CESC Lessons PDF

L1 - Defining Community 2. It encourages social, religious, or traditional obligations for mutual help. Community – from the Latin word ‘communis’ meaning 3. People see a genuine o...

L1 - Defining Community 2. It encourages social, religious, or traditional obligations for mutual help. Community – from the Latin word ‘communis’ meaning 3. People see a genuine opportunity to better their ‘common’ or ‘shared.’ It can be defined by two own lives and for the community. characteristics: location and social identification. 4. It understands policies promoting community Geographical community – group of individuals participation that values social capital. bound within a specific geographic location, 5. Community participation could be understood where members share the same vicinity such as the direct involvement of citizenry in the as village, province, or neighborhood. affairs of planning, governance, and overall Non-geographical community – based on development programs at local or grassroots needs, ideas, interests, identity, practices, and level. roles in social institutions such as home, work, government, society, etc. The community as a movement Communication and relationships are imperative in A community is more than just a collective, it also building community. As people communicate and embodies a perspective, identity, and stand—much like interact, relationships foster. a social movement. The main difference between both Communities may also be in two levels: is that social movements exist primarily of a cause that Micro-level community – formed based on manifests either as a reaction to an event or as a personal ties, such as groups formed for preexisting rhetoric among the community members pursuing common goals or interests. while a community is not bound by just one issue or Macro-level community – large group affiliation narrative but on a plethora of compromises that are is formed such as national communities, commonly accepted and continually reinforced. international communities, and virtual communities. Advocacies – formed by communities and its leaders Basics of a Community because of issues and concerns shared among its 1. Community is bound by self-help – it defines a members. community once each individual wants and needs intersect, therefore justifying a need to Formations are created with the organic networking of unify. actors that later on find commonalities and avenues for Self-help is the concept of how individuals seek personal development without the help of cooperation and partnerships. others. 2. Community ownership – the level of Social action – founded by advocacies and networking, commitment and accountability that an it is the act of coming together to address the issues of individual has for the community. Problems the status quo through combined efforts. within communities are shared just as resources and opportunities. 3. Community participation – individuals can Individualism – the habit or principle of being provide their own contributions through acts of independent and self-reliant which greatly affects the volunteerism in projects and other communal way communities are viewed. This perception is activities. believed to have prevented integrative communal 4. While participation is key, inclusion is one development in the status quo (Delos Santos, 2017). aspect of the community that is integral in “We have inadvertently limited our own potential by binding the collective into a whole. overlooking the fact that our journeys are not only for us 5. Access and equity – these are two goals that a commune must strive for to create a better to take.” society. These implies the ease in which various individuals and groups can attain basic Indifference and Apathy – despite living in an era of necessities and resources. connectedness, people tend to discount the importance of communities. Lack of awareness has turned people Importance of studying communities: apathetic to their surroundings, resulting to 1. It motivates people to work together. complacency. People often tell themselves that others will take care of concerns and that their participation is B. Social class – the direct result of classifying people miniscule. This attitude shuts down opportunities to e.g.: high-income class, middle income class, engage and immerse oneself in their community. Note: lower-income class. We are the core of the community, hence, we have an Theoretical Perspectives on Social obligation to be involved. Stratification/Classes Ø Structural Functionalism – stratification is necessary L2 - Community in the perspective of Social to induce people with special intelligence, knowledge, Science and skills to enter the most important occupations. For this reason, stratification is necessary and inevitable. Social Sciences – the study of people and societies. Ø Conflict Theory - stratification results from lack of It has three main branches: anthropology, sociology, opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice and political science. against the poor, women, and people of color. It is neither necessary nor inevitable. 1. Anthropological perspective – communities are Ø Symbolic Interactionism - stratification affects driving force for civilizations. people’s beliefs, lifestyles, daily interaction, and 2. Sociological perspective – analyzes the history, conceptions of themselves. evolution, structure, and functions of societies. It highlights the role of social capital (network of C. Social mobility – the movement across connections/relationships) of individuals for the classifications and stratifications. Kinds of Social effective functioning of the community and Mobility In a democratic state like the Philippines, a communitarianism which explains the person can improve his social status but the degree of connection between the individual and the mobility varies. In an open system, every individual is community. provided equal opportunities to compete for the role and status derived regardless of gender, race, religion, In this perspective, the following topics are family background and political inclination. There are explored: three (3) types of social mobility: social mobility, geographical mobility, and role mobility. A. Social stratification – the way people are ranked in society, oftentimes based on the individual or group’s Ø Social Mobility refers to the movement upward or shared characteristics—they are identified as cohorts downward among the social positions in any given sharing common experiences. According to Max social stratification. It may be upward (vertical) mobility Weber, most societies would favor those with power, and downward (horizontal) mobility. Vertical mobility prestige, status, wealth or class. According to Weber’s refers to the movement of people of groups from one Component Theory on Social Stratification, these three status to another. It involves change in class, would determine a person’s standing in his/her occupation or power. For example, the movement of community: people from the poor class to the middle class. 1. Power refers to the ability to influence other people. It Horizontal mobility is a change in position without the is getting what they want despite the unwillingness of change in status. It indicates a change in position, others to give in to their desires. within the range of the status. A change in status may 2. Prestige refers to the person’s position in the society. come about through one’s occupation, marrying into a This refers to having a certain status that enables certain family and others. For example, an engineer someone to have resources or opportunities. working in a factory may resign from his job and join Associated with how people perceive an another factory. individual—reputation or glamour. Ø Geographical Mobility is otherwise known as physical 3. Wealth refers to the number of resources that a mobility. It may be a voluntary movement of people person has (Arcinas, 2016). from one geographical area to another due to change in residence, commuting from home to office, making business trips, and voluntary migration from one country to another. It may be also a forced migration GOVERNMENT AND COUNTERACT ANY which include forced relocation or residence, eviction, MISUSE THEREOF. dispossession of unwanted people, and transportation B. Economic institutions – mechanism in of slaves. which goods, services, and money are D. Religion – how people are classified by using core distributed. religious beliefs and practices as an identifiable social The “invisible hand” coined by economist characteristic. It is one of the primary influences that Adam Smith which states that people will make contribute to individual identity. decisions based on their own personal E. Sexuality – one of the topics that identify people and self-interest and benefits. But if the invisible groups through their sexual norms, orientation, interest, hand is true, why is it that there are inequality and behavior. and inability of people to access F. Deviance – rooted on the interaction of society with a the most basic of services? This can be certain social anomaly such as a deviant act or answered by the idea of exploitation. Market norm-defying stunt. To become a deviant, it must be forces are motivated by the idea of profit. against a preset rule or agreed-upon norm. Unions – are created by workers to lobby for much-needed practices and to protect and 3. Political perspective – the study of politics can be welfare and rights. summed up as to “who gets what, when, and how,” C. Religious institutions – religion is one of scrutinizing power relationships. This perspective views the pillars from which human civilization is built. communities as composed of citizens guided under one It is human nature to seek meaning. The constitution or government. church was primarily the heart of a community, while the state is the brain. While this may no L3- INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE longer be the case due to the separation of church and state, we can still feel the impact of Institution – grand social structures that are made up religious institutions within the community. by individuals which, when viewed as a whole, exhibit D. Educational institutions – shapes an patterns of behavior that create conventions and norms individual’s initial impression of the community in our society. (from how we learn respect for authority, need A. Government institutions for compliance, and the price to pay for Social contract – an agreement between a complacency and deviance from set standards master and a subordinate under prescribed and rules.) rules of conduct and rights. It stems from the E. Family institutions – considered as the assumption that humans are born into a state building blocks of society. of nature, a condition devoid of social or political links. An individual is considered Civil Society Perspective under a state of anarchy until they gain a grounded understanding of reality through Civil society – broadly understood as the combination reasoning and self-interest. of organizations, establishments, and individuals that A government is born from a social agreement operate outside the influence of the governmental among the governed and by virtue of institution. It involves diverse cultural, religious, and compliance and reinforcement. special interest groups that represent and implement Guided by its laws and constitution, the the interests and will of citizens and enforce social government can create sweeping policies and norms. laws that can alter from the simplest factors as Diversity is the fitting word to describe civil society changing traffic routes to all encompassing groups as they advocate the concerns or needs of decisions such as switching to clean energy. various institutions. Each organization embodies an THE CITIZENS HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO identity parallel to its specific goal or principal advocacy. CHECK THE POWER OF THE Nongovernment Organizations (NGO) – These patterns of behavior indicate social integration mission-driven advocacy or service organizations among members of the group. operating on the fringes of the political system. Its characteristics are: Conflict Theory – this perspective was created by Karl 1. Organized Marx. He proposed that there is a class conflict from the 2. Voluntary haves and have-nots and considers the bourgeoisie as 3. Needs-oriented Examples of NGOs in the the primary enemy of the people due to the exploitation Philippines: Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Animal inherent in the system. Marx pointed out several Welfare Society, Philippine Center for Investigative arguments that emphasize his view of the class Journalism struggle through various aspects of alienation against the workers. Social movements – groups that exist for a sole 1. Alienation from production – a worker simply does purpose or issue and tend to fizzle out once it is not directly gain from the goods or services produced. attained. It has more direct impact to society than 2. Alienation from process – a worker does not control NGOs, but the impact is more polarizing because of the their time nor their way of doing things. progressive nature of the ideas they seek to advance. 3. Alienation from others – a worker is judged based on Its characteristics are: the performance of others which creates unwarranted 1. Informal competition from their peers. 2. Issue-based. 4. Alienation from the self – a worker is seen as just 3. Progressive another worker in the factory line. This type of relation between the upper and lower class creates an Social Status and Roles antagonistic relationship. Social status is all about the dynamic of individual Symbolic interaction – American philosopher George identity relative to its social environment. Herbert Mead established that individuals see things o Ascribed status – social position that a person differently and their view depends on their own meaning receives at birth or takes on involuntarily later in life. derived from their experiences, interaction with people, o Achieved status – social position that a person takes and the learnings they gained from the amalgamated on voluntarily e.g., honor student, volleyball champ. experiences through a course of time. Essentially, this A role is a set of defined and expected behavior or theory concentrates on the individual and the norms that is ascribed to a certain social status. interactions that create the meanings that are shared, reinforced, and debunked constantly by people. It can L4- THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES be summed up in three main points: 1. Meaning can be different from each person Functionalism – assumes that society is like a depending on their history, knowledge, and on-going machine that has individual parts where each part has experience. functions and roles that then contribute to the bigger 2. The meaning, in itself, can change and will inevitably picture of society. change. French sociologist Emile Durkheim stated that there is a 3. Action or reaction may be different depending on glaring difference between how we look at individuals how the person sees the meaning. and collectives. Durkheim established that what is true to an individual may not be used as a generalization in L5- Societal Typologies describing the society. In the same light, one cannot generalize that the characteristics of a society as a Competition and Conflict whole will also be true to its member. In a competition, various actors vie for limited number of opportunities present, or in some instances, only one Collective consciousness – can be seen in customs can be selected. Society, in the same way, has the and beliefs and beliefs that emanate with each member. same finite opportunities that only a few can deserve—hence, the constant competition not only entrenched by institutions designed to keep the against peers but also against the very institutions we oppressed from taking over. It is based upon the ideas are in. The fight to survive the competition oftentimes of Karl Marx who argues that there will be a revolution result to conflict. against capitalism. To Marx, it is inevitable due to Unlike in competition where the main aim is to reach injustices in the class system. the goal, conflict aims to defeat the other in more ways than the norm suggests. Conflict is more deliberate, SOCIETAL TYPOLOGIES and more violent coercive tactics may be employed by 1. Urban communities – settlements that are highly the actor. congested because of dense population. Competition and conflict are critical and vital in the 2. Suburban communities – areas that tread between promotion of change and reevaluation of norms. urban and rural communities, located in the outskirts of urban areas and are less dense than urban areas. Cooperation and Accommodation 3. Rural communities – located in the countryside, the Cooperation happens when people come together and houses are far from each other and the density of pitch in to achieve a common task or goal. people living there is the least from the three. Between conflict and cooperation is the state called accommodation which is similar to compromise; it Community Engagement – refers to the process of represents neutrality in social interactions whereby the working collaboratively with and through groups of individual merely ascribes to an agreement to keep the people affiliated by geographic proximity; special status quo. interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting Cooperation provides necessary communal spirit that the well-being of those people. Solidarity – refers to the motivates people to contribute and volunteer, while idea of unity of feeling of agreement among individuals accommodation may cause the community to be with common interest. complacent regarding stands on issues and concerns. Community organizing and action had and still has Social Change – refers to fluctuations or deviations in major role and contributions in the development of a the order of society. community as a practice and discipline. It is a - Refers to the significant modification or constitutive dimension and a core process in the alteration in the lifestyle of a society, including community development and in social change. We culture, institutions, and values. cannot fully develop or transform society without - Any significant shift or modification in the considering the organization of small communities and lifestyle of the society that affects the major sectors, especially the poor, deprived, oppressed, portion of the population that brings about exploited, marginalized, discriminated, and other pattern of behavior. secluded sectors. - It may be brought about by cultural, religious, economic, scientific, or technological forces. Community action includes a broad range of activities and is sometimes described as social action or Theoretical perspectives on social change community engagement. These activities can 1. Structural-functionalism – social change occur slowly, sometimes vary according to its objective, role that if at all. Change occurs when it serves the best interest community plays, the types of activities involved, the of society, with the goal of maintaining equilibrium and scale and the integration within the council. What they balance within the social system. From this perspective, have in common is that they all give opportunity to a social change occurs when society needs to maintain greater engagement of local citizens in planning, stability and continue to function efficiently. designing, and delivery of local services. 2. Conflict theory – considers social problems within a society to be a conflict between groups—the haves and The purpose of community action is about putting have-nots. Hence, sudden change is considered communities at the heart of their own local services. positive as it challenges inequalities that are Involving people and their community in the design and delivery of services that can help achieve a number of objectives such as: Building community and social capacity – helping the community to share knowledge, skills, and ideas. Community resilience – helping the community to support itself. Prevention – a focus on early access to services or support, engagement in design, cross-sector collaboration and partnerships. Maintaining and creating wealth – helping people into employment or developing community enterprises.