SW117 REVIEWER

THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY IN SOCIAL II. Arthur Dunham

WORK PRACTICE “as a process of matching needs with
resources and as a conscious process of
DEFINITIONS AND TYPES OF COMMUNITY social interaction concerned with three
 A place or geographic locale in which types of objectives which are:
one’s needs for sustenance are met 1) task goals
 A pattern of social interactions 2) process goals
 A symbolic identification that gives 3) relationship goals
meaning to one’s identity III. Perlman and Gurin
 A location which is defined by the pace “as a process of finding solutions to
of its development social problems by redistributing
 A venue for meeting the bio-psycho resources, functions and decision-
social political- spiritual needs of the making power.”
people

DIFFERENT AUTHORS & DEFINITION OF TYPES OF COMMUNITY & DEFINITION

COMMUNITY
I. Cohen (1985) - Community as a system 2 main types of Community
of norms, values, and moral codes that 1) Geographical – people in a specific
provide a sense of identity for members. area. (Brgy., City, Region, Nation)
II. Warren (1978) - Community as that 2) Functional – people who hold common
combination of social units and systems values, functions/interests. (community
that perform the major social functions Chest, Professional Community, Fisher
relevant to meeting people’s needs on a folks)
local level.
III. Fellin (2001) - A community is a group of GEOGRAPHICAL - A community bounded by a
people who form a social unit based on geographically defined perimeter.
common location (e.g., city or Identification and interest - Non-geographical
neighborhood), interest and communities bound together by common
identification (e.g., ethnicity, culture, interests and commitments.
social class, occupation, or age) or some COLLECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS OF AN
combination of these characteristics. INDIVIDUAL - The constellation of relationships
IV. Tonnies (1887) - Presented the construct that gives meaning and identify to an
of Gemienschaft and Gesellschaft. individual’s life.
V. Manalili (1990) - A community is likened IDENTIFICATION THROUGH MEMBERSHIP TO
to a balangay characterized by a well- A SECTOR - A community bounded by
knit community having communal homogenous characteristics to form a sectoral
means of living and close kinship among group.
the residents. VIRTUAL COMMUNITY - A community of people
VI. Meneses (2013) – A community is a sharing common interests, ideas, and feelings
venue for biological, psychological, over the Internet.
social, political and spiritual activities of DEVELOPMENT-BASED COMMUNITY – A
residents especially geared towards community based on the classification of
common unity and collective action. development characteristics
VII. Arlene Johnson – a group of people 5 FUNCTIONS OF A COMMUNITY ACCORDING
gathered together in a geographic TO WARREN:
area, large or small, who have common 1. Production, Distribution & Consumption -
interests, actual or potentially These are the community activities designed to
recognized in the social welfare field” meet people’s materials needs, including the
most basic needs such as food, water, clothing,
DIFFERENT AUTHORS & DEFINITION OF shelter and the like.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING  There are patterns of economic activities
in the community to ensure production,
I. Murray Ross distribution & consumption so that each
“as a process of identifying problems resident meets his or her basic needs.
and needs, prioritizing them, formulating 2. Socialization - The community serves as a
solutions in solving problems/attaining venue for cultural activities especially in
needs and implementing them through transmitting the prevailing norms, traditions and
cooperative and collaborative efforts values.
which results to improved capacity in  The process of enculturation or
community problem-solving process socialization molds the attitude and
and community integration” perceptions of the residents especially
 on how they make sense and view the hold common values, share some
world. common functions or express some
3. Social Control - This function is the process of common interest such as education,
proper conduct & compliance by the residents health, livelihood, labor, welfare or
with norms and values by establishing laws, rules creation.
and regulations. Integrating Ross,Dunham's,Perlman and Gurin's
 Community activities for social control foregoing definitions with other concepts,
are enforced by institutions representing community organization has therefore been
various sectors such the government, defined "as a method of social work that uses
education, religion, and social welfare the conscious process of social interaction of
services. meeting any or all of the following objectives:
4. Social Participation - This function provides an 1) the meeting of broad needs and
opportunity for people to express their social bringing about and maintaining
needs and interest. adjustment between needs and
 There is an adage that says No Man is an resources in a community.
Island and that this is true because 2) helping people to deal more effectively
human beings are by nature social with their problems, needs and
beings. aspirations by helping them develop.
 There are institutions in the community Strengthen and maintain qualities of
like churches, civic organizations or participation, self-direction, cooperation
neighborhood groups where residents and integrations of efforts.
can freely join and actively participate in 3) bringing about changes in community
their activities. and group relationship, in policies and in
5. Mutual Support - It is the function that families, the distribution of decision-making
friends, neighbor, and volunteers & power.
professionals carry out in communities when  It deals with problem solving in response
they care for sick, the unemployed, and the to problems and needs.
distressed.  It seeks social change for the greater
 In the Philippine communities, this good.
function is expressed through damayan,  It involves the process of social
batarisan, kawanggawa, bayanihan, interaction.
saranay, tabang etc.  It involves people's participation in
PANTOJA AND PERRY’S FUNCTIONS OF planning and implementation of plans."
A COMMUNITY:
1. Production, distribution, and consumption PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF
2. Socialization COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
3. Social Control “acceptance of the right of the community to
4. Social Placement decide what it wants rather than having the
5. Mutual Support organizer’s views imposed upon it, belief on the
6. Defense capacity of the people to fins richer and more
7. Communication satisfying ways of living if they’re helped to use
the resources within themselves and their
THEORETICAL BASE OF COMMUNITY environment which are and could be made
ORGANIZATION COMMUNITY available to them.”
Arlene Johnson
 Defined a community as "a group of Cooperate spirit
people gathered together in a  people unite together to address
geographic area, large or small, who common issue
have common interests, actual or Spirit of Democratic Values and Principles
potentially recognized in the social  Focuses on creating democratic
welfare field.” involvement
Empowerment
CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY  Comes when people learn skills and help
Roland Warren themselves and others
 Developed the concept of community Individualization
as a multitude of systems many of which  recognizes the power of individuals for
were influenced by their vertical collective solutions to social problems
relationship than by their horizontal Coordination
relationships. As a social system, the  Inter- relations of the forces in the
community may be either geographic or community
functional in nature. Dynamic
 A functional community on the other  a continuous process which adjustment
hand is composed of the people who are made and remade
 injustice 2s land-grabbing which deprive
VALUES affected families their sources of income
1. Social Responsibility  due to lack of provisions for poverty
“man for others” concept, refers alleviation
to society’s responsibility to create  due to lack of-institutions catering to the
conditions that permit opportunity and needs of the poor social welfare
self-fulfillment; respond to changing- provisions such as the Land Reform
times. Program and the National Reconciliation
2. Social Justice and Development Program
there is no development, if there is  due to people's ignorance in electing
no pace” an equal access to the more qualified and pro-poor
opportunities and basic services. candidates for proper governance in
3. Respect for Human Rights their respective localities and nation.
man’s worth and dignity;
everybody has the right to decent and PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
peaceful living; right to participate. - Go to the people, live among the people.
- Learn, plan, and work with the people.
THE ASSUMPTIONS OF COMMUNITY - Start with and build on what the people know.
ORGANIZATION - Teach by showing, learn by doing.
A. “Changes in which individuals, groups - Not piece meal but an integrated approach.
and determine their own destiny in a - Not relief but release
democratic process have a better
chance of enduring than changes that 1) Trust in the people.
are imposed.” 2) Critical and active participation is crucial
B. “Readiness to change is a variable which to people’s empowerment.
affects the potential and the rate of 3) The responsibility to direct change lies in
community change obtainable at a the people.
given time,” 4) Seeing things not through our lens.
C. “Skills in participating in democratic 5) Avoid raising expectations and false
process can be taught and learned by hopes.
individuals and groups.” 6) Community organizing is not an end in
D. "Society can provide ways to achieve itself, rather a means to achieve a just,
maximum compatibility of individual and humane and democratic society.
community interest.” 7) Organizing work is biased for the poor.
E. “Social welfare provisions, services and 8) God is at work in the lives of people.
programs can enhance human welfare 9) Start where the people are, and with
and prevent and reduce social ills.” their needs, resources and capabilities.
F. “Planning, coordination and integration 10) People’s participation should be geared
of social welfare provisions are by towards the promotion of the interest of
individuals; social ills are inter-related, the greater majority.
and social welfare provisions are inter-
dependent. FOCUS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
 Society can derive maximum benefit 1. Removal of blocks to growth
when social welfare programs and  Identified blocks to growth are
services are integrated and coordinated a) ignorance,
among existing welfare agencies b) negative value as bahala na, and ningas
working in the communities since social cogon, maniana habit,
ills are inter-related and social welfare c) regionalism/factionalism
provisions are inter-dependent. An d) exploitation of the weak and ignorant
example of inter-relatedness of a social- and some oppressive social structures.
ill is graphically shown here under: 2. People Empowerment
The release of potential in the individual,
Poverty Causes groups and community as a whole.
 due to  This can be achieved through people’s
unemployment/underemployment participation in community activities,
 due to poor health, sickness projects and especially in the problem-
 due to lack of education, lack of solving and decision -making process.
required skills 3. Informal Leaders
 lack of opportunities for employment; The development of the capacity of
palakasan system indigenous leaders to lead, to manage and
 exploitation of employees on wage function in their assigned social roles in the
benefits, fringe benefits due to social community.
  Indigenous leader’s capacity to lead  To solve certain problems and meet
can be further developed if given needs.
important and challenging roles a  To achieve selected social goals.
committee chairman to take charge of  To strengthen the peoples capacity in
a community activity or project. dealing with their problems, needs and
4. Avoid duplication of services, competition aspirations.
and uneven benefits to beneficiaries.
Developing the ability of different THEORETICAL BASE MODELS AND APPROACHES
sectors in the community to function as OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
an integrated whole. - One of the most commonly cited
 This can be done if all sectoral plans and conceptualizations of organizing types was put
activities are integrated in one forward by Jack Rothman (2008) who
community plan and when the articulated three modes of intervention that are
implementation of said plans and widespread in community settings.
activities are done through the
cooperative and collaborative efforts of 3 MODELS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
the different sectors involved in planning COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
with the people.  According to Kramer and Specht,
5. Internal Strength community development as a co model
Strengthening people’s capacity for refers to effort to mobilize the people, the
problem-solving, decision-making and victims, the unaffiliated, the unorganized
cooperation and the non-participating who are
 The people should not be recipients of affected by a community condition into
development efforts. groups and organizations to enable
 They should be involved in planning them to take action on these social
activities that affect their lives from problems and issues which affect them.
problem/need identification and  The goal is the solution of specific
analyzing their identified community and benefit of its people with
problems/needs. the participation of the target
 Planning for their solution, implementing beneficiaries themselves.
plans, monitoring and evaluating their The United Nations
implementation.  Had popularized the use of the term
6. The full use of inner/indigenous resources community development to mean “the
before tapping external resources. process by which the efforts of the
 A self-reliant and self-managed people themselves are united with those
community is the primary goal of of government authorities to improve the
community organization. economic, social and cultural conditions
 Change/modify existing policies and of the communities into the life of the
programs that are oppressive, defective nation, and to enable them to contribute
and propose needed ones. fully to national progress”. The goal is
community competence.
GOALS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
A. Tasks Goals - are concerned with Presidential Assistant on Community
concrete tasks to be undertaken to meet Development (PACD)
the specific needs and people’s  Was created by the late President
aspiration or to solve particular problems. Ramon Magsaysay in 1956 which
B. Process Goals - are concerned with implemented this UN concept of
process of helping people in a community development in the
community or groups strengthen their Philippines. Later became a bureau in
quality of participation, self-direction the Department of Local Government
and cooperation. (DLC).
C. Relationship Goals - are focused in
changing certain types of relationship Ministry of Human Settlements
and decision-making process in a  Was established during the Marcos
community by diffusing power to a wider regime and where the community
base. development program of DLG was
being transferred.
PURPOSE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION  Was later on abolished by President
To give professional assistance to a community Corazon Aquino after the EDSA revolt in
or group or population unit to help them 1986, including the community
achieve any or all the following objectives: development program.
Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD)
 Under its Community Welfare Program
started doing community organization
work in pilot areas where the Fieldworkers
were allowed to innovate approaches in
helping depressed communities in their
development during late 70's.
 The use of baranganic approach was
emphasized, the operationalization of
which was left to the regional offices to
conceptualize.
Basic elements of community development as
identified by Kenneth Maygood are the
following:
1. “The community is approached as a
whole”.
2. "Activities undertaken correspond to the
basic needs of the community”. These
needs can be classified into:
a) Physical
 Water supply system roads
b) Economic
 Problems of livelihood; lack of
income
c) Social
 problems on crime &
delinquency, drug abuse,
informal settlers, street children
etc.
d) Psychological
 sense of community - sense of
achievement
3. “The educational-organizational process
moves from an awareness of problems to
a definition of problems followed by
study".
4. “Community development activities are
thought of in long-range terms".
5. Widespread participation and
involvement is sought with decision-
making taking place at the lowest lever
(Bottom-up Planning), consistent with the
nature of the problem”.
6. "The resources of both governmental
and non-governmental organizations
are utilized".
7. "Both professional and lay participation
are sought in community development
programs".
8. "The identification, encouragement and
training of local leaders is a central
feature of community development
program”.