Globalization and Social Issues of a Community - Coursework Example

Community Groups Introduction A community is a population whose members purposely identify with each other, live in a common territory, engage in common activities, and have some form of organisation that facilitates differentiation of functions, which allows the community to adapt to its environment (Carter, 2011, p. 92-93). It is a social unit and is larger than the family/household unit. The people in a community share the same values and interests and usually have a strong social cohesion. A community can perceive itself as different from the larger society in which it exists. In most cases, the people in a community share the same social heritage as they often have a common cultural and historical heritage. A community may have beliefs, resources, needs and preferences among other things that they all value and treasure (Carter, 2011, p. 93). These factors affect the level of cohesiveness that exists in the community. Community groups are representative bodies that ensure the views of a certain groups or communities are heard and implement some of the issues that affect that community. The groups advocate for the community and their vital role is to assist the members of a community. They do this by generating power from an organisation representing the community, thus allowing the organisation to influence key decision making figures on several issues affecting them over time. These organisations work with the community to develop leaders, facilitate coalitions and promote development in the community. Most importantly, the organisations are aimed at protecting the community’s resources and avoiding the depletion of these resources. Issues that have been of concern to community groups Environment Many communities are now becoming aware of just how much the environment is fragile and this has been because of the depletion of the environment beauty (Adams, 2010, p. 83). There are a lot of issues surrounding the environment that concerns people as discussed below. Pollution The rate at which human beings are polluting the environment is causing a lot of concern. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the environment to heal itself due to the extent of which the humans have polluted it. Pollution has increased significantly over the past several hundred years (Cassidy, 1997, p. 102), and this is causing a lot of harm to the environment. The issue of pollution is raising concerns among different communities in the world. Deforestation This is the act of cutting trees in a forested area where the land is thereafter turned into a non-forest use (Jepma, 1995, p. 3). There is mass deforestation occurring and this poses a great risk of health to our forests and more importantly the health of the environment. Clearing of trees without planting new ones has increased and this has gradually worn down the nature’s ability to control pollution (Jepma, 1995, p. 4). It is becoming more and more clear that in the next few years the world will be living in a world with no trees if actions to stop deforestation are not carried out. It is because if this reason that organisations and community groups have started actions and campaigns to stop this activity. Globalisation The world has been made a smaller place by bringing all the countries of the world together, and this has created a more cooperative world (Gangopadhyay & Chatterji, 2005, p. 70). There has been an increase in the channels through which people can communicate as novel technologies are invented. Globalisation has also resulted to some negative impacts in the world. The impact of globalization has transformed the way people think, work and most important of all, the way people live (Gangopadhyay & Chatterji, 2005, p. 71). Most local workers are now leaving their countries and going abroad to work. This has increased migration among communities as more people leave their homelands and fly to other countries to look for employment opportunities. Workers who seek employment in foreign countries are either underpaid or are tortured by their employers. Many workers and labourers working in factories and large corporations are paid lowly, yet the companies that they work for are making huge profits (Tanzi, 2004, p. 5). Outsourcing is common under globalisation, whereby employers prefer to employ lower paid service workers from foreign countries rather than employ high paid workers from their own countries. Such workers are faced with poor sanitation and health amenities. Globalisation has also resulted to unequitable distribution of resources (Tanzi, 2004, p. 6). Women and children are left out and are the most economically disadvantaged groups. Women’s views and labour efforts are not valued in the same way as those of the men. All these negative effects are raising eyebrows and most organisations are making efforts to change these trends. Illegal waste dumping Some communities live in close proximity to power plants, oil refineries and other forms of waste management facilities. Such facilities produce industrial waste and some do not dispose their waste appropriately. They dispose the waste in water resources and lands used for farming. The effects that arise from these informal forms of dumping create a host of health problems to the communities using these natural resources. Media Issues of equal representation should be considered in a media analysis. All aspects of communities such as class, ethnicity, gender, occupation and social roles need to be adequately and equally represented by the media. In most cases the minorities are underrepresented and they do not have a say in the communication industry. Many organisations are advocating for equal representation of irrespective of a person’s status. Peace and conflict Over the past few years, various atrocities have been seen inflicted on humans. There is destruction of major communities and majority of the world’s cultures and people are continuously being destroyed. Human rights It is believed that every human has rights and that each person is born of dignity. However this is not the case in the present world as more people become victims of torture by their leaders and other powerful figures in their communities. Education Most communities are interested in seeing their children educated. Education in this context does not only comprise of classroom and school activities. Many children cannot access education especially in the third world countries. This is because of inadequate schools or because they cannot afford the education. This issue has had the attention of many community groups and organisations. Culture Culture describes the ways by which humans belonging to a specific community express themselves. It is what gives a community its identity, thus distinguishing it from other communities (Rigazio-digilio, 2004, p. 18). As the world embraces globalisation, the culture of various communities continues to fade away. In the past, culture was used to control certain behaviours, practices and way of living of a people living in a community. Organisations making efforts to deal with some of the issues highlighted In Australia, many organisations have contributed significantly to the promotion of national health policies. The organisations have seen the growth of primary healthcare to the communities as most of the Australians have access to health care and substance use services though the ease of accessibility is dependent on various factors such as distance from medical facilities (Pyke, 2001, p. 73). The commonwealth government of Australia provides financial support and these funds are used to provide medical care to the indigenous communities. CARE is a key exemplar of a non-profit organisation that is working to provide medical amenities and to eradicate poverty (CARE International, 2012). CARE assists through making donations to the community. The organisation has a team of professionals who assist in relief and rehabilitation activities for communities that are victims of natural and man-made disasters. These professionals provide support in form of food, sanitation, health facilities and so on. The organisation also works with women and girls to create long term sustainability in the global fight against poverty. In terms of promoting education, CARE promotes discussions with members of the community with the aim of eradicating barriers to education. CARE has also facilitated economic development by engaging communities in money making activities. The Breast Cancer Network Australia is another organisation that addresses the issues of women in Australia who have breast cancer. BCNA provides the best information concerning breast cancer to the women. It also offers care, treatment and support to women (BCNA, 2012). The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is a national body representing Aboriginal community controlled health services on matters relating to Aboriginal health and well-being (NACCHO, 2012). NACCHO’s major objective is to deliver culturally appropriate health related services to the communities. The organisation’s activities include advocating for communities on matters concerning their health; assessing the community’s needs in terms of health by researching and taking steps to meet the needs; and liaising with the government and other organisations within and outside the aboriginal community in issues concerning the wellbeing of the communities. World Vision Australia, a Christian relief and development organization is another group helping the Australians by helping them to stop poverty (World Vision Australia, 2012). This organisation has created long-term community development projects that are aimed at alleviating poverty by making the communities self-sufficient. Internationally, World Vision is also involved in preservation of the environment by reducing the rate at which environmental degradation is taking place. By teaching communities on the impact of their activities on the environment, World Vision helps to educate the communities around the world on the importance of environmental preservation. This organisation has also helped to reduce the level of gas emissions from green houses. Additionally, it has greatly reduced illegal waste disposal activities by implementing waste disposal minimisation strategies (World Vision Australia, 2012). The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is an organisation that provides for and ensures that children across Australia receive care and education (ACECQA, 2012). This organisation aims at ensuring that children have the best start in life (OECD, 2012, p. 347). Another organisation that is aimed at ensuring children can access quality education is the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation. This non-profit independent organisation was established in 2003 with the aim of changing the lives of children especially those coming from indigenous backgrounds. Its focus is on numeracy and literacy education (Aboriginal Literacy Foundation, not dated). Australia has its share of organisations that preserve the culture of communities. An example is the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials (AICCM), which has contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage. The organisation has the following beliefs including ensuring that the growth of a National Cultural Policy provides the chance to re-affirm communities the importance of conservation and preservation. This is particularly important to AICCM as conservation helps in the preservation of the heritage sector and also enables access to culture (Richmond & Bracker, 2009, p.189). AICCM’s other objective is to ensure that conservation of culture enriches communities’ experience in material culture and provides them with opportunities to generate greater knowledge of cultural practices. Other organisations aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of communities in Australia include Guthi Australia and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Although UNESCO has its activities spread across the world, it has contributed greatly towards the preservation of Australian cultural heritage. UNESCO aims at ensuring the protection, preservation and the identification of cultural and natural heritage around the world (Yusuf, 2007, p. 233). Guthi Australia is an Australia non-profit organisation that volunteers to raise awareness about the Newar cultural heritage (Shrestha, 1999, p. 1). It has helped preserve the Newar culture through educating and researching on the culture and by generating interest among Australians, thus ensuring cultural diversity. How have these groups reacted and with what success – particularly in relation to exercising community leadership? Organisations and community groups have greatly empowered the local communities. Locally, there are many grassroots organisations which are working directly with their communities to curb conflicts. The strategies adopted are mainly educational campaigns aimed at educating the local people. The success rate of these organisations is exceedingly high as more and more issues are being solved. The organisations are also offering support services for the people who have been victims of conflicts and are recovering from violence. One way that the groups and organisations are addressing atrocities of the past is through the use of reparations and apologies (Hatch, 2010, p. 4). An apology is a statement of regret that publicly acknowledges the occurrence and severity of the act of injustice committed (Martínez-flor & Usó-juan, 2010, p. 146). On the other hand, reparation refers to a practical action that has been taken, such as paying money to the victims, to remedy the wrong that has been done to them (De Greiff, 2006, p. 182). The two forms of intervention seek to repair and build relationships that have been compromised by some purposeful offense. The success rate of these organisations is exceedingly high as more and more issues are being resolved. Conclusion Organisations’ efforts have helped local communities in Australia and the world over to solve their social issues. Through channelling funds to them, these organisations have enabled the people to carry out projects that can assist them be economically independent. Most organisations have gone to the extent of starting projects that are helpful to the local people. Communities have also received education on various matters including the need to conserve the environment. Many local citizens continue to receive medical facilities and important health information and these actions by the organisations have gone a long way in improving their welfare. Communities have been empowered and this has helped them to participate in leadership activities. The effects of globalisation have decreased immensely and the health conditions have improved considerably. The contributions of various organisations continue to improve the status of communities in Australia and the world at large. 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