Community and Issues of Concern to Community Groups - Coursework Example

Running Head: Community and Issues of Concern to Community Groups Name Lecturer Task Date Little has been done regarding the definition of community and what encompasses a community. The term community was first coined by Aristotle who defined it as “a group of people who share the same values (Boyles, 1997). According to Aristotle, the terms ‘social’ and ‘communal’ were the same and he even perceived the Polis city as an epitome of a community (Delanty, 2009:1). Initially, this term has been derived from a French term ‘communite’ which was derived from a Latin word ‘communitas’ meaning an organized society (Muljadi: 1). Since its inception, the concept has been used in various disciplines. The term in itself has resulted to substantial debate in various disciplines such as sociology. Perceptions of different scholars about this term and its definition vary to a large extent. It is for this reason that it has been defined differently and the opinion of what it comprises of vary with discipline. In fact Muljadi highlights the fact that sociologists have not yet agreed on a precise definition of this term. In the same way, Kathleen et al have agreed with this idea that there is lack of precise definition of this term and as a result, various contributors have stated contradictory assumptions of the term community. In addition to being broadly defined in sociological discipline, the term community has also been defined in other contexts as well such as ecology, biology, anthropology and archeology. In each of these contexts, the term community has a unique definition. By mid of 1950’s, ninety four different definitions of this term had emerged (Muljadi). Perhaps, the best way to begin this discussion is by first giving commonly used definitions of the term. As earlier mentioned, the term community has been defined differently by various scholars depending on the context where it has been applied. There are two distinct and commonly used definitions of the term community. One of them defines community as a group of cooperating people, likely to be living closely and often refers to a group having common values and characterized by social cohesion within one geographical setting, generally in social units greater than a household (Muljadi: 1). The definition used in biology gives another distinct meaning of the term and it defines community as a group of cooperating living organisms sharing a populated setting (Muljadi: 1). There are other distinct definitions of the term existing in other disciplines such as ecology. It is quite evident that from these two distinct definitions, a common concept that needs to be there for a community to exist is cooperation or cohesiveness. Keller (2003: 8) argues that a community will only exist if individuals have a common goal to work for rather than just being close to one another. The first definition is quite specific where it applies to human beings alone. The biological definition is more general and it applies to all living organisms. The degree of cohesiveness varies depending on several factors such as intent, belief, preferences, and intent among others (Muljadi: 1). In Sociology, the term has generally been defined as “any environment in which a mutual culture share common interests” (Fessler, 1976: 7). It implies that it is a broad term applying for small rural settings to vast urban settings. Despite this, Fessler (1976) was able to note that large cities were excluded by sociologists in this definition. Similarly, Delanty (2009) posits that according to sociologists, community is a specific form of social body based on small units such as small towns and neighborhood. Outside the Sociological dimension, many people perceive the community to be a domestic neighborhood while others perceive it as a city, region or a county (Flynn, 1998: 3). It is also a common thing to hear people in their ethnicities, cultures or racial groupings referring themselves to communities. Additionally, people living in a certain geographic area often refer to themselves as communities. A common idea among all these perceptions is cohesiveness. Delanty (2009) has argued that the concept of community is linked to the quest for belonging under the insecure setting of contemporary society. All entities of a community ought to have the same behavior patterns for them to stay together. Each element should take on the behavior pattern of the community it belongs. The entire process of learning to take on community behavior patterns is referred to as socialization (Muljadi: 4). Despite the fact that there are several arguments on the loss of community, it is still a common concept in a modern society. It is a common thing to hear terms such as community health, community schools, community development, and community development among others in a contemporary society. This is a true reflection of continual existence of this term and its relevance in the modern society. According to Delanty (2009), modernity has resulted to three major developments which have been important in giving rise to main discussions of community. They include; the present age of globalization, industrialization from last part of nineteenth century and American and French revolutions (Delanty, 2009). Lots of community expressions have borrowed from these early developments. The term community is an important concept in a contemporary society especially with current problems arising from globalization. Delanty (2009) has argued that the term community gaining popularity in modern society can be perceived as a response to the problem of cohesion and belonging resulting from globalization. The world has been reduced to a global village due to technological innovations. It is a common phenomenon to hear people mention world community. It is true that the world is a community with the advent and improvement in technology. In spite of the fact that technology is reducing the world to a global village, it is indeed coming along with some challenges. These challenges face all levels of a society; local, national and international levels (Boyles, 1997). Good examples of challenges that have emerged from globalization are the degradation of natural environment, urban migration and its effects and occurrence of cyber communities which disregard national boundaries. Many arguments have emerged on the concept of communities arising from computer networks. Yet many perceive technology as a boost to formation of communities, a number of them have argued that this has detrimental effects on the traditional community organizations. Boyles (1997) has argued that even though many specialists perceive internet users to be forming a sustainable community, the manner in which these networks are undermining traditional communities should be given a second thought. Internet technology has had significant effects on societies. Needless to say, by affecting the society, this technology is also affecting the community at large. The two terms ‘community’ and ‘society’ are inseparable. In fact Delanty (2009: xi) argues that it is quite difficult to work with the absence of the two terms. Mathews (1997: 51) highlights the fact that new technologies alter how people perceive the concept of community basically because it reduces the significance of proximity. She further argues that despite connecting people beyond national borders, they do possess negative effects. Technologies are capable of dividing societies along other lines, separating normal individuals from elites (Mathews, 1997: 52). Additionally, she argues that technologies upset hierarchies, distributing power among individuals and units (Mathews, 1997: 52). It is for this reason that she perceives the future of state being uncertain. Technology is therefore an impediment to development of community through the liberation of individuals. “By empowering individuals, they weaken the relative attachment to community, of which the preeminent one in modern society is the nation-sate” (Mathews, 1997: 66). A number of problems faced by communities are on the rise currently. Most of these problems are emerging as a result of globalization. The concept of community is losing sense globally. This loss is being reflected by increase in social problems facing communities. Problems such as people being displaced from their homes, refugees are increasing in numbers and increase in sense isolation among others (Boyles, 1997) are a true reflection of the concept of community losing sense. Boyles (1997) further argues that new revolutions such as “New Urbanism” are emerging as a result of the concept of community losing sense. Current societies can be perceived to possess ‘Gesellschaft’ type of human association. With this type of human association, individuals participate in community units basically because they are being motivated by self-interests (Muljadi: 1). Many governments have now recognized this increase in community problems. As a result, they are now responding in different ways. Response strategies include; funding NGO’s and community groups. Community groups and organizations are receiving more attention and interest from various governments as a response strategy to community problems such as crime, poverty, child welfare and mental health (Kelly & Caputo, 2011: 1). This has been common among western governments. Mathews (1997: 52) emphasizes the fact that it is quite difficult to know the number of NGO’s that are currently in operation or how fast they are being established. Different sources have estimated the number of NGO’s in developing countries alone to be around 35,000 (Mathews, 1997: 52). These non-governmental bodies have played a key role in trying to solve community problems. They are currently being preferred in solving community issues over the whole U. N. system. Similarly, governments have in history given recognition and inclusion to the community in formulating social policies (Kelly & Caputo, 2011: 2). States are shifting responsibilities to communities which participate in solving problems they are facing. Involving communities in solving their social problems is an important idea. Initially, the government implemented different strategies for solving social problems in the community without involving the community itself. In many cases, these strategies are bound to fail because the members of the community who understand their problems better feel disempowered. Pilisuk et al. 1996 cited in Zastrow (2010: 279) highlights the fact that it is crucial for the government to work with the community in solving local problems; otherwise there will be a perception of disempowerment among the citizens of the community. Community groups and organizations have taken the place of social programs such as state funded health care and education that existed before. The main objective of these community groups and organizations is to provide the members of community with support by solving social problems. According to Zastrow (2010), social work requires community building. The significance of community building comes at a time when it is quite difficult to strengthen. Community building is being faced by numerous impediments (Zastrow, 2010: 279). It is being accelerated by the fact that people migrate to new places for new jobs. Research has shown that in the United States, households migrate after every six years on average (Zastrow, 2010). Infact Putnam 2000; cited in Zastrow (2010) is warning against social capital losses by many U.S. residents basically because migration habits have resulted many of them not knowing their neighbors well. Community involvement is forgotten issue for most of them. United States is an example of what other states are experiencing. Rural to urban migration is posing a major challenge in terms of community development. As a result, many governments are downsizing their responsibilities by encouraging social welfare programs. These welfare programs work hand in hand with community groups. They help in solving social problems such as; child abuse, poverty, health problems, crime, drug abuse, housing problem, marriage problems, environmental pollution problems and school drop outs. Failure by these groups and organizations to provide social support to the community will result to emergence of social problems in “forms of preventable illnesses, ignorance, societal disintegration and crime” (Motes & Hess, 2007: 1). Community groups consist of peer self-help groups, society education and action groups, and groups concerned with community development (Talbot & Verinder, 2009: 220). New society education and action groups are concerned with raising consciousness within the community. These issues can be of global or local concern. New society and action groups are concerned with issues such as pollution, enhancement on the use of renewable energy and green consumerism (Talbot & Verinder, 2009: 220). Environmental pollution is posing a threat globally. Many have argued that globalization is an indirect cause of environmental pollution. As a result, community groups have emerged to redress them supporting green consumerism, use of green and renewable energy. Community development groups on the other hand focus on local issues (Talbot & Verinder, 2009: 220). Organizational groups advocate for organizational change. Their aim is to steer better work standards for individuals within a community. Peer self-help groups help in advocating individual change among the members of a community. They help in providing mutual support to members through the sharing of individual experiences (Talbot & Verinder, 2009). Issues that can be handled by peer self-help groups range from diseases to psychological problems. Peer self-help groups are in most cases attached to health care systems and they help the members to share their experiences which could otherwise remain secret if they are left to professionals. Lavoisier Group which was formed in 2008 with an objective of educating the members of different communities on how climate can be controlled is a perfect example of a community group. It influences the public opinion through its organization of climate change conferences as well as publishing books supporting their skeptical opinion. The main aims of this group are “promoting vigorous debate within Australia on the science of global warming and climate change, and exploration of the consequences which international treaties related to global warming would have on Australian sovereignty” (Lavoisier group website). These goals are focused on reducing the effects of environmental pollution which has an effect on global warming in Australia. They also help the government in analyzing the effectiveness of policies such as the Kyoto Protocol. They hold conferences where they discuss global warming environmental issues and mitigation measures. Through critiquing and commenting on certain publications and measures, they help the participants to understand the causes of global warming and best ways of combating. At the same time, they publish articles based on discussions of these conferences. By so doing, other members of the public are able to access and learn from these forums. It is quite evident that this group is one of the most influential organizations on public opinion through its extensive promotion of public speakers and writers, who are also promotes by conservative columnists in daily newspapers and online blogs. In conclusion, communities and community based groups have played a key role in solving social problems. Various governments are focusing their attention to community groups currently because they are more effective. Despite the fact that community building is posing a major challenge, governments should try to find ways of forming them. Social problems are increasing due to loss of community. Community building in itself helps in reducing some problems. Community groups and organizations are formed by members of a community where the social problems originate. They themselves understand their problems much better and perhaps could be knowledgeable about the best way to solve. In essence, community groups are in close proximity to social problems compared to other governmental bodies. Community groups such as peer self-help groups could be a cheaper option for governments owing to the fact that they take on the responsibility in areas which are habitually neglected. By using community groups, the government will be inculcating leadership skills among members of a community. Similarly, the government will be using members themselves who understand their social problems better in solving social problems. The most important thing is for the government to finance these groups. In addition, it is important for the government to help these groups in community organization. Through community organization, these groups are able to pinpoint common problems, use the available resources well in solving social problems and develop strategies that are helpful in the achievement of their goals. References Boyles, A. 1997. The Meaning of community.2nd May 2013. Retrieved from Delanty, G. (2009). Community: 2nd edition. New York: Routledge. Fessler, D. R. 1976. Facilitating Community Change: A Basic Guide. San Diego University Associate. Flynn, D. W. 1998. Defining the “Community” in Community Policing; Police executive Research Forum. U. S. Department of Justice or the Community Policing Consortium. Kathleen, M. M., McLellan, E., Metzger, D. S., Kegeles, S., Strauss, R. P., Scotti, R., Lynn, B. & trotter, R. T. (2001). What is Community? An Evidence-Based Definition for Participatory Public Health. American Journal of Public Health, 91(12): 1929-1938. Keller, S. (2003). Community: pursuing the dream, living the reality. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Kelly, K. & Caputo, T. (2011). Community: A Contemporary Analysis of Policies, Programs, and Practices. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Lavoisier group website. Our Aims. 5th May 2013. Retrieved from Mathews, J. (1997). Power Shift: The Rise of Global Civil Society. Foreign Affairs, 76(1): 50- 66. Motes, P. S. & Hess, P. M. (2007). Collaborating With Community-based Organizations through Consultation and Technical Assistance. Columbia: Columbia University Press. Muljadi, P. Community. Paul Muljadi. Talbot, L. & Verinder, G. (2009). Promoting Health: A Primary Health Care Approach. New South Wales: Elsevier Australia. Zastrow, C.H. (2010). The Practice of Social Work: A Comprehensive Worktext (ed 9). New York: Cengage Learning. Read More