UNIT 2: THE CONCEPT OF A COMMUNITY

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit, the students are expected to:
a. Know the basic meaning, historical development,
and concept of a community. Also, Recognize the
foundation and qualities of a community;

b. Understand the importance of participatory planning

and implementation

Introduction

This chapter deals with participatory planning and implementation.

Specifically, it is discusses the meaning, principles, and levels of planning
as well as a brief historical development of participatory planning.

Unlocking of Difficulties

Things to Remember:

Community- is an emerged group of people with diverse characteristics

who are linked by social ties,share common perspectives, and engage in
joint action in geographical locations or settings.

Moral Values- are relative values that protect life and

are respectful of the dual life value of self and others. The great moral
values, such as truth, freedom, charity, etc., have one thing in common.
When they are functioning correctly, they are life protecting or life
enhancing for all.

Sociological Concept- is a mental construct that represents some part of

the world in a simplified form. An example of a mental construct is the
idea of class, or the distinguishing of two groups based on their income,
culture, power, or some other defining characteristic(s)
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Lecture Notes
COMMUNITY

Definitions:

Webster’s Dictionary- a unified body of individuals: such as. a : the people

with common interests living in a particular area broadly : the area itself the
problems of a large community.

Manalili (2009)- refers to an organization of people who are able to

undertake projects based on its members’ experiences, resiliency,
motivation and willingness to learn.

In Archaeology, a community is understood in two ways. First, it is a place

where people actually reside in, an idea quite similar to the concept of an
ancient settlement. Also, it is a group of individuals who live near, and
interact with each other.

In Genesis 1:27 of the Old Testament, the word community encompasses all
God’s creation in the universe, including a man and woman whom he
created in His own image. He allowed them to have dominion overall living
things and other natural creations. In addition, God placed the first man
and woman in the Garden of Eden so it could be guarded and cultivated.

Man & woman are not created to live in isolation from one another. The
first framework established in understanding the essence of a community
concentrates on the relationship of the Lord with His creation.

The community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality

such as norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may
share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country,
village, town, or neighbourhood) or in virtual space through communication
platforms.

Richard Millington defines five Different Types Of Communities: 1.

Interest. Communities of people who share the same interest or
passion.
2. Action. Communities of people trying to bring about change.
3. Place. Communities of people brought together by geographic
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boundaries.
4. Practice. Communities of people in the same profession or
undertake the same activities.

Sociological Concept of a Community

Sociologically, the family is the smallest unit of the society. It is composed of

the immediate and non-immediate members, while a community is
composed of different families living in the same place who share the same
interests. The activities of a family that are also done by the community
include sharing common resources, working for the common good and
building harmonious relationships.

These central qualities of a family are also the basic building blocks of any
community. According to the Holy Scripture, the stronger the family, the
stronger the community. An individual person can form a family, a family
that can form a community and a community can form a nation.

Aesthetic and Moral values of a community The Aesthetic Values and moral
of a community consist of the guiding ideas that its members hold. For
example:
How they know what is good from bad, beautiful from ugly and right from
wrong, as well as the justifications necessary in explaining their actions.

As a community develops, its values change. A change in values may result

from innovations in technology or the social hierarchy. For example the
values include solidarity, commitment, mutually and trust. It was Aristotle
who first postulated the concept of community as a group established by
men with shared values. That initial definition has been refined and
expanded throughout the years. It has been recognized, for example that
people can belong to a number of communities at once; communities of
place, communities of culture and communities of memories in which
people who technically be strangers share “a morally significant history”
and psychological communities of face to face personal interaction that is
governed by sentiments of trust, cooperation and altruism.

Human beings have social instincts; they come into this world equipped
with the predisposition to learn new ideas and values. As such, the concept

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of a community has likewise evolved from its complex nature and from its
basic to multi-dimensional nature.

Focus Questions

Instruction: On a separate sheet (do ahandwritten answer on a short bond

paper, afteranswering take a photo of it and submit that on our official face
book page), kindly answer the question below:

“ the Aesthetic and moral values of a community consist of the guiding and
sometimes the paradoxical ideas that its members hold, e.g., how they
know what is good from bad, beautiful from ugly, and right from wrong, as
well as the justifications are necessary in explaining their actions. “What
other aesthetic values can you think of?”

Related Readings

• http://www.nstp.org.com
• https://participatoryplanning.ca/participatory-planning

Learning / Assessment Activities

Instruction: Essay
Write your reflection on the space provided. Kindly, take picture of your
output and upload your answers at your face book page.

Activity #1

Name: ________________________ Course: __________

Date: _________________________ Rating:
___________
 REFLECTION

1. Why is the family considered as the smallest unit of

society? 2. Explain the Biblical concept of a community.
3. Elaborate the social and aesthetic dimensions of a community.

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PARTICIPATORY PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION

Introduction
This chapter deals with participatory planning and implementation.
Specifically, it discusses the meaning, principles and levels of planning as
well as a brief historical development of participatory planning.

Unlocking of Difficulties
Things to Remember:

Planning- is the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve

a desired goal. It is the first and foremost activity to achieve desired results.
It involves the creation and maintenance of a plan, such as psychological
aspects that require conceptual skills.

Implementation- is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan,

idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.

Lecture Notes

Planning

Planning means to direct and guide the people who are involved in
a certain project.
1. Social planning includes the areas of health, education, housing
and social welfare. Its aim is to improve the quality of life and the
standard of living children, disabled and indigenous people.
2. Assessment to gauge the impact of a community project on the
 social development of a community.

Participatory Planning
Participatory Planning is the process of laying out the course of actions
needed to attain a set of socio-economic goals. It resolves community
issues or problems by giving concerned community members the chance to
identify problems and propose solutions.

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Historical Development of Participatory Planning
In the 1970s, professional development workers became aware of the
mismatch between the reality they constructed and the reality others
experienced, dissatisfied with the short rural visits of development
technocrats only to drop by the offices of, or talk to, local male leaders, and
disillusioned with questionnaire surveys and their results. They also
acknowledge that people from the provinces themselves knew more about
their situations and communities as compared to those from the cities
(Chamber, 1997). Thus, these workers developed new methods and
approaches in social planning as an alternative to centralized, top-down
planning.

Principles of Participatory Planning

1. Development should be seen more as a change from the bottom

up than from the top-down.

2. The development process should be managed naturally rather

than mechanically, i.e., unduly focused on plans, goals and objectives,
targets, and schedules.

3. The development process should also strengthen localorganization

and local government bureaucracies. A communityprogram should be
chosen according to its ability to enhance localdevelopment.it should
start with a few schemes to solveimmediate local problems, build
confidence and earn experience.

4. The development process should be supported by local institutions

with the villages, primary cooperatives, religious and young groups
 and community-based and self-help associations playing a major role.

5. The development process must be based primarily on confidence

building and learning rather than on expertise training. It is more
important for the people who will make decisions at the local level to
have the fill trust of the people they present rather than to be train
on experts.

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Levels of Participation
TYPOLOGY RESULTS

1. Passive People are told of what will

happen or is taking place.

2. Information-based People answer a survey

team’s questionnaire (no
follow up).s

3. Consultation-based People answer the

questionnaire defined or
designed by “outsiders” i.e
non-community members.

4. Incentive-based People work for cash, food

or incentives.

5. Functional participation Decisions by “outsiders” and

interest groups are synthesized
to meet objectives.

6. Interactive Joint analyses, decisions, and

action plans are made.

7. Self-mobilization Initiatives are taken

independently from official
institutions.

A project is described in the Webster’s Dictionary as a planned

undertaking. The initial step is to identify the specific acts that must be
taken to meet a set of objectives. The next is to lay down the project as
reflected in the acts to be taken. A project’s common elements include the
following:

1. Objectives- this element describes what projects aims to do and

what the project is for.
2. Boundaries- this element specifies the scope and limitations of the
project.
3. Location- this element identifies where the project will be
implemented.
4. Target-beneficiaries- this states that will benefit from the
implementation of the project.
5. Duration- this elements determines the schedule of the project
upon its implementation.
6. Budget- this element itemizes the expected expenses that the
project will earn upon its implementation.
7. Methodology- this element indicates the approach or manner by
which the project will be implemented.

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Project Development Cycle
Projects may vary according to their objectives, boundaries, locations,
target beneficiaries, duration and methodology. However, all projects
undergo a process called the project development cycle consisting of these
stages:

Although the phases may appear sequentially separated, they are, in fact
circular, i.e., the phases continually interface with each other both back and
forth.

1. Identification- in this stage, a potential project design is organized

after adequate consultations with the different stakeholders of the
community.
2. Preparation- in this stage, the planners determine how and when
chosen project will be implemented.
3. Implementation- in this stage, the project is carried out by the
planners and the local community members based on an agreed
upon-timetable.
4. Evaluation- in this stage, the planners and the community
 members determine whether or not the project objectives have been
met.

Successful participatory planning will help identify and

transformcommunity weaknesses into strengths. With the support of the
local government, community members may contribute in the planning of
projects can solve the problems that beset them. Since
participatoryplanning creates a sense of urgency among the project which
has incorporated their ideas.

Focus Questions

Instruction: On a separate sheet (do a handwritten answer on a short bond

paper, after answering take a photo of it and submit that on our official
facebook page), kindly answer the question below:

What should for your frame mind be when conducting participatory

planning with community members?

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Related Readings

• http://www.nstp.org.com
• https://participatoryplanning.ca/participatory-planning

Learning / Assessment Activities

Instruction: Essay
Write your reflection on the space provided. Kindly, take picture of your
output and upload your answers at your face book page.

Activity #1

Name: _______________________________ Course:

_________ Date: ________________________________ Rating:
_________

1. What should your mood be when conducting participatory planning with

community members?
2. What are your expectations before engaging in participatory
planning?15pts
3. Discuss the importance of planning in organizing a project. 15pts.

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