2-Sense of Community

Objectives:
Understand the meaning of community
Define community participation
Discuss the sense of community, community building and organization
Improve and facilitate the interrelationships and to promote coordination among

organizations, groups and individuals concerned with social welfare program and services
Explore the mechanism of achieving community common goal
- Clarify the role of community leaders towards such endeavor
Introduction:
The students will understand their role in community organization and knowing their
participation in building a community. It is a concept in Community Psychology, social
psychology work, as well as in several other research disciplines that community
organization focuses on the experience of the community rather than its formation, setting
or other features. Community services administration needs to understand how structures
influence this feeling and psychological sense of community.
Team Building Activity

The individual person is always the motivating unit. Each person, in his/her role as a
community member, may have some degree, varying from weak to keen, of interest in
community affairs; theories of motivation for community organization are the same as any
other theories of motivation. A pattern of strong community motivation is one in which
many or most members are strongly disposed to achieve similar or common goals.
Activity: The students are asked to think or mention one team-building activity and discuss
then also explain the values they get from the activity.
Process:
After the activity, the students will share and discuss what they have learned from the
activity. Their sharing will help them understand what community or community building is
about.

Discussion:
Basic Concepts of Community
· In biological terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing an

environment.
· In sociology, a "community" has been defined as a group of interacting people living

in a common location.
· The word community is derived from the Latin communitas (meaning the same), which
is in turn derived from communis, which means "common, public, shared by all or
many." Communis comes from a combination of the Latin prefix com- (which means
"together") and the word munis (which has to do with the exchange of services).
Sense of Community
A sense of community focuses on the experience of the community rather than its

structure, formation, setting, or other features. It asks questions about the individual's
perception, understanding, attitudes, feelings, etc. about community and his or her
relationship to it and to others' participation - indeed to the complete, multifaceted
community experience.
It is “the perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with

others, a willingness to maintain this interdependence by giving to or doing for others what
one expects from them, and the feeling that one is part of a larger dependable and stable
structure
It is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one
another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their
commitment to be together.
Four Elements of Sense of Community (according to the McMillan & Chavis theory)
1. Membership. Membership includes five attributes:
· Boundaries
· Emotional safety
· A sense of belonging and identification
· Personal investment
· A common symbol system
2. Influence. Influence works both ways: members need to feel that they have some
influence in the group, and some influence by the group on its members is needed
for group cohesion.
3. Integration and fulfillment of needs. Members feel rewarded in some way for their
participation.
4. Shared emotional connection. The "definitive element for true community" It
includes shared history and shared participation (or at least identification with the
history).
Community Building and Community Building Approach

Community building is directed toward the creation or enhancement of community
between individuals within a regional area (such as a neighborhood) or with a common
interest.
A community building process aims to build capacity in neighborhood institutions,

strengthen ties among residents, and assist residents to work individually and collectively
toward neighborhood change.
1. Community Participation.
2. Capacity Building.
3. Neighborhood Governance
4. Collaboration.
5. An Asset Orientation
Community building and organizing

In The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace, Scott Peck argues that the

almost accidental sense of community that exists at times of crisis can be consciously
built. Peck believes that conscious community building is a process of deliberate
design based on the knowledge and application of certain rules. He states that this
process goes through four stages:
1. Pseudo-community:
2. Chaos
3. Emptiness
4. True community
Youth Development and Community Engagement

Basic Concept on Community Service
Community service are those activities that engage youth. It is often called youth
service. It is a methodology that is simultaneously employed to strengthen young peoples'
senses of civic engagement and nationalism, as well as assist them in meeting educational,
developmental, and social goals.
Reasons to Get Involved:
1. It feels good. The satisfaction and pride that come from helping others are important
reasons to serve. When you commit your time and effort to an organization or a
cause you feel strongly about, the feeling of fulfillment can be endless.
2. It strengthens the community. Organizations and agencies that use youth to serve
are providing important services at low or no cost to those who need them. When a
community is doing well as a whole, its individuals are better off, too.
3. Develop young people’s connections to their own identity, culture, and community.
4. Recognize that young people are assets to and experts about their communities.
5. Engage young people as community leaders on issues that matter to them.
What is a Service Learning?
Service-Learning as a method of teaching enriches learning by engaging students

in meaningful service to their schools or communities through careful integration with
established learning objectives or curricula.
Service-learning is an educational strategy that links service and academic
curriculum to promote learning. It promotes students’ personal, social, and intellectual
growth and provides them with a sense of civic responsibility and opportunities for career
exploration.
Service-learning’s key components are:
1. Student Leadership
2. Genuine community
3. Clear connections to curricular learning objectives
4. Reflection
5. Project Determination, Planning, Preparation, and Implementation:
6. Celebration
Project Ideas for Community Service

The following enumerates the different kinds of ideas that the youth may explore in serving
the community:
Types of Service Projects:
1. Single Service Project. A single, large, or mid-sized project requires broad-based

support and should reflect the general interest of people in the community.
Community-built playgrounds, recreation centers, or housing require diverse
resources from both adults and young people and can be powerful visual symbols of
the community’s commitment to youth.
2. Community-Wide Volunteer Day A celebration with multiple project sites requires
teaming with organizations and agencies whose projects can be accomplished in one
day. River, highway, and park cleanups, painting, and other rehabilitation projects are
good choices and can accommodate many volunteers. A well-organized city clean-
up can accomplish a significant amount of work in a single day and really put a shine
on a community.
3. Serve-a-thon. Serve-a-thons allow you to combine community service and
fundraising for local projects or organizations by taking pledges for hours of service.
Create pledge sheets that volunteers can use to solicit contributions before the
service day, and collect the funds raised when volunteers arrive for their service
projects.
4. Workshops and Training Sessions Organize a youth-led workshop to train NGOs
and the public on skills to deal with or prevent problems your community faces (e.g.
environment racism, ethnic conflict, HIV/AIDS) or to build capacity in volunteer
management and community service.
Planning a Community Service Project

Factors to Consider When Planning a Project:
 Identify a need for your community.

 Define the target group.
 Focus on a specific objective or goal that is appropriate for the community.
 Involve members of the community in planning.
 Tap into available community resources.
 Decide how you will evaluate your plan or project. What worked and what did not?
 Develop partnerships with other organizations in your community. Partner with other
area chapters.
There are four basic phases to community service:
1) Identifying an issue
2) Getting organized
3) Carrying out your plans and
4) Follow-up planning.
The following outline can help you to plan your

community service project:
I. Education
a. Identify an issue
b. Research the issues' past and present history
c. Frame the issue
d. Provide internal education
II. Getting Organized

a. Choose advocacy strategies available for the specific issue
b. Determine who else in the community will support or oppose the issue
c. Identify the target population
d. Develop a plan with alternative strategies
e. Assign tasks and target deadlines
III. Carrying Out Your Plans

a. Implement the plan
b. Track your progress
c. Adjust your strategies
d. Identify finish lines
e. Evaluate the plan
IV. Follow-up Planning

a. Evaluate success and accomplishments
b. Evaluate weaknesses and strategies that did not work
Advocacy Planning Strategies

Strategies that can aid in planning a successful community advocacy project include:
1. Keep your project simple; stick to one specific issue that has meaning for your
community or the target population.
2. Document what you already know about the issue, research what you do not know.
3. Use existing information, research articles, reports, books, or publications.
4. Document real life examples or experiences.
5. Reach out to local settings for speaking opportunities in service groups, schools, and
other organizations.
6. Use experts on the issue for public speaking and presentations.
7. Utilize the local media for public service announcements, editorial and op-ed articles,
highlighting a fact each week.
8. Involve a public official.
9. Work with others such as parent groups, business groups, church groups, senior
groups, student groups, service clubs, local associations, neighborhood groups and
professional associations.
10. Set up regular meetings for planning, tracking progress and evaluating the project.

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Objectives:

Understand the meaning of community

Define community participation

Discuss the sense of community, community building and organization

Improve and facilitate the interrelationships and to promote coordination among

Explore the mechanism of achieving community common goal

- Clarify the role of community leaders towards such endeavor

Team Building Activity

· In biological terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing an

· In sociology, a "community" has been defined as a group of interacting people living

A sense of community focuses on the experience of the community rather than its

It is “the perception of similarity to others, an acknowledged interdependence with

Four Elements of Sense of Community (according to the McMillan & Chavis theory)

1. Membership. Membership includes five attributes:

· A common symbol system

Community Building and Community Building Approach

A community building process aims to build capacity in neighborhood institutions,

5. An Asset Orientation

Community building and organizing

In The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace, Scott Peck argues that the

Youth Development and Community Engagement

Reasons to Get Involved:

What is a Service Learning?

Service-Learning as a method of teaching enriches learning by engaging students

Service-learning’s key components are:

3. Clear connections to curricular learning objectives

5. Project Determination, Planning, Preparation, and Implementation:

Project Ideas for Community Service

Types of Service Projects:

1. Single Service Project. A single, large, or mid-sized project requires broad-based

Planning a Community Service Project

 Identify a need for your community.

There are four basic phases to community service:

1) Identifying an issue

2) Getting organized

3) Carrying out your plans and

4) Follow-up planning.

The following outline can help you to plan your

II. Getting Organized

III. Carrying Out Your Plans

IV. Follow-up Planning

Advocacy Planning Strategies

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