed and understood in order to address structural roots
of our society’s problems. With the aid of social analysis, we can ascertain the key working structure in a
given situation and move outside personal considerations It is therefore important to look into the economic,
political and cultural structures of the society.
The table below provides the key data per structure that needs to be collected and analyzed.
The political, economic, and socio-cultural analysis leads to a clearer picture of the social of the
social situation of the community and the country as a whole. The clearer the picture, the more strategic the
interventions are. The process of viewing the different angles of the situation provides community change
agents a good grasp of the social problems and issues which will lead to deeper understanding and more
appropriate action.
In the study of societal divisions, the focus of analysis is the division of society according to class,
ethnicity, religion, geography, race, sex and age. It is necessary to also look into these divisions because
they cause societal disruption especially in the process of social change. It has implications on the
promotion of common good. In some cases, issues such as discrimination promote exclusivity in
development processes. Most often than not, the poorer sectors of the community are the predictable
victims.
In terms of class divisions, important questions are:
Who makes the decisions?
Who benefits from the decisions?
Who bears the cost of the decisions?
Discerning on the societal situation based on the questions posed in the historical, structural and
societal divisions’ perspectives, there is a clear social conflict and breakage in the social fabric. The
structures and systems create a gap between those who have economic and political powers vs
those who have not. There is a clear marginalization and exclusion of people who are living in the
slums, of people who are sick. These poor people consequently are forced to do criminal acts to
survive and to protect their families. There are cases when they are also forced to undertake
activities such as “dynamite fishing” to gather fish but the activity will eventually destroy the
environment.
The situation calls for social change.
REFLECTION QUESTION
Why does poverty persist despite development interventions?
The process of social change is complicated and long. It requires systemic and personal change.
Systemic change looks into institutional systems and economic, political and socio-cultural structures.
Which structures promote social justice and which structure deepens injustice? What alternative structures
do we offer? Personal change requires looking into the individual’s values and principles. Which values of
the individual are life-giving or life-affirming? Which values contribute in the strengthening of an unjust
society?
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AS A PROCESS OF SOCIAL CHANGE
Social Development (SD) is a key process in social change. This concept has a wide array of
descriptions as it is being used widely by social development workers and advocates. Midgley (2013) made
a review of these definitions. The table below is a synthesis of his review.
From the definitions cite above, several key concepts emerge. Most of the definitions describe
social development as a process of social change or development. The social change described in the review
aims for various things like individual and social welfare, the advancement of fundamental freedoms, and
social justice, among others. Moreover, the authors’ prescribed means in attaining theses social ends vary
from economic and social program, to capacity building of people, legislation and structural change.
Penullar (2015) capturing the several elements of various definitions proposed the following
description of SD:
“The process of planned and life-affirming social change aimed towards a society where
everyone is liberated an where everyone achieves fullness of life”.
In this description, life-affirming infers that all community development interventions have to be
life-sustaining, and as such much forbear violent modes of realizing social change. Liberation, on the other
hand, requires the exclusion of al structures and processes that cradles human suffering, while fullness of
life or abundant life as indicated by Penullar (2015) and cited by (Bufford (1991), may be viewed as
“comprehensive wellbeing, wellbeing in the social, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions of lif.
“Penullar (2015) further pointed out that, operationally, SD means to denounce and work towards the
elimination of unjust social practices and systems, promote participation of the underrepresented and
implement life-giving interventions.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
When does a community process of change become life-affirming and liberating? Do you embrace
such principles? Why or Why not?
What’s More
Activity 4: Paghahambing
Objective: To compare your point of view before and after a community exposure.
Instructions:
1. Review and reflect on your community exposure experience
2. Remember significant events in the community which is striking to you and affected your
view on five areas: your Self, the Partner Community Organization, the Community, the
Environment and Poverty
3. Answer the following questions:
How do you see yourself in view of the five areas?
Compare your viewpoints before and after the immersion.
Write your answers in the table below.
Sector of your
Partner community
Community
Environment
Poverty
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Is there a difference between your viewpoints before and after the exposure? What are the
differences? What are your insights?
Get a chance to become as creative as you can, and this might lead to the birth of some of the
most unique digital challenges one has ever seen!
Try at least one challenge from Mrs. Gavia’s bucket list 😊
Linis Bahay challenge
Linis Banyo Challenge
Linis Kalikasan Challenge
Linis Ilog Challenge
Linis Bakuran Challenge
Linis Barangay Hall Chalenge
Pet Paligo Challenge
Alay kapwa Challenge (a simple cup of coffee will do 😊)
Trashtag Challenge
You can upload your favorite 3-5 photos that best show the story of your project/challenge.
Choose photos that show the creativity, impact, and fun of your project. I’m especially looking for
action and candid shots that communicate the energy and enthusiasm of young people in service
or before & after photos that show the difference your project made. Please select and upload
your favourite 3-5 photos or short videos that best show the story of your project. Goodluck and
have fun 😊