What is community?
A community is a group of people that live at the same place and share some common
characteristics. There are many types of communities that we are going to discuss in detail, but first, let us look at
the standard features of a community.
The first standard feature of a community is locality. Communities are located in the same area. To stretch the
definition, online communities will be located in the same area online. Locality matters for types of community,
even when the people in those communities may be physically separated.
Sentiments are the second standard feature of all types of community. People in a community will have a similar
way of thinking. Sometimes even creating specific mores for their community.
According to sociology, a community is a set of meaningful social connections within a group. The size of the
group may vary, but all the members have something in common. Communities are social. It consists of a web of
relationships operating within certain boundaries that are shared and agreed among its members either implicitly
or explicitly.
Concept of community?
Systems Perspective
From a systems perspective, a community is similar to a living creature, comprising different parts that represent
specialized functions, activities, or interests, each operating within specific boundaries to meet community needs.
For example, schools focus on education, the transportation sector focuses on moving people and products,
economic entities focus on enterprise and employment, faith organizations focus on the spiritual and physical well-
being of people, and health care agencies focus on the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries (Henry,
2011). For the community to function well, each part has to effectively carry out its role in relation to the whole
organism. A healthy community has well-connected, interdependent sectors that share responsibility for
recognizing and resolving problems and enhancing its well-being. Successfully addressing a community’s complex
problems requires integration, collaboration, and coordination of resources from all parts (Thompson et al., 1990).
From a systems perspective, then, collaboration is a logical approach to health improvement.
Social Perspective
A community can also be defined by describing the social and political networks that link individuals, community
organizations, and leaders. Understanding these networks is critical to planning efforts in engagement. For
example, tracing social ties among individuals may help engagement leaders to identify a community’s leadership,
understand its behavior patterns, identify its high-risk groups, and strengthen its networks (Minkler et al.,
1997). Chapter 6 explores this approach to understanding a community in greater depth.
Virtual Perspective
Some communities map onto geographically defined areas, but today, individuals rely more and more on
computer-mediated communications to access information, meet people, and make decisions that affect their lives
(Kozinets, 2002). Examples of computer-mediated forms of communication include email, instant or text
messaging, e-chat rooms, and social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (Flavian et al., 2005).
Social groups or groups with a common interest that interact in an organized fashion on the Internet are
considered “virtual communities” (Rheingold, 2000; Ridings et al., 2002). Without question, these virtual
communities are potential partners for community-engaged health promotion and research. Chapter 6 focuses on
social networking and expands on the virtual perspective.
Individual Perspective
Individuals have their own sense of community membership that is beyond the definitions of community applied
by researchers and engagement leaders. Moreover, they may have a sense of belonging to more than one
community. In addition, their sense of membership can change over time and may affect their participation in
community activities (Minkler et al., 2004).
The philosopher and psychologist William James shed light on this issue in his writings. James thought it important
to consider two perspectives on identity: the “I,” or how a person thinks about himself or herself, and the “me,” or
how others see and think about that person. Sometimes these two views agree and result in a shared sense of an
identity, but other times they do not. People should not make assumptions about identity based on appearance,
language, or cultural origin; nor should they make assumptions about an individual’s perspective based on his or
her identity (James, 1890). Today, the multiple communities that might be relevant for any individual — including
families, workplace, and social, religious, and political associations — suggest that individuals are thinking about
themselves in more complex ways than was the norm in years past.
The eligibility criteria that scientists, policy makers, and others develop for social programs and research projects
reflect one way that people perceive a group of proposed participants, but how much those criteria reflect the
participants’ actual view of themselves is uncertain. Practitioners of community engagement need to learn how
individuals understand their identity and connections, enter into relationships, and form communities.
Types of community?
5 Common Features of Different Types of Community
1. Interest
People with common interests or passions can together form a community. For example, a community of pianists.
These communities don’t have much strict code of rules, because they are limited to the breadth & scope of the
interest.
2. Actions
A community can also be made up of people who are acting together to bring a change. For example, a community
of feminists. There can be various shades of such types of communities as well. Every culture & philosophy
interprets these actions differently.
3. Place
Co-existence in a geographical area can also be shape up a community. For example, a community of Muslim ex-
pats in Poland. This is a hybrid form of both the interest and action types of communities. The geographical
location serves also in the concept of Nationalism & Nation-states.
4. Practice
Communities can be formed by people who are from the same profession or undertake the same activities. For
example, A community of young doctors. These communities are both at national & international level.
5. Circumstance
Some communities are brought together by external events or situations. For example, a community of refugees.
3 Types of Community – Basic Communities
There are three types of community, according to sociology. Following is a brief description of them:
1. Rural community – Types of Community
The rural community can be characterized as a natural phenomenon. Every society has a rural community, no
matter how distinct their culture or pattern of social life is. People who have extreme similarities in objectives and
ambitions of living, shape up a community that is a product of natural, free will.
Agriculture is a fundamental part of the identity of a rural community. People of rural communities have a higher
degree of homogeneity in their character and more face to face interaction with each other.
Necessary facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations, etc. are mostly absent from such a community
life. Such communities are often perceived as ‘backward’ due to a lack of proper infrastructure. Typically,
inhabitants of a rural community have to travel to the nearest city or town for access to necessary facilities like
medical care, etc.
Rural communities are mostly made up of smaller populations that spread out to self-sustaining areas where
natural resources are readily available.
2. Sub-urban Types of Community
Suburban communities are often perceived as intermediate to rural and urban communities. That is why it is
known as “suburban.” They are more abundant in population as compared to the rural community and less in
number relative to an urban community. Such communities are often out-lying a larger city. They have limited
resources and little political autonomy.
Sub-urban areas are often referred to as single-family homes or housing divisions that are closer to each other.
Apartments are uncommon in a suburban community. Suburban areas mostly began to emerge in the 19th and
20th centuries as a result of improved infrastructure such as railroad transport that facilitated commuting.
Suburban communities are mostly settled around an abundance of adjacent flat land. In some countries, such
suburban areas are referred to as “neighborhood” of cities or a “town.”
3. Urban community
An urban community is often perceived as the opposite of a rural community. The lifestyle of an urban community
is highly impersonal, complex, and heterogeneous in their identities and lifestyle.
Communities are the product of rational choice. There is a complex division of labor with specialization in
professions and jobs, which shapes up the identity of an urban community. Modern facilities and infrastructure
are also central to urban communities. State officials and diplomatic activities are also fundamental to urban
communities.
Urban communities are based on a larger population, and most often, urban areas are overcrowded due to it.
As we have discussed, three types of community, primarily. Now let us move forward to the organizational
typology of communities that was proposed by Schubert and Borkman in 1991.
These are based on organizational structures. However, this typology is intended to explain self-help groups, but
they help in giving broader insight into the type of communities. They help to understand various forms of
organizational systems.
Community IMMERSION & organizing
Community Organizing - Is a systematic, planned and liberating change process of transforming a complacent,
deprived and malfunctioning community into an organized, conscious, empowered and self-reliant, just and
humane entity and institution.”-Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)
Community organizing is a continuous process of:
1. Educating the people to understand their critical consciousness of their existing conditions;
2. Organizing people to work collectively and efficiently on their problems;
3. Mobilizing people to develop their capacity and readiness to respond and take action on their immediate
needs towards solving their long term problems. [UP College of Social Work and Community
Development]
Community Organizing (CO) is both a process and a method.
PROCESS - It is a process in the sense that it is perceived as a progressive and forward movement from one
condition to another.
METHOD - it consists of a dynamically conscious and deliberate undertaking to bring social change.
BRIEF HISTORY: COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IN PHILIPPINE SETTING:
Through the Philippine Ecumenical Council for Community Organization (PECCO), Community Organizing
was introduced in the Philippines during the First Quarter Storm of the seventies. The group organized
communities in the Tondo area where the program, Zone One Tondo (ZOTO) was born.
The program was replicated in other parts of the Philippines, including the rural areas and was usually
introduced through church structures. Organizing efforts continued even when the Martial Law was
declared.
During this time, Community Workers began pushing for people‘s participation and community organizing
became the tool for achieving this. International Development Groups and government both began to
support and fund Community Organizing Programs. Community Organizing began to proliferate.
Over time, the group develops concurrently with the development of group members’ confidence,
abilities, skills, knowledge, experiences and so forth.
In short, the whole notion of community development is about human-centred development and
change for both community members and change agents.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING:
“Go to the People, Live Among the People”
One cannot help the community towards its development if the organizers stay and work within the
comforts of an office/ school and do not integrate with the people.
“Learn, Plan and Work with the People”
The people know better than any other outsider what their needs and problems are. The community
members, with the assistance of the community organizer, must be the one to determine the program
appropriate to answer their needs/ problems.
“Start With and Build on What the People Know”
Community organizers must begin with the indigenous resources, technologies and structures that the
community has. Improve on their strengths.
“Teach By Showing, Learn by Doing”
For the community to learn effectively, the worker must demonstrate different procedures or techniques
and not merely give instructions.
“Not Piecemeal but an Integrated Approach”
Community organizing is an inter-relationship of various elements and factors.
“Not Relief, But Release”
Community organizing is a process that liberates a community from its identified problems.
STEPS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
Entry into the community.
This step enables the community organizers to introduce themselves to the local community officials and inform
the local authorities about the project, its objectives, and the nature of their stay in the community. As a strategy,
the community organizers adapt a lifestyle in keeping with the community and choose an appropriate place or
family to stay with.
Integration with the people.
The purpose of this activity is for the community organizers to imbibe community life and get to know the culture,
economy, leadership, history, and lifestyle of the people. It is a means of establishing rapport with the people and
building mutual trust and cooperation. It allows the community organizers to be one with the people and learn or
understand the people’s problems. The community organizers participate in the economic activities, household
work, group discussion, and social functions of the community
Social investigation.
Through this step, the community organizers systematically acquire information and analyze the political and
socio-cultural structure of the community to identify issues around which to organize the people. The different
strategies include gathering and reviewing secondary data sources such as records and documents, holding
personal interviews, conducting a survey, and observing. The community organizers during this stage assist the
community in identifying, analyzing and prioritizing current community needs and issues. A compromise between
the felt and objective needs must be met.
Identifying & Developing Potential Community Leaders.
The Community Organizer should closely observe those who seem to have deep understanding and concern for
the community. Equip them with useful knowledge and experience by initiating discussions, and slowly educate
and convince the community that leaders must come from ranks and not outside.
Core Group Formation
The purpose of this step is to form a small group of potential leaders to assist the community organizers in
organizing and mobilizing the community. This involves identification of contacts and potential leaders in the
community, and conduct of training in leadership and organizing with the core group members as participants.
Setting-up the Organization
Through this step, the community organizers facilitate wider participation and collective action on issues and
problems concerning the community. The people are now ready to set up their organization, election of leaders
with the participation of all its members. The community organizer should educate the members to trust their
organization.
Strengthening the Organization
Capacitate the organization by convincing the people on the power of collective strength. Give them the chance to
move and work together on their own. Avoid the notion that the people cannot work without your help and let the
people learn how to handle issues and problems on their own and conduct their own planning and assessment.
ROLE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Community organizer having the required characteristics and skills and the knowledge about the process and steps
of community organization will be able to apply the same in different settings by appropriate roles. The different
roles of a community organizer are discussed here. These roles are neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive.
1. Communicator – the community organizer transfers or transmits information, thought, knowledge etc. to
the members of the community. Sharing of information enables the community to be better prepared and
empowered with information.
2. Enabler – the community organizer facilitates the process in the community for a change. He does not
carry out any work by himself but he enables the community to do the work. The organizer gives
importance to the process than the product. By the role of enabler the organizer would create
independency among the people by which avoid the dependency syndrome.
3. Animator – in any process of community organization the organizer encourages, provides direction and
guide lines to proceed in carrying out the different activities. As an animator the Community Organizer
plays a vital role in eliciting the active participation of the people from planning till evaluation especially
ensuring life in all the dealings of the issues and problems.
4. Guide – the community organizer instead of doing anything on his own guides the members of the
community in the process of community organization. The community organizer is not a person to
shoulder the responsibility or solving problems of the people. Instead he has to make the people to
respond for which the organizer provides the various avenues and shows different roots while dealing
with the community problems.
5. Counsellor – the community organizer understands the community and enables the community to
understand itself. At the time of difficulty the individuals or the groups are given the required counselling
to proceed in the correct direction. When people are in need there should be someone to listen to them.
6. Collaborator – the community organizer joins hands in performing his task with his colleagues with other
like-minded people and organizations. Nowadays organizations approach a problem not with their
personal capacity they also depend on the neighbouring organization. Therefore the role of collaborator is
very much needed for networking of similar and like-minded organizations and efforts for a common
cause.
7. Consultant – the community organizer enjoys the confidence of the people and advises them in matters
of vital interest. The community organizer becomes a person with lots of knowledge and information
which is being shared with the people. As a consultant the community organizer makes himself available
to the people who are in need.
8. Innovator – the community organizer innovates, performs, and improves the techniques, content in the
process of community organization. This gives a lead to the people of the community and enables them to
try out new ways and means to find solutions to the needs and problems. Community organizer is not a
person to maintain the system that exists but he should be a person to introduced new ways and means
to climb up the development ladder.
9. Model – the community organizer commands perfection as a community organizer and serves as a source
of inspiration. The role of the organizer is to become an example while working with the people. By
proper planning in approaching a problem and execution of the plan and documenting the whole process
will be of greater help to others. The problem solving process becomes a model to others.
10. Motivator – the community organizer stimulates and sustains active interest among the people for
reaching a solution to the needs and problems. The community organizer encourages the community to
take up a minor task and complete it successfully which would enable the people to take up difficult task.
11. Catalyst – in the process of community organization the community organizer retains his identity at the
same time enables the people to be empowered. The people gain accessibility and control over resources
and acquire skills in decision making. As a catalyst the organizer is able to increase the response level of
the people. The catalyst role further enables the people to become independent and become expert in
responding to their own needs.
12. Advocate – the role of the advocate is to be a representative or persuade the members of the community
and prepare them to be a representative as well as represent the issues to the concerned body to bring a
solution to the unmet needs. The advocacy role is an important role in the present context. The
community organizer in the role of an advocate represents the interests of the community to gain access
or services or improve the quality of services which may be hampered by other forces.
13. Facilitator – the community organizer helps the community to articulate their needs, clarify and identify
their problems, explore resolution strategies, select and apply intervention strategies, and develop their
capacities to deal with their own problems more effectively. A facilitator helps client systems alter their
environment.
14. Mediator – the community organizer intervenes in disputes between parties to help them find
compromises, reconcile differences, or reach mutually satisfying agreements. A mediator is involved in
resolving disputes between members of the between the community and other persons or the broader
environment.
15. Educator – the community organizer as educator conveys information to the community and the broader
environment. Organizer provides information necessary for coping with problem situations, assists the
community in practicing new behaviours or skills, and teaches through modelling. The community
organizer provides information necessary for decision making.
While working with the people of different background or from different geographical set up the different roles
can be applied. All the roles need not be or cannot be applied in all the settings to all the problems. Therefore
depending upon the situation and the needs and problems of the community appropriate role has to be applied.
Theories in community organizing:
1. SYSTEM THEORY
2. ANTI – OPPRESIVE PRACTICE
3. ANTI – RACISM
4. CULTURAL HUMILITY AND CULTURAL SAFETY
5. INDIGENOUS WORLDVIEW
Community Organizing Participatory Action Research
