Community Work Aspects - Essay Example

Introduction to Community Work Semester 1, 2013: A Review of Academic Growth [Name] Edith Cowan University Introduction to Community Work Semester 1, 2013: A Review of Academic Growth Executive summary By reflecting on the course material and class activities, this report will highlight the concept of community work. Journal entries made during the course of the module were effective during reflection. Community work entail helping communities meet their needs and realize their aspirations. To achieve the objectives of community work, community workers must first understand the concept of a community and its characteristics. This will provide them with the necessary knowledge on how to approach communities. Additionally, community workers must have appropriate approaches of working with communities because different communities are unique and have different needs. Finally, there are kills that community workers must posses in order to effectively help communities and these include skills such as leader ship and planning skills. Introduction Community work is the process of aiding everyday individuals advance their communities by engaging in collective activities. This entails the employment of community workers and engagement of volunteer workers in order to realize the objectives of community work. Community workers need a clear understanding of community work and what it entails for them to perform their functions effectively. Understanding the communities they are working in and establishing effective relationships are key principles of working with communities (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 57). Additionally, community workers need to understand the approaches of working with communities and have the relevant skills necessary for community work. This report will explain all these aspects of community work by through a reflection of the course material and the learning activities. Understanding Communities In order to understand communities, one must first understand the definition of community work. Community work can be defined as work that involves people in their communities or their individual relationships and aids them in satisfying their needs and ambitions. Additionally, community work is work that attempts to change the needs and ambitions of individuals by involving them in activities that they have not started (Jureidini & Poole, p. 101). Community work is unique from individual focussed work that aims at working one-on-one with an individual to allow them enhance their needs and aspirations (Mawson, 2008, p. 134). This may include personal counselling, mentoring or therapy. It is also different from family focused work that aims at aiding families to be places where all members are able to meet their needs and goals (Bauman, 2000, p. 153). Examples are family therapy and relationship counselling. Both family and individual focused work are closely related to community work because there cannot be a healthy community without functioning individuals and families, but what sets community work apart is that it involves groups outside the family or individual realms. According to Taylor et al (2008), Community workers are guided by two overriding principles in their work (p.224). They are: understanding communities that one works with and developing and maintaining functional relationships and engaging in partnerships with those impacted by the community work. Working with communities involves a bottom-up approach, which entails unmasking their human potential instead of limiting it (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 205). This means that community work involves working with ordinary citizens and not the powerful in the community. Such an approach is effective in solving community challenges because it aids in the creation of a community spirit rather than the imposition of solutions from powerful individuals (Van Krieken et al, 2003, p. 104). In order for community workers to understand a community, they must involve themselves in it. This will entail engaging in community activities, conversing with community members and observing community interaction and noting their global perspective. Through this, the community worker is able to understand the intricate relations that characterize a community. One key concept of working with communities is to understand that there is always a background or a way of doing things that are a common practice in the community. In other words, each community has stories regarding itself (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 94). Communities have norms and attitudes that are adhered to by a majority of its members. This makes its important accepting these values of the community when working with them instead of opposing them (Ife & Tesoriero, 2006, p. 146). Although a community can be described s a geographical territory, the interaction of individuals who act together in the primary concerns of life is the most appropriate definition of a community. When a community is taken as a social system, it brings out the interactions within the community and that can develop over time in the community. Basing on the social systems theory, there are ordered interactions between systems and sub-systems in the community. Furthermore, communities are multi-dimensional systems with various stakeholders, interests and intricate power relationships (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 105). By viewing the community in such a perspective equips the social worker with different alternatives for practice. A mainstream perspective used to define communities such as the Aboriginal community may not be functional because it is a top-down approach that fails to understand their intricate relationships in such a community. Aboriginal communities are faced with the challenge of inequality compared to non-aboriginal Australian society (Jureidini & Poole, 2003, p. 93). This is highlighted by statistics showing a short life expectancy for Aborigines and their likelihood of imprisonment at an early age. Terming Aborigines a community is ineffective because aborigines are culturally, economically and politically diverse; therefore, the term community is a blanket term that is not applicable to all Aborigines. From an Aborigine’s point of view, a community incorporates concepts of land, kinship and responsibility (Edgar, 2001, p. 152). The reason why various social programs have different outcomes is due to differences in community capacity, strength and social infrastructure. Each section of the module has provided me with relevant knowledge in understanding a community and how it functions. Using examples of different communities, this module supports the view that communities are unique; therefore, social workers must observe and understand the interrelationships in the community in order to work with them successfully. The bottom-up approach discussed in this module is the most effective technique of working with communities because individuals tend to oppose directions given from above, but this approach allows social workers to work with ordinary community members in looking for solutions to their problems. Taylor et al (2008), assert that the use of the Aboriginal community to highlight the uniqueness of different communities and the application of the term “community” played a significant role in the understanding of how the concept of community is understood by different communities (p. 271). In most cases, individuals take communities as primarily a geographical area, but from this module, the most important aspect of a community is the social aspect. It has also helped me understand how political, social and economic inequality contributes to the construction of a community. Proceeding to the next module, I have the necessary foundation of further understanding how to work with communities. Approaches to Working with Communities There are four approaches of working with communities. The approaches are founded on the goals of the community program; constraints, which include financial, time and outcome; and how to effectively achieve the desired objective (Ife & Tesoriero, 2006, p. 143). The contributions approach is where the function of the community is to take voluntary roles, while the main task of managing and leading the community in the project is left to professionals. In essence, this is a top-down approach when factors such as decision making and power are considered (Muirhead, 2002, p. 163). This approach is ineffective in that it contributes to inequality in resource allocation and in decision making since community members are just passive participants. The next approach is the instrumental approach, which is founded on the realization of a specific objective rather than the involvement of the community. In this approach, professionals involved in the project conceive the ideas then convinces the community to agree to the goals. This is a top-down approach when it comes to execution of the project and in making key decisions (Weeks et al, 2003, p. 59). It is also the most utilized approach in implementing healthcare program sin Australia. In other words, the project being implemented is a means to realizing the desired outcomes. Developmental approach is the next approach in working with communities, and in essence it is a bottom-down approach. The main objective of this approach is developing the capacity of the community rather than the realization of specific goals. This approach is characterized by the active involvement of the community and is founded on the principles of social justice, with the community having more power in project implementation and decision making (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 293). Through active involvement, community members are able to acquire knowledge and skills in addition to the realization of a sense of ownership over their situation. Finally, the community empowerment approach aims at empowering marginalized groups. The approach aims at ensuring that all groups in a community have access to the resources available through individual development. This approach gives community members direct control over issues that impact their lives and community. The realization of community work is achieved through five practice frameworks. These practice frameworks can be initiated individually or in combination with others just as the conceptual frameworks. Depending on the community environment, it is important to select various aspects of the practice frameworks that suit the needs of the community. Interactional community development framework is an effective approach in building cohesion across the entire community in the realization of a particular objective. It entails getting persons and groups within the community to work together for the interest of the entire community. In this practice approach, all actions are organized and coordinated (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 184). Participative development framework is the next practice approach that entails the involvement of the entire community in making decisions regarding how programs are implemented in the community. It involves the delegation of roles and how they will be done. This framework benefits the community in that they are empowered to continue with it after the departure of professionals. Building capable communities framework entails raising the consciousness of the community members regarding the power structures present in the community. In this framework, groups and individuals are empowered on how community structures function to disempower or empower them (Clarke, 2000, p. 91). The framework contributes to capacity building since it has nine domains that promote it: organizational structures, leadership, resource mobilization and participation, and problem assessment, role of outside agents, asking why, programme management and links with others. Building collective capacity is the next approach where the community takes control over community projects. This framework is effective in communities with a strong capacity because they can assume full control of the project. The last framework, which is asset-based community development, works by focusing on the strengths that the community already has. This framework is effective in that it does not focus on weaknesses, which some social workers may attempt to fix. This will create a dependency problem whereby community members will be reliant on outsiders to solve their problems (Clarke, 2000, p. 84). The government can work with the community in the realization of community service development. The experience that community practitioners derive from meeting the needs of the community is useful in shaping government policy. Community engagement is also another approach in which the government can participate in community development through empowerment of the community and giving it control. This module contributed relevant knowledge regarding conceptual frameworks that social workers can use in working with communities. By giving the strengths and weaknesses of the conceptual and practice frameworks, this module provides information that I may use in working with in diverse communities characterized with different needs. The activities provided in the module gave me an opportunity to use the knowledge gained practically. The journal tasks provided the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge gained from class. Skills in Working with Communities There are various skills that social workers must have in order to work effectively with communities. It is vital for community workers to understand the significance of effective, collaborative and inclusive decision making. Considering that communities are made up diverse groups with different perspectives and values, facilitating an inclusive decision making process is necessary for successful community work. Community workers can realize effective decision making process by understanding community contextual factors, avoiding a top-down approach, availing necessary knowledge and information and creating an effective environment for all community members to air their views (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 305). For community workers to engage effectively with communities, they must have partnership development skills in order for them not to be viewed as outsiders, but as part of the community. Community workers need to collaborate with community members and those outside the community in order to realize success of community projects (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 264). Partnerships give stronger working groups that enhance the capacity of the community to meet its objectives and needs (Kenny 2006, p. 71). Furthermore, partnerships show respect for the knowledge and skills of others, which in turn contributes to trust development. In pursuit of community work, leadership is a vital component because one will be required to provide leadership at one point. It is important for community workers to understand the type of leadership that suit particular situations. Leadership styles such as transformation, transactional or relational; suit various circumstances (Wearing, 1996, p 162). It is also important to note other leaders in the community and work towards supporting them. Relational approach to community leadership is the most effective approach because it does not depend on formal power, but on trust provided by the community. This form of leadership approach incorporates various relationships in the community in the realization of a common objective. Since community work aims at helping communities meet their needs and aspirations; community planning becomes a necessary skill for community workers. Community planning incorporates other skills such as leadership, decision making and partnership formation (Taylor et al, 2008, p. 286). Planning involves the community and needs evaluation of the current and future needs of the community. Community workers need to develop community plans basing on a needs assessment process. The final skill is knowledge building, which means that community workers must have an in-depth understanding of the community and diverse issue that affect it in order to be effective community workers (Wearing, 1996, p. 107). Knowledge development can be achieved through evidence-based research and involving the community in research of various issues. The knowledge derived in this module illuminated on the necessary skills that a community worker must have. It provided opportunities to apply the knowledge through activities and journal entries for reflection. Courtesy of this module, I have gained knowledge regarding pertinent skills necessary in community work. Conclusion Community work involves working with diverse communities in satisfying their needs and aspirations. It is distinct from individual or family focused work in that it involves helping the entire community. This makes it important for community workers to understand the approaches of working with diverse communities such as contributions, instrumental and empowerment approaches, and have the skills necessary in their work such a leadership, partnership formation and community planning. From the three modules, I have learned that working with communities requires a clear understanding of the concept of a community and possessing the necessary skills that will assist in community work. References Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid modernity. Cambridge; Malden, Mass: Polity Press Clarke, S. (2000). Social work as community development: A management model for social change (2nd ed.). Aldershot, Hampshire, England; Burlington,Vt.: Ashgate. Edgar, D. (2001). The Patchwork nation. Rethinking Government -­ re-­building community. Sydney: Harper Collins Publishers. Ife, J., & Tesoriero, F. (2006). Community development: Community based alternatives in an age of globalisation (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education. Jureidini, R. & Poole, M. (Eds.) (2003). Sociology: Australian connections. (3rd edition). Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Kenny, S. (2006). Developing Communities for the future. South Melbourne, Vic.: Thomson. Kimmel, M. & Aronson, A. (2009). Sociology now. The essentials. Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. Maton, K., Schellenbach, C., Leadbetter, B., & Solarz, A. (2003). Investing In children, youth, families and communities: Strengths-­based Research and policy. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Mawson, A. (2008). The Social entrepreneur: Making Communities work. London: Atlantic. Muirhead, T. (2002). 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