Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship

1st Quarter Reviewer

WHAT IS COMMUNITY?
A group of people who occupy a common contiguous territory, possessed of a common set of traditions associated
with their living together in that territory, and served by a set of local institutions in which the people are conscious
of their common interest.
TYPES OF COMMUNITY
Urban communities
Large in terms of land area and population, advanced in science and technology, with favorable physical
environment and diverse cultures and the people are engaged in various occupation.
Characteristics
 Limited space
 People are crowded
 Greater pollution
Rural communities
Usually produce their own food for subsistence
Characteristics
 Greater personal interaction
 Deep, long term relationships
 Generally, peace and order exist
 Vernacular is usually spoken
 Wider area
 Formal Communities
Formal groups
These are the ones that are created as per official authority, so as to fulfill the desired objective. Some of the
common formal groups that exist within the organization or community include schools, church, hospitals,
government, and civic organizations.
Informal groups 
These are groups formed by individuals when they communicate with one another. These groups are not created by
organizations and work democratically. Informal groups can be formed among people who regularly eat lunch
together, work out at the same gym, or are interested in the same types of sports or activities.
Global communities
It is the international aggregate of nation-states. Global community refers to the growing
interconnectedness of people around the world. It’s made up of people from all over the world who’re connected by
gender, interests such as technology, economics, global issues, and more.
Sectoral Communities
Include the voluntary sector or non-profit sector
• Voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental
• Also called third sector (in contrast to public and private sector)
• NGOs: Non-governmental organizations
Social Space community
These kinds of spaces should be given more attention since they serve as catalyst in the implementation of
good social cohesion in community. The effort includes giving concern toward their various implemented form.
A social space is physical or virtual space such as a social center, online social media, or other gathering
place where people gather and interact
Five common features of communities
• Interest –people who share the same interest or passion
• Action- people trying to bring about change
• Place – people brought together by geographic boundaries
• Practice – people in the same profession or undertake the same activities
• Circumstance – people brought together by external events/situations.
COMMUNITY DYNAMICS
The process of change and development in communities of all living organisms – including plants,
microorganisms, and small and large creatures of every sort. Populations of an organism will appear in an
environment as its requirements for establishment are met.
COMMUNITY ACTION
 Is any activity that increases the understanding, engagement and empowerment of communities in the
design and delivery of local services
 It includes a broad range of activities and is sometimes described as ’social action’ or ‘community
engagement’.
 An act where a community of people who are experiencing the same situation tend to connect with each
other to pursue a common goal and action

APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES

These are social science disciplines, professions and occupations which seek to use basic social science research and
theory to improve the daily life of communities, organizations and persons.
SOCIAL SCIENCE CAREERS
• Mediator
• Police Officer
• Human Resource Officer
• Social Worker
• Psychologist
• Psychotherapy, Counselling and mental roles
• Teacher/Lecturer/Education Roles
I.SOCIAL SCIENCE
Social science is, in its broadest sense, the study of society and the manner in which people behave and influence the
world around us. Social science is a group of academic disciplines dedicated to examining human behavior and
specifically how people interact with each other, behave, develop as a culture, and influence the world. 
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropologists take a broad approach in understanding
different aspects of the human experiences, which we call holism. They consider the past, through archaeology, to
see how human groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and what was important to them. They consider
what makes up our biological bodies and genetics as well as our bones, diet, and health.
1. ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE -focuses on the study of the full scope of human diversity and the
application of that knowledge to help people of different backgrounds. These are culture, cultural relativism,
fieldwork, human diversity, holism, bio-cultural focus.
2. 2. SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE -involves the investigation of the problem on micro and macro levels. At
micro level, sociology studies how individuals behave in social situations—at work, at play, at home, or in
school, or in small and large groups. It deals with people’s everyday interactions (social interactionist, ethno
methodological and phenomenological approaches of study). At macro level, sociology focuses on patterns
of behaviour and forms of organisation that characterise entire societies (classical and grand theorist’s
approaches). At this level, sociology deals with large-scale structures (such as bureaucracy), broad social
categories, institutions, social systems, and social problems such as war, unemployment, poverty,
corruption, and solutions to these problems are sought at the structural or organisational level.
3. POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE - Politics (from Greek: Πολιτικά, politiká, 'affairs of the cities') is the set of activities
that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations between individuals,
such as the distribution of resources or status. The academic study of politics is referred to as Political
Science. Perspectives on politics seeks to provide a space for broad and synthetic discussion within the
political science profession and between the profession and the broader scholarly and reading publics.
II. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
A social institution consists of a group of people who have come together for a common purpose. These institutions
are a part of the social order of society and they govern behavior and expectations of individuals.
The 5 Major Social Institutions and Their Functions
1. Family - The family institution is generally regarded as the primary social institution, and the family is the
basic unit in society. There are multiple functions performed, and it is necessary for survival and well-being.
The main goals of the family institutions include:
 Protecting children
 Nurture children with love
 Socialize children with social skills
 Teaching life skills and how to function in society
2. Education - A way to pass on culture, knowledge and values.
3. Religion- Helps people find purpose in their lives. Develops spiritual side of people. Provides guidelines for
personal behavior and social interaction
4. Economy- Produces and distributes goods and services
5. Government - Assists group in decision making

III. Civil society is the ecosystem that influences social change outside of the family, market or government. Often
referred to as the space where we act for the common good, civil society aims to connect poor or marginalized
people with groups that can mobilize support to help.
Examples of civil society organizations include:
• Churches and other faith-based organizations
• Online groups and social media communities
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofits
• Unions and other collective-bargaining groups
• Innovators, entrepreneurs and activists
• Cooperatives and collectives
• Grassroots organizations
1. MANIFESTATIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
The emergence of civil society groups is well received by development practitioner in varied forms. Such
groups are formed based on the customs and norms of the prevailing society. Groups that are formed under
these have individuals who can freely choose to associate with not just one but as many as he or she likes. Since
people have the liberty to do such, the groups act like leverage for particular individuals to be with like-minded
citizens. Think of these groups as an intermediary of the citizens in their relationship with their government and
the private sector. An individual alone will not have the same lobbying power as when he or she is with a group
that has more social capital as an enabler. This combination of networks and relationships promotes clout in
order to carry out the group’s advocate and goals.
2. ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION
The role of civil society in good governance is to apprise people of their fundamental rights and
responsibilities. In addition, civil society is instrumental in making people aware about the role of the
government and state institutions, as well as the responsibilities of state functionaries. Without that knowledge,
most people are unaware of governance, public issues and the administrative structures and functions.
3. NONGOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
NGOs are a subgroup of organizations founded by citizens, which include clubs and associations which
provide services to its members and others. They are usually nonprofit organizations. Many NGOs are active in
humanitarianism or the social sciences. Surveys indicate that NGOs have a high degree of public trust, which can
make them a useful proxy for the concerns of society and stakeholders. However, NGOs can also be lobby groups
for corporations, such as the World Economic Forum. According to NGO.org, (the non-governmental
organizations associated with the United Nations [), NGOs are any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is
organized on a local, national or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest,
NGOs perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate
and monitor policies and encourage political participation through provision of information.
How NGOs are Funded?
As non-profits, NGOs rely on a variety of sources for funding, including:
• membership dues
 • private donations
• the sale of goods and services
• Grants
Some common characteristics of NGOs according to Ball and Dunn are:
• They are formed voluntarily.
• They are independent of government.
• They are not for private profit or gain.
• Their principal is to improve the circumstances and prospects of disadvantaged people.
4. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular
goal, typically a social or political one. Interest group, also called special interest group or pressure group,
any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more
shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favour. All interest groups share a desire to affect
government policy to benefit themselves or their causes. Their goal could be a policy that exclusively
benefits group members or one segment of society (e.g., government subsidies for farmers) or a policy that
advances a broader public purpose (e.g., improving air quality). They attempt to achieve their goals by
lobbying—that is, by attempting to bring pressure to bear on policy makers to gain policy outcomes in their
favour.
5. INTEREST GROUPS
Interest groups are a natural outgrowth of the communities of interest that exist in all societies, from
narrow groups such as the Japan Eraser Manufacturers Association to broad groups such as the American
Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) and to even broader organizations such as
the military. Politics and interests are inseparable. Interests are a prevalent, permanent, and essential aspect of
all political systems—democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian regimes alike. Furthermore, interest groups
exist at all levels of government—national, state, provincial, and local—and increasingly they have occupied an
important role in the international affairs.
6. Local and International Organizations
There are variety of legal types of organizations, including corporations, governments, non-governmental
organizations, political organizations, international organizations, armed forces, charities, not-for-profit corporations,
partnerships, cooperatives, and educational institutions. An organization is an entity, such as a company, an
institution, or an association, comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
IV. GRASSROOTS LEVEL
A grassroots movement is one which uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis
for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local
level to effect change at the local, regional, national, or international level. Grassroots movements are associated
with bottom-up, rather than top-down decision making, and are sometimes considered more natural or spontaneous
than more traditional power structures.

V. COMMUNITY ACTION INITIATIVE

What is community action?

Community action is any activity that increases the understanding, engagement and empowerment of
communities in the design and delivery of local services. It also includes a broad range of activities and is sometimes
described as ‘social action' or ‘community engagement'. These activities can vary in their objective, the role the
community plays, the types of activities involved, their scale and their integration within the council. What they have
in common is that they all involve greater engagement of local citizens in the planning, design and delivery of local
services

Why is community action important?

Community action is about putting communities at the heart of their own local services. Involving
communities in the design and delivery of services can help to achieve a number of objectives, including:
 Building community and social capacity – helping the community to share knowledge, skills and ideas.
 Community resilience – helping the community to support itself.
 Prevention – a focus on early access to services or support, engagement in design, cross-sector
collaboration and partnerships.
 Maintaining and creating wealth – for example helping people into employment or developing community
enterprises