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Community Organizing and Community Building

Community Organizing and Community Building. The work and resources of many are better than the work and resources of a few!!. Community. A locale or domain that is characterized by the following: Membership; Common symbol systems (language, rituals, ceremonies); Shared values and norms;

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Community Organizing and Community Building

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  1. Community Organizing and Community Building The work and resources of many are better than the work and resources of a few!!

  2. Community A locale or domain that is characterized by the following: • Membership; • Common symbol systems (language, rituals, ceremonies); • Shared values and norms; • Mutual influence (members have influence and are influenced by other members);

  3. Community (cont’d) A locale or domain that is characterized by the following: • Shared needs and a commitment to meeting them; • Shared emotional connection; • May be geographically bounded as in a neighborhood (but not necessarily).

  4. Community Organizing “a process through which communities are helped to identify common problems or goals, mobilize resources, and in other ways develop and implement strategies for reaching their goals they have collectively set.” Minkler, 1997

  5. Assumptions of Community Organizing • Communities of people can develop capacity to deal with their own problems; • People want to change and can change; • People should participate in making, adjusting, or controlling the major changes taking place in their communities; • Changes in community living that are self-imposed or self-developed have a meaning and permanence that imposed changes do not have;

  6. More Assumptions of Community Organizing • A “holistic approach” can deal successfully with problems with which a “fragmented approach” cannot; • Democracy requires cooperative participation and action in the affairs of the community, and that the people must learn the skills which make this possible; • Frequently communities of people need help in organizing to deal with their needs, just as many individuals require help in coping with their individual problems (can’t see the forest for the trees).

  7. Organizing a Community There is not just one way to do this!! Older Models: • Locality development – seeks community change through broad self-help participation from the local community • Social planning – Involves outside planners and is very task-oriented. Participation of community members ranges from a little to a lot

  8. Organizing a Community There is not just one way to do this!! • Social action – deals with organizing a disadvantaged segment of the population. Often seeks a redistribution of resources and power, e.g. civil rights movement, gay rights movement. Primarily “problem-based,” and “organizer-centered.”

  9. Community Organizing and Community Building Consensus Conflict Community Development Social Action Strategies Grassroots org. Coalitions Lay health workers Building comm. Identity Political action Culture relevant practice Collaboration Advocacy Empowerment-oriented Social Action (Challenging Power Over) Community Building and Capacity Building (Power With) Community Capacity Leadership Development Critical Awareness

  10. Generic Model for Community Organizing • Recognizing the issue • Gaining entry into the community • Organizing the people • Assessing the community • Determining the priorities and setting goals • Arriving at a solution and selecting intervention strategies

  11. Generic Model for Community Organizing • Implementing the plan • Evaluating the outcomes of the plan of action • Maintaining the outcomes in the community • Looping back

  12. Recognizing the Issue Results are best when a problem is recognized from the “inside” • Grass-roots • Citizen-initiated • Bottom-up • Ownership

  13. Gaining Entry to the Community Who controls the “political climate” of the community? • Gatekeepers • Business leaders, education leaders, clergy, law enforcement, parents, etc.

  14. Organizing the People Initial group must include those most affected by the problem • Core group/executive participants Expand the group to include: • Active participants • Occasional participants • Supporting participants May result in a • Coalition

  15. Assessing the Community Community building focuses on assets and strengths of the community • Mapping the community (needs and assets) • Primary building blocks • Secondary building blocks • Potential building blocks • See pp. 223-225

  16. Reaching Consensus • Avoid the “one best way” attitude. The best way is the one the group agrees on; • Avoid “either, or” thinking. The best solution often combines several approaches; • The majority vote is not always the best solution; • Healthy conflict is OK; • Problems are best solved when participants communicate and listen. • Strategies: brainstorming, nominal group process, conflict resolution

  17. Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) 2 Collecting and Organizing Data 3 Choosing Health Priorities 1 Mobilizing the Community 4 Developing a Comprehensive Intervention Plan 5 Evaluating PATCH

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