Role of Communities in Community Development and Social Change

ROLE OF
COMMUNITIES IN
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AND
SOCIAL CHANGE
BY: Jalila C. Pundogar
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Community development is a set of
approaches undertaken by individuals,
informal groups and organizations. We
believe it should be practiced by all
sectors, whether public, private or
voluntary. It can be paid or unpaid,
qualified or simply experienced.
Community work can be generic or
specialized. Generic community work takes
place in a particular geographical area,
focusing on working with the community to
identify their needs and issues, and
formulating strategies to address those
issues. The setting is either urban or rural,
with rural community development work
increasingly attracting attention.
Communities are as varied and individual as its
members. The role of the community provides the
members with a sense of belonging and purpose.
Community roles can be active in providing a
service, supportive, where the members support the
activities of another community, or a mixture where
the members share experiences, resources, skills and
knowledge with each other.
Communities can be recreational, and provide a social
role in enabling its members to participate in various
activities, or provide an educational role in providing
its members with knowledge, skills and resources. A
community could also be a service provider, an
organization, a local community group or any service
that supports people with high support needs, or fulfill
any other role that is valued in society as well as other
communities that it is a part of.
Community development is a process where
community members are supported by
agencies to identify and take collective
action on issues which are important to
them. Community development considers
community members to be experts in their
lives and communities, and values
community knowledge and wisdom.
A community resource is anything that has the
potential to improve the quality of life in a
community, according to the Community Tool Box
from the University of Kansas. Potential community
resources include organizations, places, services,
businesses and individuals.
Community development brings people together.

This type of work requires selfless individuals who
are passionate about assisting others
As a community development worker you will help communities
to bring about social change and improve the quality of life in
their local area. You might work with individuals, families and
whole communities to empower them to:
 identify their assets, needs, opportunities, rights and

responsibilities
 plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action
 develop activities and services to generate aspiration and

confidence.
As a community development worker you'll act
as the link between communities and arrange
of other local authority and voluntary sector
providers, such as the police, social workers
and teachers.
You'll frequently be involved in addressing
inequality. Projects often target communities
perceived to be culturally, economically or
geographically disadvantaged.
Responsibilities
Community development work seeks to

actively engage communities in making
sense of the issues which affect their
lives, setting goals for improvement and
responding to problems and needs
through empowerment and active
participation.
A good deal of the work is project based, which
means you will usually have a specific geographical
community or social group on which to focus.
 identifying community skills, assets, issues and

needs
 ensuring that local people have their say
 developing new resources in dialogue with the
community and evaluating existing programs
 building links with other groups and agencies
 helping to raise public awareness on issues
relevant to the community
Community work can be generic or
specialized. Generic community work takes
place in particular geographical area, focusing
on working with the community to identify their
needs and issues, and formulating strategies
to address those issues. The setting is either
urban or rural, with rural community
development work increasingly attracting
attention.
Specialized community work focuses on either specific
groups within a region (such as the homeless, the long-
term unemployed, families with young children or ethnic
minorities) or on particular concerns such as:
 mental health
 public transport
 tackling drug abuse

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Geographical communities:
Common resources and institutions create

communities through the shared use of these
facilities. It is a common tie in the sense that people
who share resources and institutions will have
repeated, and often regular, interactions with each
other. Examples include local government areas
where there are shared community centers, local
amenities, and services.
5 Principles Of Community Development
Community
development is a
holistic approach
grounded in
principles of
empowerment,
human rights,
inclusion, social
justice, self-
determination and
collective action
(Kenny, 2007).
A. The Community Development Program
1. needs of the community in a holistic
manner
2. understanding of the cultural patterns of
the community
3. response to felt needs of the people
4. based on sound foundation of facts –
broad objectives, organization, careful and
realistic planning and flexible in operation
B. The Spirit of the Community Development
1. stimulation, development and
cultivation of self-help
2. voluntary cooperation
3. attitude of self-confidence, initiative,
cooperation and resourcefulness
4. educational process
C. Democracy and Community Development
1. maximum freedom and self-
determination.
2. participation of all groups in the
community.
3. democratic in spirit, organization and
operation.
4. creative, imaginative, dynamic
leadership and participation on all levels.
D. Relationship of Community Development
1. integral part of the social and economic
development.
2. maintain active participation of the people
– revitalization.
3. voluntary work for non-government and
government organizations.
E. Personnel of Community Development
1. trained personnel
2. development an d training of local
leadership
3. provide professional administrative
or technical skill, guidance and assistance
Now
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A Developed Community
“A community is an organic, natural set of relationships, a group in
which membership is valued as an end in itself; which concerns itself
with many significant aspects of the lives of members; which allows
competing factions; whose members share commitment to a common
purpose and to procedures for handling conflict in the group; whose
members have responsibility for actions of the group; and whose
members have an enduring and extensive personal contact with each
other.”
(Hayden Roberts’, Community Development, p. 25)

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WELCOME!
Helena Smith
Mercury is the closest planet to the
Sun and the smallest one in the Solar
System
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The determining factors of human behavior and social change are numerous. The
outcome of a development programmed is always dependent upon a large number of
factors. It is the interplay of all and never only one of them that is the deciding factor.
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THANKS!
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What are the different roles of a community?

How can communities be developed?

ROLE OF

Community development brings people together.

 identify their assets, needs, opportunities, rights and

 plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action

 develop activities and services to generate aspiration and

Community development work seeks to

 identifying community skills, assets, issues and

 tackling drug abuse

Common resources and institutions create

(Hayden Roberts’, Community Development, p. 25)

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