Chapter 2: Introduction to Community Development Flashcards
What is top-down community development characterized by?
Imposing a goal/process for change on a community (colonization, an outside developer, etc.)
What is bottom-up community development characterized by?
A community determining their own goals and processes, often to gain control over externally imposed conditions or in response to a local issue
What is community development?
A democratic and social process that increases the assets and attributes a community can draw on to improve their lives; the capacity of local populations to respond collectively to events and issues that affect them
What does it mean for a community worker to engage in community development?
-Working with people at a local level to promote active participation in identifying local needs and organizing to meet those needs
-Reducing power imbalances while incorporating traditional community knowledge and culturally-appropriate/community-based research methods
What is meant by longevity in community development?
The ability for local people to form their own organizations and maintain a long-term capacity for problem-solving
What are the 5 types of community work?
-Community development
-Community action
-Community organization
-Social planning
-Service extension
What distinguishes community development from other types of community work?
-Emphasizing self-help and mutual support
-Enhancing local capacity for problem-solving
-Promotes collective action
What is the focus of community action?
Direct action against public or non-public bodies that perpetuate structural divisions in society
What is the focus of community organization?
Collaborating with community agencies to promote joint initiatives
What is the focus of social planning in community work?
Assessing needs and capacities for the purpose of program planning and evaluation
What is the focus of service extension in community work?
Expanding the services of local agencies to meet the needs of underserved community members
What are some factors that weaken communities? (7)
-Lack of shared history
-Stigma
-Transience
-Fragmentation
-Lack of services/locally owned businesses
-Lack of local decision-making
-Lack of boundaries
How does a lack of collective history weaken a community?
-Feeling disconnected from present realities
-More likely to repeat mistakes of the past
How can a sense of collective history be built in a community?
-Interviewing older residents
-Reviewing historical records
-Gathering artifacts related to collective past/culture
How does stigma weaken a community?
-Being perceived as dangerous or undesirable
-Shame
-Fear
-Unwillingness to stay in the area long-term
-Increased social problems (addiction, illness, crime, etc.)
How does high mobility weaken a community?
-Safety concerns related to lack of knowledge of one’s neighbourhood and a reluctance to get to know it
-Underutilized schools, churches, and other facilities
How does fragmentation weaken communities?
-Lack of interaction between different groups (social classes, ethnicities, etc.)
-Lack of/inability to work towards common goals
-Tensions between subgroups (bullying, racism, gangs, etc.)
How does a lack of local decision-making authority weaken a community?
-Lack of control, ownership, and respect/care for the community
-Apathy
-Learned helplessness
-Decisions that are not informed by community opinions, needs, and values
How does a lack of boundaries weaken a community?
-Social interaction is discouraged
-Lack of a sense of ownership/control
-Increased vandalism and crime
What is defensible space?
Geographical areas surrounded by natural barriers (arterial roads, railroad tracks, rivers, etc.) that satisfy people’s territorial nature
What are some factors that strengthen communities? (6)
-Wide range of active voluntary organizations
-Sense of identity
-Gathering place(s)
-Common need
-Good transportation
-Participation in decisions about land use
How does the presence of voluntary organizations signal a healthy community? (4)
-More extensive social networks
-Suggests existence of local control (less power held by distant bureaucratic organizations)
-Stronger democracy and community participation
-Ability to fill more functions within the community (political, social, recreational, etc.)
What are some signs that a community has a strong identity?
-Collective pride (recorded history, logos for community organizations/sports teams)
-Fun events that bring the community together
-Local newspapers/newsletters
-Skill exchanging opportunities
How does having a common need or enemy strengthen a community?
-More willingness to collaborate
How do balanced land-use plans strengthen a community?
-Accessible services
-Access to nature
-Strong economic base
-Ability to manage population density
-Sustainable development
What are some factors that make community work uniquely challening?
-Difficulty justifying one’s work to colleagues and administrators
-Non-traditional work hours
-Producing few immediate and tangible results
-Encouraging community members to “make waves” and upset politicians
-Critiquing conventional/popular ways of addressing social needs
-Employers being indifferent or hostile to change-making
True or false: Anyone with enough education can be an effective community worker
False: professional credentials do not guarantee that a person grasp the egalitarian nature of community practice, and there is a lack of training available specific to community work
Why can assuming that communities are democratic make community work less effective? (3)
-People claiming to represent the community may be speaking for themselves or a particular interest group
-Community organizations often have difficulty filling elected positions
-The most knowledgeable citizens may not have access to community leadership roles
Why are outcomes of community work often difficult to measure?
-Effective community work processes are slow, preventive, and transformative
-Objective data (number of volunteer hours, socioeconomic data, etc.) does not capture the same information as subjective data
What can it be so difficult to create sustainable change at the local level?
The origins of many problems apparent at the community level are structural in nature (unemployment caused by globalization, marginalization due to systemic racism, etc.)
How can rural community work be different than urban community work?
-More transparent distribution of power
-Activities of community workers are more visible
-Fewer financial resources
What basic needs does community development attempt to meet? (5)
Food, shelter, employment, safety, and sense of place
What are some community development strategies used to address needs for food? (4)
-Community gardens
-Farmers’ markets
-Community kitchens
-Farmer-direct purchasing
What are some common food-related concerns of communities? (4)
-Food additives
-Genetic modification
-Environmental protection
-Preservation of sustainable, small-scale farming practices
What is a common community-development strategy that addresses the need for shelter?
Co-operative housing
What is financial leakage?
Profits earned locally being drained away to more distant places; a consequence of globalization
What are some strategies used to improve community safety?
-Community policing
-Block Parent and Neighbourhood initiatives
