Community Engagement, Solidarity & Citizenship Module 1 PDF

Community Engagement, Solidarity & Citizenship. Module 1: unity Dynamics and Community  Take time and look at the photo above. Is the common façade familiar to you? Have you ever wandered around your own community? Have you ever thought deeply and realized what is...

Community Engagement, Solidarity & Citizenship. Module 1: unity Dynamics and Community  Take time and look at the photo above. Is the common façade familiar to you? Have you ever wandered around your own community? Have you ever thought deeply and realized what is really happening The study of community entails us to understand our very own community life.It gives us the idea on how to perceive reality by becoming involve in the day to day process which is socialization. In the interaction process, people grasp the challenges of the contemporary community life. Using the imaginative yet rational ideals of social sciences, we sought to investigate how socialization may impact the dynamics within the community – whether it has improved or worsened the present condition. In this module, we are geared towards explaining the importance of studying community dynamics Community Citizenship Engagement Solidarity  Hi! In this lesson, we are guided by the following objectives:  Cite the importance of community dynamic.  Share significant community-based activities describing the community life.  Identify the importance of studying the community action.  Express ideas about the importance of studying community action. Vocabulary List  Derived from the latin word Community “communis” that means “common” or “shared”. Aims to increase the understanding , engagement Community and empowerment of Action communities for the intention of giving services to people.  This are the changes in the Community community brought by Dynamics social, cultural, and environmental whether it positive or negative. It enables the people to independently decide, plan- out and take actions to Empowerment control the situation they have in the community.  Non- It is a community formed Geographical based on needs, ideas, Community interests, identity, practices, and roles in social institutions. A community where members share the same Geographical geographical vicinity such as Community village, province or neighborhood.  A community wherein a group Micro-level is formed based on personality. community Is a positive product of human interaction. The Social Capital network of relationship within particular society, to function effectively.  Lesson 1: The Community We Live In! What is Community and Why is there a Need in Studying this? Individuals having significant interaction within a specified area becomes one of the contributory factors in forming community. The word community was derived from the Latin word communis which means “common” or “shared”.  It may share a certain sense of place whether it is geographical area or through a virtual space. Geographical community is a community where members share the same geographical vicinity such as a village, province or neighborhood. Non-geographical community is a community formed based on needs, ideas, interests, identity, practices, and roles in social institutions such as at home, all work, in government, society, or the community at large. Communication and relationships are imperative in building community. As people communicate and interact, relationships foster. It develops pattern by which adopted in the environment. Communities may also be in two levels: Micro- level community, a group is formed based on personal ties. This may include groups formed for pursuing common interests or goals like forming a small organization to hold a fund- raising activity such as concerts.  At macro-level, large group affiliation is formed such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities. Companies and corporations may develop various programs that would include different members across the country. They will work on meeting certain objectives and expand on the aspect of community involvement. Mores, values, and identity is a commonality that form culture. Hence, the interest of social sciences focused in the study of communities The following are the importance of studying community: 1. It motivates people to work together – people feel a sense of community and recognize the benefits of their involvement. 2. It encourages social, religious, or traditional obligations for mutual help. 3. People see a genuine opportunity to better their own lives and for the community  4. It understands policies promoting community participation that values social capital 5. Community participation could be understood as the direct involvement of citizenry in the affairs of planning, governance, and overall developmentprograms at local or grassroot levels Understanding community life makes us value the things we have on a daily basis, social encounter constructs reality and affects some changes within – this is Community Dynamics. Have you noticed some recent changes in your community? The changes in the community are brought about by social, cultural and environmental experiences whether it is positive or negative development that impacts within the community. People adopt the changes and it has shaped their way of life.  What is Community Action? Community Action is any activity that aims to increase the understanding, engagement and empowerment of communities for the intention of giving services to people. There are 3-key points in grasping the definition more meaningful:  Understanding raise an awareness about certain communal issues that needs to be addressed. People develop the feeling of involvement once they truly comprehend the situation within. They come together to support advocacies that will overcome community needs and difficulties. Engagement Once issues are assessed properly and people in the community understand the needs, they work collaboratively to act on it. The main goal of engaging in the community is to improve the partnership and coalitions among the community. It is important that engagement occurs so that members will be able to involve meaningfully in the activities that they have created.  Empowerment enable the people to independently decide, plan-out and take action to control the situation they have in the community. This means, initiative and decisions come from internal group organized for the benefit of everyone. It is also necessary that the community can provide significant networks and linkages that will genuinely serve the advocacies that they have built.  Hence, the study of community action is imperative in the field of social sciences and other related disciplines as it lays on the foundation that individuals and families – as basic unit, are embedded in different social structures that shape the behaviors in the system. Having knowledge in community action makes an individual understand better by being aware in the environment, have meaningful engagement and accept empowerment to create significant impact. vWhy is community action important? Community action is about putting communities at the heart of their own local services. Involving communities in the design and delivery of services can help to achieve a number of objectives, including: 1. Building community and social capacity – helping the community to share knowledge, skills and ideas. 2. Community resilience – helping the community to support itself. 3. Prevention – a focus on early access to services or support, engagement in design, cross-sector collaboration and partnerships. 4. Maintaining and creating wealth – for example helping people into employment or developing community enterprises.  Role of the Community The role of the community includes the following: community consultation, joint planning, joint design, joint delivery and community-led activities. Types of community activities: Asset transfer -either through formal transfer to bodies such as parish councils or community interest companies, or transfer of their management to local community and voluntary groups Making better use of physical resources, such as council-owned buildings, to support community-led activities.  Community engagement in decision-making (for example through public engagement events where the community helps to decide local priorities, co_x0002_design or co- commission services). Community networks.Community grants