Community Psychology, Home Owners Association - Research Paper Example

Community Psychology: Home Owners Association Home Owners Association Meeting The Windsville E Home Owners Association meeting of September 2, 2011 started with a call to order at 7.00 p.m. at the Windsville social county hall after confirmation that there was quorum by Josh Mayer who is the chairman. After conducting a roll call, the secretary of the association distributed the minutes from the previous meeting which were approved. The first committee to make a presentation was the architectural committee whose representative gave a report that commended the home owners for adhering to the association’s guidelines on the paintwork on their houses and doors as recommended by the committee. He however noted that trees and additional structures destroyed the architectural harmony of the Windsville community since there were no regulations as to how changes to these should be monitored. He recommended that his committee should be given powers to approve or deny exterior architectural changes after home owners fill a specific form. A vote on this resulted in the powers being granted however not without vocal opposition and agitation from some members who felt that their personal styles and preferences would be interfered with. The social affairs committee was next to take the stage with the representative suggesting that a community yard sale be added to the already planned community picnic in the Windsville social calendar. This idea was greeted with much support and the committee was congratulated for such an excellent idea. The representative then raised concerns about the lack of involvement and inactivity from some members that was particularly making it difficult for her committee to operate. She reminded the meeting that all members should be committed and called for more volunteers and increased particpation. The next stage was the open issues the first of which was the position on the Board which had been left vacant after Mrs. Harrison moved. Mr. Gibbs volunteered to fill the position but the motion was shot down on grounds of the gender composition of the board which was already skewed towards men. Ms. Kelly was then voted in after being proposed by Mrs. Johnson. The issue of speeding and rise in road rage was also brought up with several individuals fearing for their children and pets. It was agreed that the residents maintain a speed limit of 25 mph when within Windsville roads. Communication was also addressed with Mr. Gibbs noting that an important meeting resolution such as the newly set speed limit may be ineffective due to poor communication to the many members who were absent in this particular meeting. The suggestion to create a website and collect email addresses of all the home owners through which future communication would be relayed was adopted. The meeting was then adjourned at about 10.00 p.m. without further open issues to discuss and with the secretary submitting the day’s minutes and the chairman approving them. Interview of the Chairman of Windsville Homeowners Association After booking an appointment with Mr. Josh Mayer for a meeting on September 17, 2011 the interview proceeded as follows after greetings and pleasantries: Question: Windsville Homeowners Association seems to be performing quite well. What are its major achievements within the period you have been a member? Mr. Mayer: I have to say the major achievement is the pulling together of resources and encouraging the residents to come together and address issues concerning Windsville. The rest of the achievements are just offshoots of the collective efforts of the homeowners. Question: Can you comment about participation of the homeowners in the association. Mr. Mayer: This was the biggest challenge we had to face earlier on with most homeowners failing to see the importance of having an association. Although we are not there yet our efforts have won considerable following and our hope is that it is only a matter of time before we have all the homeowners on board since the success of this association depends on the input of all the members. Question: Talking of challenges, which has been the most challenging thing for you in your tenure as chairman? Mr. Mayer: While we have made major strides in the association, I have to say that following up on remittances and cooperation of members has been particularly challenging. There are numerous cases of defaulters and it is really a test of patience when dealing with individuals out to frustrate you. Question: That leads me to my next question. With such challenges what drives you to do this work? Are there any rewards for all the efforts you put in the association. Mr. Mayer: I believe the need to know that the welfare of my family and the rest of the community are taken care of is simply motivation enough for me. That is the ultimate reward you could get. Serving the community and overcoming the challenges you get in this position. Reflection on Community Psychology with regard to Windsville Homeowners Association According to Dalton, Elias & Wandersman (106-37, cited in Sanborne 4) community psychology is all about the relationship that an individual shares with the community or society. A number of values that are complementary to each other can be seen in action as individuals in a community interact and the best way to study a community such as Windsville is through an analysis of the principles of community psychology as they apply to its members. In this respect, the core values of community psychology will be studied in Windsville i.e. individual wellness, sense of community, respect for human diversity, social justice, collaboration, community strengths and empirical grounding. In terms of individual wellness, it is clearly observable form the Windsville Homeowners Association meeting and from the interview with the chairman that the welfare of the members of the Windsville community is a source of concern. A perfect example is the concern about speeding and road rage within the roads of Windsville which place the lives of especially children at risk. This issue is of particular importance as it is even mentioned in the next open issue concerning communication. Individual and family wellness is also the main motivation for the chairman of the association to keep on working as can be inferred from the interview, a view which can be extrapolated for the other members of the board and participating members. It is also the cited reason that enables the members to overcome challenges including poor cooperation and frustration from some of the owners in Windsville. The core value of a sense of community is also demonstrated in the meeting and from the interview. The social affairs’ sole purpose is to manage activities that bring the community together as demonstrated by the planned community picnic and the community yard sale that was proposed in the meeting. The fervor with which the ideas are supported indicates that save for the few uncooperative individuals a sense of community exists in Windsville. This is also the reason behind their will to improve communication. The chairman also indicates that their major achievement has been to bring the Windsville community together through the home owners association and states that the continued participation is a thing to be proud of both of which indicate a communal cohesiveness. Respect for human diversity is not clearly defined in the Windsville home owners association as demonstrated by the fact that the current board is heavily male dominated. The members of the association are however aware of this as it can be seen from the opposition generated when Mr. Gibbs volunteers for a vacant seat with the members settling for Ms. Kelly instead so as not to worsen the gender inequity. Other elements of human diversity sensitivity are not visible for example in terms of provision for ramps for the disabled members of the society as is currently a good practice and in other places a requirement by authorities nor is there any mention of youth activities or strategies to involve the youth in communal Windsville matters. Social justice as a principle is not clearly visible in the Windsville homeowners association as mention of its elements is not evident nor is there a committee dealing with it. Social justice is part of a community’s welfare and several elements of it should be within the mandate of the association as it can only be assumed that all matters of justice are left to local authority/government jurisdiction (Starnes, 2004). Some of the elements of social justice expected in a community such as Windsville include commitment to restorative justice alongside psychotherapy and rehabilitation rather than solely punitive measures. This should be prescribed especially for non-violent acts such as graffiti, panhandling and noise pollution all of which can be dealt with while ensuring the guilty party is helped too. Collaboration and participation of all is fairly practiced in Windsville as indicated by the chairman who explains that participation was a major headache that is now being overcome. However, the board members would wish for better participation through volunteers and taking initiatives as indicated by the social affairs committee. Planning for the community events including the planned picnic and now the community yard sale can only be effective with the participation and contribution of each member of the Windsville community. The chairman also indicates in the interview that the input of all the homeowners is particularly important for the health of the association. He also finds the non-cooperating members to be frustrating and identifies this as a major challenge. The Windsville Homeowners Association lacks clear action according to community strengths and whichever way this is looked at no element of this can be derived. One of the best ways to achieve optimal participation of individuals in the meetings and activities is through harnessing their strengths and ensuring that they are made to feel a sense of belonging in the community. This requires integration of interests of the various members of the Windsville neighborhood in the agenda of the association: something that is strikingly lacking. No elements of sports or entertainment events are in the social committee’s plan hence the main strengths and energy of the youths is not catered for while calls for suggestions of new ideas are not apparent. Empirical grounding involves the factual and sequential basis that informs future considerations for a community to ensure that ethical and informed decisions are applied with good interests of the community at heart (Sanborne 8; Starnes 3). It may seem difficult to integrate sound theory in actual community settings like Windsville but it is necessary that this is done using findings from research to guide actions. This is clearly lacking in the Windsville association setting from the few recommendations and proposals adopted in the meeting and the chairman’s interview. It should be expected that issues such as speed limits are established according to informed guidelines rather than just what a member feels is right. Empirical guidelines should guide societal planning and each committee should be consisted of a team that can integrate sound theory in decision-making. Works cited Dalton, James H., Elias, Maurice J. and Wandersman, Abraham. Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Sanborne, Erika. A Value Framework for Community Psychology. 2002. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. Starnes, Debi M. (2004). “Community Psychologists—Get in the Arena!!.” American Journal of Community Psychology. 2004. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. Read More