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SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH COMINlt NITIES
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Module- 1 Unit-
1 Community
meaning
• A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristics in

common
• The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interest in common
COMMUNITY DEFINITION
• “Communip is a collection of people who share a common territoq and meet their basic
physical and social needs through daily interaction with one another” -Allan Johnson,
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• “Community is a social group with a common territorial base; those in the group share
interests and have a sense of belonging to the group” (Robert Stebbins, Sociology The
Study of Society, Harper and Row. New York, 1987, p. 534). Types of community
• Rural • Urban • Suburban • Formal • Informal Rural community
• Rural communities are placed where the houses are spread ver far apart
• Usually produce their own food for substance Characteristics of rural community
• Greater personal interaction
• Deep, long term relationships
• Generally, peace and order exists
• Mutual give and take affairs
• Emphasis of shared values
• Wider area
• Fee’ goods and services
• Homogeneous gape of culture
• Belief in supernatural and superstition beliefs
• Few establishment and services
Urban community
• This are located in cities
• This are areas where people live in ver} close proxiinip, and there is most always
something going on
• Advanced in science and technology

Characteristics of urban community
• Advancement in science and technology
• Many business establishments, educational and religious institutions
• People are crou'ded
• Social heterogeneity
• Greater pollution
• Class extremes
• Limited space
• Family ties tend to be u'eak
• Higher standard of living
• Shortage of employment Suburban community
• Suburban area are the mix of the urban and rural
• With sub Urban area, you are going to get many of the same convenience a cii has
• The town's are mostly small main streets u'ith some shops , restaurant and businesses
Formal community
• Engage in join activities and discussion help each other's, and share information with
each other
• This are about their standing with each other's Informal community
• Consist of a set of personal relations, social netu'orks, common interest and emotional
source of motivation
• Eg: academic communities, recreational communities, retirement communities
Cbaracteristics of community
• A group of people
• A definite locality
• Coininunip sentiment
• Naturality
• Permanence
• Similarity
• Wider ends
• Total organized social life
• A particular name
• No legal status
• Size of community
• Concrete nature
• A communip exist u'ithin society and possesses distinguishablestructure which
distinguishes it from others Functions of community
• Includes production, distribution and consumption
• Some rural communities have their economic base in farming, business, mining,
manufacturing, industq and service business
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• Social control
• Socialization
• Social participation
• Mutual support
UNIT- 2 SOC L4L ANALh"SIS OF COMMUNITY’ SOCIAL Sh"STEM
• Social system refers to an orderly arrangement, an inter relationship of parts
• Based on functional relations
• It binds the part in to unit
• A social system consist of pluralip of individuals, actors interaction in with other in a
situation
Elements of social system
• Beliefs
• Sentiments
• Goal
• Rank
• Norms
• Power
• Sanction
• Status and role
• Facility
Cbaracteristics of social system
• System is connected with the pluraliq of individual actors
• Aim and object
• Order and pattern amongst various constituent units
• Functional relationship is the basis of unity
• Physical or environmental aspects of social system
• Linked with cultural system
• Expressed and implied aim and objects
• Characteristics of adjustment
• Order, pattern and balance
Types of social system

1. The particularistic ascriptive pipe
2. The particularistic achievement type
3. The universalistic achievement gape
Economic system
Economic system is a means by which societies or government organize and distribute
available resources, services and goods across a geographic region or count.

•
• Economic system regulates the factors of production, including land, capital, labor and
physical resources
• An economic system encompasses many institutions, agencies decision making process
and patterns of consumption that comprise the economic structure of a given community
Types of economic system
1 Capitalism
2. Socialist economy
3. Mixed economy
Cbaracteristics of economic system
1 Capitalism
• Right to private properp
• Profit motive
• Freedom of choice
• Market forces
• Minimal role of government
2. Socialist economy
• Social u'e1fare motive
• Limited right to private motive
• Central planning
3 Mixed economy
• Resources are owed both by the government as well as private individuals
• Private and public sectors exist side by side
• All basic and heavy industries and other strategic sector of an economy trade are left for
the private sector Political system
• A political system defines the process for making official government decisions
• According to David Easton “a political system can be designated as the interactions
through u'hich values are authoritatively allocated for a sociep” Cbaracteristics of
political system
• Use or threat of use of legal force
• Interactions
• Interdependence of parts
• Comprehensiveness
• Change of boundaq Cultural system
• A cultural system is the interaction of different elements in culture
• While a cultural system is very different from a social system, sometimes both systems
together are reffered to as the socio-cultural s}stein
Legal system
• A legal system is a procedure or process for interpreting and enforcing the law

• A legal system includes rules, procedures and institutions by which public initiatives and
private endeavors can be carried out through legitimate means
• 1s a system for interpreting and enforcing the laws. Types of legal system
• Civil law
• Common law
• Customary law
• Religious law’
• Mixed legal system Religious system
• Religion is a socially shared system of anthroporphic beliefs and attendant feelings, both
of which are expressed in words and rituals by means of which non-human parts of the
universe are thought to be influenced
Characteristics
• Belief in a deiq or in a pou'er beyond the individual
• A doctrine of salvation
• A code of conduct
• The use of scared stories
• Religious rituals Value system
• The system of established values, norms, or goals existing in a society
• Value system refers to the order and priorip an individual or society grants to ethical and
ideological values Consciousness
• The condition of being conscious the normal state of being au'ake and able to understand
what is happening around you
• Consciousness refers to your individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories,
feelings, sensations, and environments. Essentially, your consciousness is your awareness
of yourself and the u'or1d around you
• The state or activip that is characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, or thought:
mind in the broadest possible sense; something in nature that is distinguished from the
physical
Types of consciousness
Some different states of consciousness include:
• Dreams
• Hallucinations
Hypnosis
• Meditation
• Sleep
• States induced by psychoactive drugs
Altered popes of consciousness include:

•
• Coma
• Confusion
• Delirium
• Disorientation
• Lethargy
• Stupor
Social problems
• The term “social problem” is usually taken to refer to social conditions that disrupt or
damage sociep —crime, racism, and the like.
• A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large
numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs
to be addressed. This definition has both an objective component and a subjective
component
Cbaracteristics of Social Problems

Salient features and characteristics of social problem are that it changes the situation in such a
way that a problem is created to the extent that existing social order have to be changed. It also
means that it is difficult to solve the problem but to feel that such a solution is inevitable or
undesirable is not proper But one of the significant characteristics are that it becomes problem
only u'hen the people begin to feel and take that in that sense. As long as the people are not
aware of the problem, even though that exists, there is no social disharmony, but maladjustment
comes to the front only when the masses become conscious of it.
Causes of Social Problems

Social problem is not u'elcoined in any sociep Problems create disharmony and maladjustinent
but still the problems exist. What are the main causes, which has been posed by our sociologists.
So far the problem has found no solution and every attempt made in this regard has failed. The
main reason for this is that the sociologists cannot pinpoint a single cause responsible for
creating such problem. The cause, u'hich may be responsible in one society, may not be
responsible in the other sociep Similarly what may be responsible under certain circumstances
may not be under certain other circumstances and so on. In fact in actual practice it has been
found difficult to find out any single cause responsible for creating social problem.
Domination

• The exercise of power or influence over someone or something, or the state of
being so controlled
• supremacy or preeminence over another
• supremacy or preeminence over another

• Dynamism is a general name for a group of philosophical views concerning the
nature of matter However different they may be in other respects, all these views
agree in making matter consist essentially of simple and indivisible units,
substances, or forces.
• In philosophy, dynamism is ‘the system, theory, or doctrine which seeks to
explain the phenomena of the universe by some immanent force or energy”
(Oxford English Dictionary).
UNIT —3
Deconstructing concept of communities
Dalit
• Dalit is a name for people belonging to the lowest caste in India, previously
characterised as “untouchable” Dalits were excluded from the four-fold vama
system of Hinduism and were seen as forming a fifth vama, also known by the
name of Panchama
• Dalits are known in India as scheduled castes. There are currently some 166.6
million Dalits in India.
• The Constitution requires the government to define a list or schedule of the
lowest castes in need of compensatory programmes. Reform and the Dalit
Rights Movement
In the 19th century, the ruling British Raj tried to end some aspects of the caste system
in India, particularly those surrounding the Untouchables. British liberals saw the
treatment of Untouchables as singularly cruel, perhaps in part because they didn't
usually believe in reincarnation Indian reformers also took up the cause. Jyotirao Phule
coined the term "Dalit" as a more descriptive and sympathetic term for the
Untouchables. During India's push for independence, activists such as Mohandas
Gandhi also took up the Dalits' cause. Gandhi called them the "Harijan," meaning
"children of God," to emphasize their humanity Feminist and racial connotations of
communities
A person who supports feminism Feminism is the belief in full social, economic, and
political equality for women Feminism largely arose in response to Western traditions
that restricted the rights of women, but feminist thought has global manifestations and
variations
A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups
determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own
race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is
inferior to the others. An individual action or behavior based upon or fostering such a
•
doctrine; racial discrimination The process of community integration and

disintegration
Community integration
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Coininuniq integration, while diversel} defined, is a term encompassing the full
participation of all people in community life
• Community Integration is the opportunity to live in the coininuniq and be valued for
one's uniqueness And abilities, like everyone else (Salzer, 200ñ)
• Cominuniq integration is designed to help persons to optimize their personal, social, and
vocational competency to live successfully in the community
• Coinmuniq integration provides opportunities for the communip participation of the
persons served
A person may partici{aate in a variet}’ of“ community life experiences or interactions
Community integration encompasses:
• Housing
• Employment
• Education
• Health Status
• Leisure/Recreation
• Spiritualip /Religion
• Citizenship and Civic Engagement
• Valued Social Roles (e g., marriage, Parenting)
• Peer Support
• Self-Determination
DISINTEGRATION OF THE COMIIL NITY

The Dutch authorities have become increasingly zealous in their struggle against
disadvantage in old city districts. Like other European governments, they have tried since the
late 1990s to solve the problem by diversi ing the housing stock. They have added more
expensive owner-occupied homes in neighbourhoods that had previously consisted mainly of
cheap rental housing The strate of combating disadvantage through housing differentiation
is not unique to the Netherlands. Rather, it reflects the established international trend of
dealing with social problems in inner cities through spatial and physical interventions In The
Urban Villagers of the 1960s, Herbert Gans noted that the problems of Boston's West End
residents were not attributable to the neighborhood He disagreed with the planners and
social w'orkers, who advocated demolishing the slum where the people lived (1962: ix—x)
Widespread slum clearance has not occurred in the Netherlands since the 1970s and is
waning in other European countries as well (although in Manchester, England, the entire
district of Hulme was levelled for the second time in fifty years). Even in the United States,
urban revival has taken on more subtle forms than heavy bulldozer operations Approaches to
big city issues, however, have changed little Politicians, policy-makers, planners and media
people constantly associate residential location with opportunities and lack of opportunities
u'ith disintegration Inner cix problems like
2 Disintegration and the ’Demise of Communip poverp, unemployment and crime thus
become neighbourhood and district issues. These depictions of disadvantaged districts reflect
two general arguments European politicians and policy-makers first mention the danger that
a culture of povem, u'ill emerge in socioeconoinically homogeneous districts, referring to the
American scholars William J. Wilson (1987), Oscar Leu'is (1959, 1965) and in some cases
Charles Murray (1984). Second, they discuss the disintegration of the inner cities, which they
tend to relate to the increased ethnic diversity, the exodus of the native residents — often
referring to Wilson — and the demise of the traditional neighbourhood community These
ideas are based on assuTwo traditions in empirical research and theorization about
community — social ecology and the network approach — have defined the debate on urban
sociology and u'ill be addressed more extensively later in this book Still, these approaches do
not monopolize the community issue. Political and social theoq embodies the debate about
the significance of community, as expressed through communitarianism. In her review study
about trust, solidarip and community, Misztal illustrates how’ many sociological debates are
based on the premise that solidarip and cohesion were obvious and spontaneous. She
disagrees with this assumption The current complexity in rapidly changing, globalizing
societies contradicts this premise. Misztal explains the revival of interest in themes such as
solidarip, trust, communip, cohesion and civil sociep: 'the revitalization of the idea of civil
sociep is, in essence, nothing more than an attempt to theorize more concrete and meaningful
criteria of trust in modern, rationalized and highly differentiated societies’ (1996 6) The
issues in this book are closely related to the ones that Misztal's u'ork addresses. 1 agree u'ith
her that social relations are animportant cohesive force in our society But while she explores
the significance of trust and its role in relationships, my book is mainly about coininunip and
the kinds of relations that are significant to coininunip I u'ill attempt to show that this
knowledge enhances our insight into collective dimensions of coexistence. My approach is
different as well Rather than embracing communitarianism, 1 base my theories on empirical
evidence In the process I consider recent criticism from urban sociologists and geographers
regarding the Siamese twins of neighbourhood and communip. In recent years social
geographers such as David Harvey and Doreen Massey have objected to the self- evidence of
’places’ in geography and have recommended discarding their miraculous, supreme
explanatop validip in geographical scholarship. The method they advocate relates closely to
sociology, where spatial constellations are analysed primarily as expressions of power
relationships (as Lefebvre attempted to do in 1974 in The Production of Space (Lefebvre
1995)). Harvey has argued.
To write of 'the pow'er of place’ as if places (localities, regions, neighbourhood, states etc.)
possess causal powers, is to engage in the
Disintegration and the ’Demise of Community’ 9 grossest fetishisms; unless, that is, we
confine ourselves rigorously to the definition of place as a social process In the latter case,
the questions to be posed can be rendered more explicit: why and by what means do social
beings invest places (localities, regions, states, communities or whatever) with social power'?
( 1993: 21 )
Previously, in The Condition of Postmodernity (1990), Harvey presented a ’grid’ of four
•
’spatial practices’ to discuss hon' the experiences of space, of the constructed surroundings,
of a landscape or of a neighbourhood are not static properties but active practices These
practices change over time, as u'ell as for different people. mptions about neighbourhoods,
neighbourhood residents and community
4IODULE- -2 LE.4DERSHIP.4ND COMML NITY’ ORG.4NIZATIO

L nit-4 LE.4DERSHIP
• Community leader is a designation, often by secondaq sources (particularly in the

media), for a person widely perceived to represent a community
• Leadership is the abilip of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and
guide followers or other members of an organization.
• Leadership involves making sound — and sometimes difficult — decisions, creating
and articulating a clear vision, establishing achievable goals and providing fo1lou'ers
with the know'ledge and tools necessary to achieve those goals.
• Leaders are found and required in most aspects of sociep, from business to politics to
region to communip -based organizations.
Cbaracteristics of Leadership
1. It is a inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers

towards attainment of goals.
2. It denotes a few’ qualities to be present in a person which includes intelligence, maturip
and personalip
3. It is a group process. It involves mo or more people interacting with each other
4. A leader is involved in shaping and moulding the behaviour of the group towards
accomplishment of organizational goals
5 Leadership is situation bound There is no best style of leadership It all depends upon
tackling with the situations
Factors of leadership
Follower:
Different people require different sp les of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more
supervision Than an experienced employee A person who lacks motivation requires a different
approach than one With a high degree of motivation. You must know your people! The
fundamental starting point is having a Good understanding of human nature, such as needs,
emotions, and motivation. You must come to know’ Your employees’ be, know, and do attributes.
Leader:
You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do
Also, note That it is the followers, not the leader who determines if a leader is successful. If they
do not trust or lack Confidence in their leader, then they u'ill be uninspired. To be successful you
have to convince }our Follou'ers, not yourself or your superiors, that } on are worthy of being
fo11ou'ed
You lead through two-way communication Much of it is nonverbal For instance, u'hen you “set
the Example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask their to perform
anything that you Would not be willing to do What and hon' you communicate either builds or
harms the relationship Bemeen you and your employees

Situation:
All are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another You must use
your Judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership sp ie needed for each
situation. For Example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if
the confrontation is tooLate or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove
ineffective. Various forces will affect these factors Examples of forces are your relationship with
your seniors, the Skill of your people, the informal leaders within your organization, and how
your company is organized Attributes:
If you are a leader u'ho can be trusted, then those around you will grow to respect you To be
such a Leader, there is a Leadership Framework to guide you: BE KNOW DO
• BE a professional Examples: Be loyal to the organization, perform selfless service, take
personal Responsibilit.
• BE a professional who possess good character traits. Examples. Honesty, competence,
candor, Commitment, integrin, courage, straightforu'ardness, imagination
• KNOW the four factors of leadership — follow'er, leader, communication, situation.
• KNOW yourself Examples. strengths and weakness of your character, knowledge, and
skills
Types of community leaders and power structure
The concept o1” coinixunip leadership revolves around the traits. practices, vieu'points and
value-ss'stem upon u'hich a leader should represent a community in a constructive, positive.
and productive manner Their are 4 Types of community leaders
• Official leaders
• Civic leaders
• Catalysts
• Connectors
• Elite
Official leaders
• Elected officials, school board inembers,CEO’s,etc —they are traditional “leaders ”
• Official leaders tend to focus on the official business Of the community — such as policy
decisions, Economic development. They are often most in tune With civic leaders and
may be seen as disconnected From people's daily lives Civic leaders
• Religious leaders, neighborhood association presidents, etc. — they hold recognized civic
positions in the community
• Civic leaders often represent the interests of a particular group of people or institution
within the community They p pically are knowledgeable of the official layer of the
communip and can provide the point or view of their interest group on official issues
Catalysts

• People who have u'isdom, know-how’ and Historical perspective about issues and Places
They are respected and seen as Unofficial “experts” in people's eyes. Others turn to them
for guidance and help
• Catalysts often do not have official titles, but they Are often the real and authentic voices
of the Community They can offer insights and advice on What people really care about,
what values they Wrestle u'ith, how’ people talk about issues and u'hat They don't know’
Connectors
• People u'ho move from organization to Organization, like pollinating bees Spreading
ideas and social norms Others Turn to them to learn “what's going on.”
• Connectors often can lead you to influential but Hard to find leaders (such as catalysts)
and citizens Who are part of less visible coinmuniq Organizations Connectors also can
help you learn How' the work of different community organizations Relates to one
another
Elite
• An elite leader can be defined as a leader that has through learning and effort developed
their leadership abilities and qualities to a superior level. They are often viewed as the
“best of the best” among today's leaders.
• An elite leader can be defined as a leader that has through learning and effort developed
their leadership abilities and qualities to a superior level. They are often viewed as the
“best of the best” among today's leaders.
Here are 5 abilities and/or qualities that make an elite leader:
• E — Excellence Elite leaders exhibit qualities of being outstanding in their leadership
skills. They are mindful that “everything communicates something.”
• L — Life-long learner Elite leaders are never satisfied with u'here they are in their growth
and personal development They never stop learning, and as a result, they never stop
growing.
• 1 — Inspiring Elite leaders set the standard for leadership and lead the u'ay for other
leaders They are often seen as “Leaders of leaders”
• T — Thoughtful Elite leaders are a1u'ays looking for ways to add value to others They
operate from the mindset of “How’ can 1 help you?”
• E — Encouraging Elite leaders demonstrate the abilip to give others support and
confidence. They are positive in their example and look for ways to give hope to others
for their future success
significance of leadersbip in the process of community development
Leadership is important because coinmuniq objectives cannot be accomplished by any one
individual Communiq leadership can aid the development of grassroots innovations, which
operate in niches and require nurturing Cominuniq leadership benefits from being embedded
into social networks, shared vision and decision making, but pre-existing skills and tacit
knou'ledge also play a role

• Leaders are important in any form of community development because they are
responsible for shaping a Community focus, listening to the people's needs, make
important decisions for the benefit of the community have foresight, encourage fair
treatment of people, and develop partnerships that will benefit the community
• The prime, focus of any cominunip leader is to shape the peoples’ needs and direct all
their actions tou'ards it. They are a platform of voice and action whom the people can talk
to, and who w'ill listen, making their instrumental in any progress for the community
• Leaders are also chosen because of their capabilip to make important decisions on behalf
of the community and in order to do this must be good listeners There may be small
groups u'ithin the community that have conflicting issues, and both sides must be listened
to and understood well by the leader
• A leader's foresight is crucial in anticipating the outcome of their decisions and
communip ’s actions for the rest of the groups. Good foresight means understanding the
past and assessing the present to produce a good future.
• People in communities can be extremely diverse, and a good leader is essential in
promoting fair treatment of even one no matter what their stand or position is Each of
their values and heritage plays an important role in shaping the community, which a
leader can take to mould them for development and progress.
• Leaders also play an important role in fostering partnerships beyond their circle that will
contribute to the betterment of their community These partnerships should allow’ for
more diverse services and products that the community can enjoy as a whole
• Leadership in community development is an important role that can make or break the
progress of the people involved. They should be chosen w'ell, and a good leader u'ill
bring paramount success in helping their communities enjoy more services and a better
life
UNIT- 5 THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership theories are the explanations of how and u'hv certain people become leaders They
focus on the traits and behaviors that people can adopt to increase their leadership capabilities.
Some of the top traits that leaders say are vital to good leadership include:
• Strong ethics and high moral standards
• Great self-organizational skills
• Efficient learner
• Nurtures growth in employees
• Fosters connection and belonging Bebavioral theory.
The behavioral leadership theory focuses on how leaders behave, and assumes that these traits
can be copied by other leaders Sometimes called the style theory, it suggests that leaders aren't
born successful, but can be created based on learnable behavior Behavioral theories of
leadership focus heavily on the actions of a leader—this theory suggests that the best predictor of
leadership success is viewing how’ a leader acts. Action rather than qualities are the focal points
of behavioral learning theoq. Patterns of behavior are observed and categorized as “styles of
leadership” in this theory Some of the sp les of leadership include task-oriented leaders, people-

oriented leaders, country club leaders, status-quo leaders, dictatorial leaders, and more. At the
end of the day, the actions and actual behaviors of a leader are what defines success in this theory
The behavioral theor} has many advantages, primarily that leaders can learn and decide what
actions they u'ant to implement to become the kind of leader they u'ant to be It allows leaders to
be flexible and adapt based on their circumstances. Another great benefit of this leadership sp le
is that it suggests anyone is capable of becoming a leader Some disadvantages of the behavioral
theop are that while it allows flexibility, it doesn't directly suggest how’ to behave in certain
circumstances. There are dozens of leadership styles that stem from the behavioral theory, but
there isn't a right one for every circumstance.
Contingency theory.
The contingency leadership theoq, sometimes called situational tbeory, focuses on the context
of a leader These theories look at the situational effects of the success or failure or a leader A
leader's effectiveness is directly determined by the situational context While a leader's
personality is a small factor in their success, the most important factor is the context and
situation of the leader This theory takes the specific leadership styles and suggests that good
leaders can adjust their leadership style situationally It also suggests that it may be best to find
the right kind of leader for a specific situation Types of contingency theories include the
Hershev and Blanchard's Situational Theory, the Evans and House Path-Goal Theos, and
Fiedler's Contingency Theory
The contingency theory has great advantages, including that leaders are able to be effective no
matter their situational context. Hou'ever, this theop does have criticism suggesting that there
isn't enough detail that goes into the context of any situation. Contingency theory focuses on the
importance of a situation, but may not focus enough on the psychology of the employees or the
company itself It also may not focus enough on how’ leadership styles can change over time.
There are internal and external factors that impact a leader and their situation. The type of
company, the size of the team, and the innate leadership style of an individual are internal factors
External factors may include the customer feelings and the marketplace. All of these situations
play a factor into the contingency theop Great Man theory.
The great man theory of leadership, sometimes called the trait theory, suggests that good
leaders are born They have innate traits and skills that make them great, and these are things that
can't be taught or learned The trait theop suggests that leaders deserve to be in their position
because of their special traits
There is a great amount of criticism for the trait theoq, mainly that leaders are either born or not,
that there isn't work or effort that is needed to be put in so you can become a leader This
suggests that social or psychological leaders are predetermined and that leaders are unable to
come from the shadows—they are either chosen or not. There is also criticism that most of the
traits associated with this theory are inherently masculine, and don't match the real psychology
of good leaders
Management theory.

The management theory is sometimes called transactional leadership, and focuses on
supervision, organization, and group performance Transactional leadership is a system of
rew'ards and punishments, and transactional leadership is regularly used in business When
employees do something successful, managers reward them. When the} fail, they may get
punished. Transactional rewards and punishments are given based on the idea that people really
only do things for the reward. Their psychology doesn't allow human beings to do things out of
goodness, but rather out of the promise of a reward.
The management leadership style can be extremely effective. Positive reinforcement is know n
for u'orking wonders with employees, encouraging and motivating them to succeed. But there is
lots of criticism around leadership that is strictly transactional as well. Consequences and
punishments can decrease morale in an organization, negatively impacting employees. It can also
be seen as a l leadership style—rewards and punishments are a relatively simple u'ay to lead
employees
Participative theory
Participative leadership isn't as common in the corporate world Sometimes called democratic
leadersbip, this leadership theory suggests that employees be directly involved in decision
making in their organization. The leader simply facilitates a conversation and then takes all the
suggestions, and comes up with the best possible action In this theory, even one is very involved
with decisions for the team and organization, with the leader simply helping direct the charge
There are many advantages to this theory Employees feel more engaged and motivated when
they are directly involved in decisions and outcomes for their compan}. This theory is not
without criticism however—some suggest that this gape of sp ie makes leaders appear weak or
unnecessaq. It is also a criticism that leaders in this theory don't actually get the best outcomes,
because they are too engaged in what people u'ant more than what the company needs Power
theory.
This theorv looks at the way a leader utilizes their pou'er and influence to get things
accomplished. French and Raven's Five Forms of Power is a commonly known power tbeory of
leadersbip. It looks at positional pou'er and personal power and hon' they impact leaders choices
and outcomes
This theory may appear to be highly effective—leaders with great pou'er may seem highly
efficient and get things done quickly Hou'ever, most employees don't appreciate power
leadership. They want a leader who doesn't wield power over them, but works with them and
encourages them. Thus the greatest criticism of this theory is that it doesn't reach the end goal of
inspiring and encouraging employees, but rather makes them feel dominated
The power theop can be seen in organizations where hierarchy and promotion is key to success
Employees in power theoq companies see that their only way to influence change or impact the
company is to gain power of their own. This can result in low morale, political, and cliquey
climates in the office.

Relationship theory
The relationship theory of leadership focuses on leaders who are mainly concerned about their
interactions with others They are often mentors for employees, scheduling time to talk to them
and working to meet their needs. These kinds of leaders are focused on making work enjoyable
for as many people as possible, and they u'ant to foster a positive work environment. Studies
show' that this kind of leadership behavior can be the most effective for many employees
Relationship-oriented managers often get better results from their employees.
There are many advantages to this kind of leadership. Employees feel confident in their leader
and u'ant to follow’ them. They are also inspired to be good leaders to others Mentorship
provides great opportunities to foster growth in employees, and encourages them to stay at the
organization for a longer period of time. There are some critics for this kind of leadership
however, including thoughts that relationship driven leaders may be unwilling to view
employees who are causing problems at face value, they can let relationships get in the way of
work, and they can be guided to favor people over productivity
Transformational Leadership Theory
The Transformational Leadership theory, also knou'n as Relationship theories, focuses on the
relationship between the leaders and followers. This theop talks about the kind of leader u'ho is
inspirational and charismatic, encouraging their followers to transform and become better at a
task.
Transformational leaders p pically motivated by their ability to show their followers the
significance of the task and the higher good involved in performing it These leaders are not only
focused on the team's performance but also give individual team members the required push to
reach his or her potential These leadership theories will help you to sharp your Skill
Trait Theory of Leadership
This theop walks in the footsteps of the Great Man theop in assuming that leaders are born u'ith
traits that make them more suitable for the role of a leader than others who lack those natural-
born traits. As such, the theory pinpoints certain qualities such as intelligence, accountability,
sense of responsibilip, and creativip, among others, that lets an individual excel at leadership.
MODULE- 3 CO4I4IL'NITY ORGANIZATION
UNIT- 7 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
• According to Marry, It is to identify needs and takes action to develop cooperation,

attitudes and practice ”
• Community organization or Coinmunip Based Organization refers to organizing aimed at
making desired improvements to a community's social health, well-being, and overall
functioning. Cominunip organization occurs in geographically, psychosocially, culturally,
spiritually, and digitally bounded communities
• Community organization includes community work, communip projects, communip
development, community empowerment, coininunip building, and community
mobilization

• Community organization is a process by u'hich a community identifies needs or
objectives, takes action, and through this process, develops cooperative and collaborative
attitudes and practices within a community.
Objectives of Community Organization
• To get information about the resources and needs
• To arouse the people to work for the welfare of the community
• To create sounds ground for planning and action
• To create a sense of cooperation integration and unity among the people
• To motivate the people to take better participation in the developing community programs
Historical development of Community Organization In India
A historical account of community organisation is Not available in India, as there has been only
limited Documentation on social work literature in general And on coinmuniq organisation in
particular
Community organisation has its roots in the Charip Organisations in the United States They
realized The need of the people and tried to organize the People to co-ordinate their work. The
main activities Were social welfare, raising funds, seeking enactment For social legislation and
co-ordination of u'e1fare activities. The spirit behind all these activities u'as charip. In India, the
very concept of charity is deep-rooted in the religious philosophy Even before the
commencement of the social u'ork education in India in 1936, the community work was in place,
already in existence But in the first phase from 1936 to1952 the community u'ork u'as in a
dormant stage During this period social work was in its infancy and not many u'ere employed in
the community settings because there were hardly any jobs that provided an opening for
community organisation. Professionals preferred to work in casework settings.
It was in 1952 that the community development project was launched by the government of
India and with this we find the emergence of a new era of community work The basic objective
of communip development in India w'as to au'aken the rural people of their needs, instilling in
them a sense of ambition for better life and making them au'are of their right and power to find a
solution for their problems. According to Mukerji (1961) “Community development is a
movement designed to promote better living forth whole community with the active
participation, and if possible, w'ith the initiative of community” According to him communib
development can be divided into tw'o process. 1) Extension education, 2)Communip
organisation. Extension education u'as expected to improve the qualip of human beings by
improving his/her knowledge and skills. By coinmunip organisation Mukerji had in mind the
setting up of three institutions in the village.
• Village Panchayat
• The village co-operative
• The village school
During this period the thrust of the community work Remained in rural areas whereas social
work remained Mostly urban in character
From 1970 onwards we could see a new trend in The communip work practice. The social
workers Expanded their scope and operational area from their Traditional approach of casework

to other development Fields. For example, people working with school Children started u'orking
with the communip The NGOs and voluntaq organisations adopted community Approach. This
shift has in-fact led to the use of Process of community work. By and large the Communip u'ork
has remained u'elfare-oriented
The current phase of communip work in India is Experiencing a grou'ing dissatisfaction u'ith its
ow'n Practice or rather the outcome of its practice. So Efforts are on to create alternate u'ays of
working With communities In-spite of these, the professionals Are involved in a varied of
projects in both rural And urban areas, to promote better living for the Community
Another trend in the community work is the Involvement of the Business houses in promoting
Welfare in their neighbourhood This is commonly Known as CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibilities) The business houses i.e Tata's, Escorts, and some Of the multinational
companies too have joined in This venture. This trend has attracted many Professionals in this
field.
The main objective of cominunip development is to Develop village communities by methods,
which will Stimulate, encourage and aid villagers themselves To do much of the work necessaq
to accomplish The desired goals The changes conceived and promoted Should have the
involvement of the people and should Be acceptable to them and put into practice by them.
There is a common philosophical link between Communip organisation and community
development. Both aim to enable people to live happily and a fully Developed life Both have
basic faith in the common Man and his right to self-determination u'ithin the Frameu'ork of the
sociep. Both give emphasis to Self-help and help the people to help themselves To solve their
own problems. However, community Organisation and cominunip development should not Be
considered as synonymous
• CD is concerned u ith the promotion of all aspects Of life including social, economical
and cultural: Both in rural and urban areas While CO is Concerned with adjustment of
social welfare needs And resources in cities, states, nations as wellAs in villages
• CO is practiced in the USA on a voluntary basis, While in almost all the developing
countries CD Is a government-sponsored programme.
• CO is a product of urbanization and industrialization. Here the main concern is Problems
of the population mobilip, problems of The family, problems of the aged, problems of
Juvenile delinquency, of unemployment and Provision of social security But CD is
concerned With how’ to induce people to meet their basic Human needs.
• CO tends to be more process oriented while CD As practiced in India tends to be target
oriented
CO4IMLNITY ORGANISATION AS A METHOD OF SOCIAL WORK ANIZATI METH
Work with communities when viewed from the humanitarian perspective, is as Old as society
itself One or the other form of coininunip u'ork has always been Existing But when viewed
from the perspective of methods of social u'ork Profession, communip work is of relatively
recent origin. It u'as the Lane Committee Report (1939) which first recognized community
organization as a Method of social w'ork

Community organization is considered as a Macro method of practice in social Work (Fink 1978)
or macro level social work, as it is used to address the Broader social problems that affect a large
group of people. The term ‘macro’ 1s used because of abilip of this method to involve a large
number of people in Solving the social problems collectively This method thus enables us to
enhance The scope/degree of intervention. Unlike case u'ork, which deals with only one
Individual at a time or group u'ork, which deals with a limited number of Participants, communip
organization deals u'ith a large number of people at Any given time.
Individual approach is not practical in a context where the magnitude of problem/S faced is
alarming. In such cases we have to use a method which can concurrently Help a large number of
people. This is especially true in case of developing Countries where the magnitude of several
problems faced by people is immense And so there is an urgent need to work with larger
constituencies. In such a Context, the community becomes an important level of social work
intervention And community organization emerges as an effective method of social work
Practice to ameliorate the widespread economic and social problems faced by These countries.
Community organization is also characterised as a macro method because itCan be successfully
implemented at the local level (i.e. at a localip / Neighbourhood level) or at state level or even at
the regional or international Level, depending on how we define the ‘community’ in cominunip
organization
CO4IMUNI TY ORGANISATION .4S A PROBLEM SOL4’ING METHOD

As mentioned earlier, for community organization method, the communip is the Client. Just as
the other methods of case work and group u'ork, the method of Community organisation also
strives to solve the problems and fulfill the needs Of its ‘client’, u'hich is the community It is
also concerned with:
a) The release of its latent potentialities:
b) The optimalised use of its indigenous resources:
c) The development of its capacip to manage its own life; and
d) The enhancement of its abilip to function as an integrated unit
The end goal is the development of self confidence and self help: the emergence Of cooperative
and collaborative attitudes, skills and behaviour, which then Form the basis of sustainable action
and change in the client system
Like the other methods, communip organization also relies on similar Assumptions, namely the
dignip and worth of the client, the resources possessed By the client to deal with its own
problems; the inherent capacity that the ‘client’ Possesses for growth and development; and the
abilip to choose wisely in the Management of its own affairs A case u'orker assumes that often
individuals Become overwhelmed by the complexities of life and thereby become Psychosocially
paralysed, which in turn curtails their own capacity for response By u'ay of action. But u'ith
appropriate facilitation, this stage can be overcome, And the normal process of growth can be
resumed for the individual concerned Moreover, like the case worker who accepts the client as
he/she is: develops a Professional relationship with the client: starts from u'here the client is: and

Helps the client to become functional and autonomous, the communip organizer Also has the
same general orientation and relies on a similar approach in working With the coinmunip, which
is the client for him/her
Community organisation therefore shares a common base, and a common core Of philosophy
and method with case work and group work It is also committed Towards solving problems and
facilitating change in the client system. The nature Of problems dealt with in the context of
Indian communities relate to poverty, Unemployment, exploitation, lack of access to basic
services and denial of social Justice/rights. The problems may also be more group specific i.e. as
they relate To particular groups like women, children, } outh, elderly or the backward Classes
While there are common objectives, assumptions and certain generalized Approaches to be
follou'ed by all social work practitioners, there are also Significant differences between
communip organization and the other methods. As the social work practitioner moves from the
general to the specific context, He/she has to develop certain distinctive ways of dealing with the
problems of The individual, the group and the coininunip In addition to the fact that some of
The same insights and methods develop differently in different settings, each Process has
distinctive insights and methods of its own
THER
REL.4TI BET
METHODS OF SOCIAL ¥VORK
1) Communiq Organisation and Case Work
Case work forms an integral part of community organization. When the Coinmunip organizer
enters the communip, he/she interacts with people On an individual basis, identities their needs
and works towards their Mobilization into groups and organizations. In other words, work with
Individuals and families become the beginning point for community Mobilization. Individual
contact strategy is also used to create awareness On relevant issues/problems
The coinmunip organizer also has to deal u'ith a number of significant Individuals in the
community These may be (a) individuals who may be Expected to oppose and resist change: (b)
individuals in special positions Like leaders, power holders;G individuals belonging to weaker/
Marginalized sections, who may be lacking the will and the capacity for participation It is in
such instances that knowledge and skills related to case work become an absolute must for
successful communip work
2) Community Organisation and Group Work
The communip can be understood as a collectivip of groups, existing in a web of interlinked
social chains. In the course of communip organization, the organiser's most prominent
preoccupation is to deal u ith the small and large groups and subgroups. Community organization
therefore is also described as inter-group practice. An understanding of group work helps the
communip organizer to strengthen inter group relationships and facilitate their convergence on a
common platform He/she often identifies small groups u'here a beginning can be made and then
strives to develop inter- group linkages to achieve wider participation on commonly perceived
needs. In such a context, dealing with groups and group processes becomes an integral part of
communip' organization

It is therefore clear that, a community organizer has to work with individuals, families and
groups to achieve community goals, and should possess case u'ork and group work skills, apart
from community organization skills
3) Organisation and Social Work Research
During the process of engagement u'ith communities, the community organizers to also rely on
research knou'ledge and skill sets. Community organization as a process has to start with fact
finding. Use of research is inevitable in locating, identi ing and understanding the community It
is also relied upon to undertake need/problem assessment, which requires an objective and
systematic gathering of quantitative and qualitative data. Research also furnishes important
qualitative data on priorities and preferences of people, their attitudes and perceptions too ards an
issue or a problem It may also be used for specific purposes like conduction of epidemiological
studies or for the study of social indicators Monitoring and evaluation also requires an ongoing
use of research through the conduction of baseline and end line surveys In contemporaq
context, participatop research techniques are increasingly relied upon to elicit communip
participation in assessing and prioritizing needs, as also in drawing up preferred communiq
interventions.
UNIT- 8 PRINCIPLES OF COMML NITY’ ORGANIZATION
Introduction to Community Organization
Community organization is a process through which welfare needs of a community met, it is the
method used for the combination of resources and needs. The whole community is treated as a
unit It is a struggle of some organization to empower the resources of communip for the
solution of the problem
Principles of Community Organization

The main principles of community organization are as following u'hich work to present a
framework for the succession of community organization
Acceptance
It is the acceptance of communip by a social organizer, when the goes to the field, he must meet
with people of various cultures and groups. He should have to explain his interests in the
communip welfare He has to accept the hinders and face the difficulties in the nay of progress.
Instead of helplessness he should have to adopt patience and u'ork for the better of people He
must keep the people within the convinced boundary and bring their attention to the resources
and the solution of basic problems. to Understand Resources and Needs
The communip organizer must have to explore the internal as well as the external resources of
the people He must not impose his u'ork on the people but to start his work regularly and calmly
He should introduce the people with the problems faced by them and to bring solution for these
problems through the utilization of their own resources

Community Self Determination
Self determination is necessary in community The people of community must be provided
freedom to explain their views and the organizer not impose its ou'n over them. To create self
determination among the people, coininunip organization required to know them better about
their resources and needs because people know well about those things from outside people.
Individualization
To recognize the dignity of each individual a social organizer must create an environment of as
arding to them. The individual is necessary to know’ his duty and responsibility about the social
welfare. So, the idea of individualization creates awareness among the people to work better for
the communip A community organizer inculcate the people that they can do even
thing as a human beings and there is a human being and no difficulp in your way of progress
Freedom witbin Limits
The organizer should give freedom but within limits to make decision, show their interest and
give proper attention to the problems. So, freedom should be within limits for the members of a
communip to pace on the way of progress and prosperip
Functional Organization
There should be formal as well as informal leaders for the better functioning of organization
These people should be prepared to make their organization successful and well functioning
Because of organization speed the people w'ill be able to chase the problems bitterly and solve
them.
Diffusion of Responsibilities
The responsibilities must be diffused among the people of community Every one is responsible
to fulfill his dub within the jurisdiction of coininunip. These responsibilities should be divided
among them to construct a progressive development in the communip
Progressive Program Experience
Any program which has been start must be progressive in experience The problems should be
highly chased and for this task experienced social mobilizer is required. So, the most
experienced organizer will be the programs will be progressive and experienced.
People Participation in Decision Making
It is extremely necessaq the participation of all the members of the community equally in making
decisions If they are not included it will lead to frustration among them. Resource Mobilization
Community organizer must mobilize the internal and external resources of the community For
this purpose, the talents and potentialities must be organized and a nature of cooperation should
be developed in them for unity and integration. When people become organize the resources
must be utilized

Evaluation
Community organizer should evaluate the efforts made by him through various programs, plans
and organization. He should have to find out the gaps and take positive steps to bridge them
Evaluation is possible only when the community system is developed by the organizer of the
communip'
As a nation if we utilize our resources properly and follow the above mentioned principles of
community development, we will be able to become a progressive and prosperous nation of the
world We will change our life as well as the whole country through these principles Basic
Principles of Community Organization
According to Hussain and Alauddin (1970), There are ten basic principles such as
1 Communities, like individuals and groups, are different;
2 Communities like individuals have a right to self-determination:
3 Social need is the basis for organization;

4 Communip welfare rather than agency interest is the first consideration in determining
programme;
5 Community Organization structure should be simple and flexible:
6 Services should be distributed equitably;
7 Diversity in the programme should be practised:

8 Co-ordination of different social welfare agencies;
9 Communication barriers should be broken dozy: and
10 Help from professional people is needed
UNIT- 9 PHASES OF COSISIUNITY ORGANIZATION
Phases in communip organization Study, Analysis, Assessment, Decision Making,
Organization, Action, Evaluation, Modification and Continuation
Phases in Community Organization Phase Any distinct time period in a sequence of events: A
short unit of time, or an episode of development or change, usually within the context of a longer
period. The term has been used informally
Study'
Application of the mind to the acquisition of know'ledge, as by reading, investigation, or

reflection: The cultivation of a particular branch of learning, science, or art: the study of law:
personal effort to gain knowledge: to understand community: Something studied or to be studied’
research or a detailed examination and anal}sis of a subject, phenomenon, etc.. She made a study
of the village.
Analysis

Analysis (from Greek “a breaking up”) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance
into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it
Assessment
Classification of someone or something with respect to its worth; appraisal: the act ofjudging or
assessing a person or situation or event; judgment
Decision Making
The act of making up your mind about something, or a position or opinion or judgment reached
after consideration. And when people ordinarily consider their own definition of decision
making, it is pical that they consider that somehow it is a thinking process, with lots of mental
activity involved in choosing bet ’een alternatives. But this doesn't include the way some people
make decisions. You may have heard people saying 1 have a gut feeling; I know in my heart: I
feel it in my bones Decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based
on the values and preferences of the decision maker Making a decision implies that there are
alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of
these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that (1) has the highest probability of success
or effectiveness and (2) best fits with our goals, desires, lifesp ie, values, and so on. Decision
making is the process of sufficiently reducing uncertainp and doubt about alternatives to allow a
reasonable choice to be made from among them. This definition stresses the information-
gathering function of decision making. It should be noted here that uncertainq is reduced rather
than eliminated. Very few decisions are made u ith absolute certainty because complete
knou'1edge about all the alternatives is seldom possible. Thus, every decision involves a certain
amount of risk.
Organization
Orderly arrangement of group effort; An organization is a social arrangement which pursues
collective goals, w'hich controls its own performance, and which has a boundap separating it
from its environment The w'ord itself is derived from the Greek word (organon) meaning tool
The term is used in both daily and scientific English in multiple ways.
Action
A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest: the doing of something: exertion
of power or force, as when one body acts on another: the effect of pou'er exerted on one body by
another: agency; activip ; operation: as, the action of heat: a man of action
Modification
partial or slight change in form: product of such a change: slight reduction; moderation: change
in an organism caused by its environment and not inheritable
Continuation
From the list of issues, the other issues are taken up & community organization process is
continued. If the task undertaken is not successfully completed, the strategy is modified and
implemented UNIT- 11

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD COMMUNITY" ORG.4NIZER
The following are the eight essential qualities of a community organizer:
Anger:
Organizers are anger to move people to action and believe in their job
Flexibility.
Organizers are able to refocus and adapt to changing situations
Sense of bumor:
To reduce conflict, relieve tense situations and do not annoy the team, an organizer must know
how to be funny
Fearlessness:
Grassroots organizing means leading the army ground forces of an organization to take real
risks and must be unafraid of the consequences Ability to hear:
Good organizers are able to hear what people say and reflect on it
Awareness of their own-interest.
Organizers understand u'hat they want to get out of a situation
Ability to be self-critical:
Organizers are not simply brainless hooligans ing to pick a quarrel, but people able to consider
what could potentially happen if they take a course of action Willingness to share power:
Organizers have to be willing to give up power, let members make decision, and ultimately be
willing to win or to lose if that's where's members' decisions lead The Role of a Community
Organizer
• Ensures Security and Communal Protection
• Maintains Togetherness of the Neighbors
• Conveys the Minds of the People to Authorities
• Drives Economic Expertise
• Plans Social Activities
• Schedules Organizational Tasks
• Maintains Accountability and Transparency
• Generates Queries and Responds to the Same
• Recruits Leaders
Security and Communal Protection
A Community Organizer (CO) is responsible for the safe dwelling of his community He is
required to engage security agents in cases of insecuritv and threat to the community He is also

saddled with the responsibility of identi ing existing and retired trained security members to
assist in tackling the securit} affairs of their neighborhood
Togetberness of the Neigbbors
Bonding together with members of the communip is key for teamwork, unit, and progress To
achieve this, the Community Organizer engages in the proper communication of situations,
sending out letters, keeping records and presenting the same when needed, taking minutes of
meetings, tracking progress, and preventing lapses. These actions produce trust, which serves as
the glue of togetherness amongst the members Interactions with Authorities
The cominunip organizer works with members to hold public officials accountable and ensures
the authorities are fully aware of their neighbors' requirements Economic Expertise of tbe
Community
The CO clarifies goals w'ith members and develops a workable economic strategy for their
actualization. The strategy should include steps such as: identi ing needed skills, planning and
organizing training programs to boost economic activities
Social Activities for the Community
Community festivals, games centers, couple's nights, and other activities capable of developing
the neighborhood's social well-being are tasks that underscore the job description of the
communip' organizer Organizational Task
The communiq organizer schedules meetings, events, programs, etc , and conveys the same to its
members for the effective and efficient management of the neighborhood Follow'-up meetings
and rescheduling of assignments/roles are planned and managed by the CO
Accountability and Transparency
The community organizer ensures accountabilip and transparency of members: the office
provides internal accountabilip and ensures holders of public offices are transparent in their
dealing with the neighborhood
Queries and Response
The communip organizer generates internal queries from its members and responds to external
queries to the neighborhood from authorities. The issues of insecurity, strategies to forestall
hoodlums, and the inputs of those in authority are organized and executed by the community
organizer
Leadership Recruitment
The communitr organizer engages in recruiting member leaders, organizing elections, and re-
election of needed leaders who have the requisite skills to manage and lead the communip to the
desired end. These leaders aid fundraising, which is one of the main functions of the community
management team. They also help community members reach their common goal(s).

Needed Skill Sets to function as a Community Organizer
At the basic level, the community organizer should have good listening skills, the ability to
process information with ease and provide solutions, the ability to identi the needs of the
neighborhood, able to generate business ideas and links with funding, seek out leaders, build
relationships and trust amongst members of the community. In contrast, the smart job description
would require internet capability, circular economic skills, whole system design, and cross-
disciplinary functions and approaches between the neighborhood and its leaders. In addition, it
will be necessm, to have a unit that deals with social aw'areness as a sub-function that enables
the community organizer to not only organize social functions but to engage in the actual act of
relationship development on how’ individual communip members could meet, engage and
actually form real bonding that transcends the norms of artificial social gatherings that looks
more like traditions but instead create a heart-to-heart impact for developing novel relationships
of the future
MODULE- 4 APPROACHES, SIODELS AND STRATEGIES OF COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATION UNIT- 12 APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY ORG.4NIZ.4TION
History witnessed a varied of approaches to community organization. Neighbourhood
organizing approach is one of the important approaches Implemented during 20' h centuq
onwards. The feature of this approach is That people of the community put efforts to solve their
day-to-day problems And help those in need. There are in realip three approaches:
The social work approacb:

The main focus is on the u'hole sociep. It pays More attention towards building a sense of
communip. This approach was Used in USA during social settlement movement and war on
poverty Alleviation programme in the 1960s In this approach, the community worker Plays the
role of an enabler and/or advocate She/he helps the communip in Identi ing their problems and
tries to overcome them by gathering existing Resources from the communip and getting some
help from the people who Are in pou'er The political activist approach:
Saul Alins is the founder of this Approach. Philosophy behind this approach is “more the
representatives in The organization, stronger the organization” In this approach, he looked at
The communip as a political entip. The approach says that most of the Problems are due to
unequal distribution of power and resources. Pou'er is Concentrated in the hands of a few people
and the majority of the community 1s deprived of it. Hence, they focus on gaining the power In
doing so, they Face conflict with the groups with vested interests. The role of a community
Worker at times, is that of facilitator, sometimes of a leader as u'ell. She/he Has to help people to
understand the problem in terms of power, make them Understand how it is directly and/or
indirectly affecting their lives and how They are denied of their rights and help them to take
necessap steps to Resolve these issues This approach has the potential of bringing equalip as It
emphasizes on rights-based approach.
Neighbourhood maintenance/community development approacb:

This Approach is a combination of earlier to approaches It uses peer group pressure to provide
services in the community The strategy includes pressurizing the officials to deliver the services
to the community. Appropriate phasing and mixing of these models can be done to bring
sustainable development
System change approach
This model presupposes the existence of various arrangements in socieq to cater to the basic
needs of education, health, housing, employment etc. These are considered as independent
systems, which in turn are comprised of sub systems. The ultimate rationale for the existence of
these systems is social production and social consumption
These systems can become dysfunctional due to a varied of factors, which in turn create strain
and pressure on the system The system may become dysfunctional either because what it is
producing is not relevant for people, or because many people do not have access to u'hat is being
produced, on account of disparities between different socio — economic or spatial segments of
the population
Symptoms of this dysfunction appear within the communip as a problem or a set of problems For
these to be tackled, first the system and its sub systems need to be understood in order to arrive
at a useful framework for understanding what one finds at the grass roots level Subsequently, the
worker attempts a strate of either restructuring or modi ing the system This is termed as a
“system change” approach/model to communip work
The specific tasks associated with this model are.

1) Collecting relevant facts about the specific deficiencies in the system, e g urban bias;
disparip in access to services; lack of trained functionaries, inadequate deliver structure; lack of
funding etc leading to inadequacy
2) Sharing of the findings within the community/ communities.
3) Selecting an appropriate strategy to influence decision making bodies or to focus attention on
the issue
4) Mobilising cominunip and outside support to put the plan into action
5) Developing an organization in the coininuniq and linking it to similar organizations in other
communities and other agencies which can help them in demanding change
Structural Change model

This model visualizes the coinmuniq as a small cell within the larger body of sociep. In other
words, various tiny communities constitute the bigger whole i.e the socieq or a nation state. The
model assumes that the manner in which the relationship bemeen different sections of the
population is structured, formally (constitutional framework, lac; policies etc ) or informally
(custoins, public opinion etc ) determines the social rights of individuals This also determines
the relationship of the state vis-à-vis the individual or a cominunity, as also the intra-community
and inter communip relations.
In the structural change model, the u'orker analyses the link between the macro structuring of
social relationships and the micro-reality (the latter could be the problem of unemployment in the
community, or lack of access of large sections of the people to education or health facilities or
credit/other resources) The worker tries to mobilize the coininunip to participate in the radical
alteration of the macro structure so as to impact the micro realiq.
This is a very complex task for the community worker as it calls for very different kinds of skills.
It also requires the worker to possess an understanding of human society in all its dimensions.
economic, political, social and cultural. It also calls for an understanding of the link between
micro and macro realities. A structural change model has to work out an alternative form of
society, which will transform the existing conditions at the micro level of the community at hand
The specific tasks involved in the model are:
1) To develop an understanding of the link betu'een micro and macro social realities.
2) To make a conscious decision about an alternative political ideology
3) To share this understanding with the community, to enable it to make its own decisions.
4) To help the coininuniq identify a plan of action to pursue its goal by locating specific issues
and consequent action to launch a long struggle
5) help the community sustain its interest, enthusiasm and capacip to meet the strain which is
likely to arise out of an inevitable conflict with the existing power structure.
UNIT- 13 MODELS OF COMML ITN" ORG.4NIZATION
Jack Rothinan (1974) has given the fo11ou'ing three models of communitv Organization:
Locality Development Model:
Locality development model presupposes That community change may be pursued optimally
through broad Participation of a u'ide spectrum of people at the local community level in Goal
determination and action. This model emphasizes the process of Cominuniq building. In other
words, its main focus is on the whole Coirmuniq or on a part of it It believes that communities
have some Common needs and interests. Once the people realize their needs and Interests, they
come together to solve them to improve the quality of their Life. According to Dunhain (1970)
this model is based on five elements, Namely:
• Deinocratic procedures
Üo'
• Voluntary cooperation
Downloaded by Athulya Retnakaran (vkretnakaran gmail .com)
• Self-help
• Development of local leadership (indigenous leadership)
• Education
If this model is used u'hile u'orking w'ith the communities, one can see Increase in local people's
participation in all the programmes It increases The capabilities of local people. Because of
increase in cooperation, Development of local leadership is promoted. The ultimate result of this
Model show's einpou'erinent of people. The main challenge to the Community worker using
locality development model is how to increase the Community participation. For understanding
the community, he/she has to Use different strategies and techniques such as meeting and
interviewing key Informants and conducting focus group discussions The communip worker
Should make special efforts to involve communiq and political leaders, Members of agencies
working in that area and other professionals. She/he Should ensure that marginalized people also
participate in the assessment of Common needs and interests. The cominunip u'orker also has to
create Opportunities for equal participation especially during the process of Problem-solving and
decision-making. Identi ing common interests and Needs, and accordingl} deciding common
goals/objectives for development Is an important part in the u'hole process. The major role of the
communip Worker in implementing locality development model is that of an enabler And a
catalyst. She/he brings people together (organizational skills), initiates Communication (problem
solving), and develops understanding to promote Interpersonal relationship among the
communip members. The NGOs who Want to implement various schemes and programmes to
fulfill the needs of a Particular area or community may use this model It involves netu'orking
And coordination with various agencies who offer different services for the Welfare of
communities
Social Planning Model
Social planning model is basically concerned with social problems Its main Goal is to solve
community problems. It emphasizes a technical process of Problem-solving with regard to social
problems such as housing, health, etc. As stated by Rothman, rational, deliberatively planned and
controlled Change has a central place in this model The community u'orker can collect
Information regarding the needs of the community and services available in That particular
community/area Based on this, he can suggest solutions to Get the maximum benefits from these
services For example, problems of housing, illiteracy, non-availability of appropriate health
services, etc. are important issues which need attention. Once the data is collected, the analysis of
the data may be done by the u'orker or professionals. Accordingly, decisions are taken by
professionals. Issues are prioritized by service providers. At this stage, the involvement of
communip people in planning is almost negligible. In other words, the power remains with
planners and service providers. In this process, conflict may arise between the community and
service providers. In this model, planning is done for and not with community people.
Someu'here, the feeling of donor and receiver comes. This also increases dependency on
outsiders. In short, capacity building and empowerment of coinmunip people for development is
not a major goal of this model. The planner normally establishes contacts with the organization
and/or government body and makes arrangement to deliver services which fulfill the needs of the
community. By using this model, there might be either consensus or conflict with the people
There are various services to cater to the needs of a society such as health, education, sanitation,
employment, etc Social planning model presupposes that change requires expert planners.
Through expert's technical abilities and skills of dealing with bureaucrats, they can bring the
desired change. The focus here is on establishing, arranging, and delivering goods and services to
people who need them. The role of a community worker in this model is that of a researcher
(u'ho can collect data), programme implementer, and spokesperson (if required) with bureaucrats.
Social Action Model
Each society has small communities and groups They are directly controlled by the
governments' policies and laws Informally, they are controlled by the customs, traditions and
beliefs of the respective community as well. All these factors decide the social rights of an
individual The macro level policies affect the micro level people This model aims to change
decisions, societal structures and cultural beliefs. Social action is a strategy used by groups or
communities who feel that they have inadequate pou'er and resources to meet their needs. This
model presupposes a disadvantaged segment of the population that needs to be organized, in
order to make adequate demands They are deprived of resources. To give them social justice and
bring democracy, equalip in real sense of the word, this approach is practiced. To bring equalip,
one has to confront the pou'er structure It aims at making basic changes in major institutions or
community practices. This model emphasizes on social justice, equalip, redistribution of pou'er
and resources, participation in decision-making and/or changing basic policies of formal
organizations It demands for improved treatment Conflict as a method is used to solve their
issues related to inequalities and deprivation, especially for the issues like women's liberation,
reservation policy, right to information, etc. Social action model focuses on the review of social
policies and practices that continue to disempower and oppress the marginalized people. It aims
to achieve social progress by modi ing social policies and changing social legislations (if
required) and welfare services The role of the communip worker may be of an activist or
advocate. She/he creates opportunities for marginalized people to participate, be heard and
makes decisions on activities that affect their qualip of life Social action model use change
tactics of conflict or contrast, such as confrontation and direct action or negotiation. Some of the
tactics usually used in the social action model are campaigns, appeals, petitions, boycotts, strikes,
picketing, sit-ins, etc. But some tactics are non-violent yet illegal and represent a form of civil
disobedience In this model, the community worker uses all means to pressurize the power
structure to give justice to the people The role of a communip worker may be that of an
advocate, activist, agitator, broker, mediator or negotiator, depending on the issues and situations.
This is a long process which goes through different stages. It is ver difficult to predict the
success rate However, the communip worker can sow the seeds of social change The role of a
communip worker also changes at every stage. The u’e1l-knou’n examples of this model are
Narmada Bachao Andolan, Lokpal Vidheyak, and Right to Information Act.
The practice of each of these models may require certain techniques and Skills. Many communip
workers use a combination of more than one model
MODULE-5 APPLICATION OF COMML NITh" ORGANIZATION IN THE ¥’ARIOL S
FIELD OF SOCIAL U'ORK UNIT 15 Social Audit
A social audit is a formal review’ of a company's endeavors, procedures, and code of conduct
regarding social responsibilitv and the company’s impact on sociep. A social audit is an
assessment of how u'ell the company is achieving its goals or benchmarks for social
responsibility
• A social audit is a way of measuring, understanding, reporting and ultimately improving an
organization's social and ethical performance. A social audit helps to narrow' gaps
between vision/goal and reality, between efficiency and effectiveness It is a technique to
understand, measure, verify, report on and to improve the social performance of the
organization

Objectives of social audit
• Assessing the physical and financial gaps between needs and resources available for local
development.
• Creating awareness among beneficiaries and providers of local social and productive
services
• Increasing efficacy and effectiveness of local development programmes
• Scrutiny of various policy decisions, keeping in view stakeholder interests and priorities,
particularly of rural poor
• Estimation of the opportunip cost for stakeholders of not getting timely access to public
services
Advantages of social audit
(a) Trains the community on participatory local planning
(b) Encourages local democracy Encourages communip participation
(d) Benefits disadvantaged groups.
C Promotes collective decision making and sharing responsibilities.
(f) Develops human resources and social capital
Items Examined in a Social .4udit
The scope of a social audit can vat and be u'ide-ranging. The assessment can include social and
public responsibility but also employee treatment Some of the guidelines and topics that
comprise a social audit include the following:
• Environmental impact resulting from the company's operations
• Transparency in reporting any issues regarding the effect on the public or environment
• Accounting and financial transparency
• Community development and financial contributions
• Charitable giving
• Volunteer activity of employees
• Energy use or impact on footprint
• Work environment including safer, free of harassment, and equal opportunip • Worker pay
and benefits
• Nondiscriminatory practices
• Diversiq
How to conduct tbe Audits?
Followings are the well-defined steps involved in the social audit
#1 Define the scope:
Social auditing consists of the auditing of various departments and activities at the same time.
Therefore, it is important for the auditor to establish the boundaries that mean he should decide
what should be audited and what should not be audited during the auditing process.
The objective of conducting a social audit is to analyze the process implemented for the
execution of the process, quality of basic services and infrastructure created, and to assess the
health and securip measure taken

#2 Choose the people participating in tbe process:
In the next step, you will decide u'ho should be included in the process whether they are the
management of the organization or stakeholders an also define up to u'hat percent a person would
be involved in the process, how often they u'ould be contacted, and what information would be
shared with whom?
They can also u'ork as the consultation in the social audit process, make sure that people
involved in the process are unbiased and have no personal objectives. The whole purpose of
conducting the social audit process should be concerned u'ith the sociep and environment.
#3 Define the key issues which are required to be cross-checked in tbe process and a data
collection procedure for tbose issues:
In the next step, key issues u'hich are required to be analyzed and tackled through the social audit
process should be defined. Define what information should be collected for the particular issue
and what methods should be opted to collect information
Different records should be analyzed at different point of time to prepare a report.
4 Generate a report for findings and verify it:
In the next step, you should generate a report about the findings of social auditing Social
auditing reports might be or might not be published Therefore, It is important to review' the
report and physically verify the process of important tasks
Make sure to veri the processes by visiting the workplace: otherwise, a small mistake in the
social auditing report might leave the accuracy of the whole report in jeopardy #5 Present the
report:
The main purpose of conducting a social audit is to present the report about the work process of
an organization The report is presented to designated management or shareholders, and
sometimes reports are presented publicly
Hou'ever, a company holds the right whether to share report publicly or not. Finally, the required
steps are taken to address the issues.
SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STL DIES
Social impact assessment (SIA) is a methodology to review the social effects of infrastructure
projects and other development interventions Although SIA is usually applied to planned
interventions, the same techniques can be used to evaluate the social impact of unplanned events,
for example, disasters, demographic change, and epidemics SIA is important in applied
anthropology, as its main goal is to be able to deliver positive social outcomes and eliminate any
possible negative or long term effects
• Social impact assessment is a technical means to analyze and evaluate the impact and
result of policies, projects, events, activities, and so on in social aspect.
• Social impact assessments are used to identi and manage the social impacts of
industrial projects
• Social impact assessment is a specific social science research method applied to policies
or projects, which is aimed at understanding the situation, reasons, and results of social
life. Scientific knou'1edge and methods will be used to anal} ze the social changes,
impacts, and results caused by policies or projects, and useful knowledge or policies will
be offered to reduce negatives and achieve effective management
PRA/PLA TECHNIQU ES
• Participatoq rural appraisal (PRA) is an approach used by non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and other agencies involved in international development The
approach aims to incorporate the knou'ledge and opinions of rural people in the
planning and management of development projects and programmes.
• PRA(Participatop Rural Appraisal) is a governing famil} of approach and methods to
enable local people to share enhance and analyze their knou'1edge of life and conditions
and to plan, act, monitor and evaluate Robert Chambers
• PRA is also called Participatop Learning Appraisal (PLA) because of the enduring
learning process between the research team and local rural people • The term PLA
introduced in 1995 is sometimes used to describe PRA but is broader and includes other
similar or related approaches and methods.
Various methods of PR.4/PLA
• Social Map and resources map
• Mobilip Map
• Preference Ranking
• Seasonal Calendar
• Timeline
• Well-being ranking
• Transect Map and Walk •
• Circle or Venn Diagram
• Problem Tree
Social Map and resources map
• Social map: Active involvement of people of the communip in drau'ing map of houses,
dharmashala, water tapes, temples, monasteries, pati-pauwa, school, NGO offices, banks,
mills, industries etc located in the community
• Process of preparation: social mapping should not be very big or very small 50-60
houses should be shown in one map The map can be drau'n in paper or on ground
ansectip Map
• Resources flap Collectin•_ information on local rivers. brooks. roads, dams. forests.
hillocks. m inerals. ii ells bonds. and other sources
• Utility • Location of buildings. structures. offices. etc can be traced easily • Enables eas;’
identification of” local resources. use and distrilautions
• Short ing the dail4 Iife of“ the people. economic and social process
• Short iri_• lTlarria•_es relationships. jobs.. entertainments. manual ›i orks. ii a_•es.
medical cares. consumer be hat iors. education. migrations etc
• Utility -Depicts the mobility’ of local people. makes eas} to comprehend sociaL cultural
and econorrlic chan•_es Preference Ranking
• Local people giving priorip and focus on their genuine and immediate problems they are
facing related to development and other tribulations.
• They rank their problems on preferences basis
• Utilip -Local problems and preferences can be easily understood.
• Enhances local interests Seasonal Calendar
• Information can be collected from local people and calendar designed on local peoples
professional preoccupations, festivals, processions, feasts, migrating for jobs, epidemic,
diseases, scarcip time of crops etc Timeline
• Collecting information on historical events, epidemics, floods, natural disasters, drought,
heavy rainfalls, fire, constructions of school, offices and other buildings, voluntap
labours, development works, political events etc • All events of the coininunip shou'n
clearly Well-being ranking
• Collecting information of economic status/condition of the people
• Local social/cultural criteria for evaluating economic status. Transect Map and W'alk
• Information collected on— • Geographical location of community
• Structure of land resources
• Soil fertility
• Types of land etc
Circle or Venn Diagram
• Showing government and non-government offices and their impacts(functioning
patterns) on communip in a Venn diagram. Process of Venn Diagram
• This diagram is drawn on paper, blackboard, or ground
• Active participation of people Problem Tree
• Problem tree drau'n on paper, blackboard or ground
• Poverty, illiteracy, superstition, diseases, drug addiction, alcoholism, all social, cultural,
economic & political deformities discussed & drawn
• On one branch of the problem tree, only one problem is shown, reasons revealed UNIT-
16
ON GOING COM4IL NITN" PROGRAMMES AT THE GRASS ROOT LEVEL
The process of social planning largely denotes sketching of the blueprint of predetermined social
and economic goals, in both spatial and temporal context It involves prioritizing needs and
setting up of clearly defined goals It also includes critical analysis of the existing and to be
acquired resources in terms of men, money, materials, organisations and technologies, so as to
obtain maximum result sat minimum costs. Social planning is done with the inherent goal of
obtaining economic growth with social justice, maximizing work opportunities, self-reliance,
enhancing income, removing regional and caste-class disparities, alleviating poverty, and in sum,
to improve the quality of life of the nation as a whole.
India, u'ith almost three-fourths of the rural population, is predominantly an agrarian society
Rural development has a direct bearing on the count ’s economic and social development. So
long as the rural masses remain deprived of adequate developmental opportunities, any thought
of making the county one among the developed nations would be futile. Since independence,
various plans and programmes have been launched for the progress and development of rural
areas For almost four decades, social planning for rural people was governed by ‘trickle down
approach’, as you have already read in the previous units of this block. The institutions of
planning, the officials and administrators at the higher level would decide upon the plans and
programmes to be implemented for the rural areas. In spite of all the exhortations and efforts,
Planning from below' remained elusive and non-involvement of the target group, that is, the rural
people, in the planning process remained problem area This had negative repercussions on the
expected outcome of the plans and programmes for rural development
This Act provides a Constitutional status to the Panchayat Raj, plugging in many of the loopholes
observed in the earlier system that existed since the late fifties The new system ensures
involvement of all sections of the society, including the disadvantaged, w'omen, SCs, STs, OBCs,
in the process of economic, social and political development through appropriate reservation of
seats
MEANING AND SCOPE OF GRASSROOTS LE$’EL PLANNING
As u'e already know, rural development bears a special significance in the development of the
count Keeping these considerations in mind, a lot of planning and programme initiations have
been done for rural development. Many steps have been taken for agricultural growih,
employment of rural youth, u'ater supply, infrastructure development, housing, health and
education sectors. Planners at the higher level would formulate programmes and schemes for the
development of rural areas u'ithout being fully aware of the ground realities
lN the post independence period, systematic efforts were made from time to time for the overall
development of rural areas. Community Development Programmes(CDP) were launched in the
first five year plan period Agricultural development was one of the core issues of CDP. People's
participation through certain grassroots level institutions like the block level institutions, village
panchayats, gram Sabha’sl,mahila mandali, youth clubs, krishi charcha mandali, was tried. But
these grassroots level institutions were largely voluntary, u'ithout any statutory back-up A vast
sum of money was spent on rural development through different sectorial departments trying to
reach the rural people directly with skeletal field level functionaries Several new programmes
and schemes were launched even now and then u'ithout paying any attention to the ground
realities and needs and priorities of the rural masses Weak planning capabilities at the block
level and absence of effective village based institutions of the people's participation compounded
the problems of grass roots level planning. Figure 1 gives the flow of planning information and
resources from top In this approach of ‘planning from above’, the target group is the mare
passive receptor of the programmes and services. This short-sightedness was reflected in the
implementation of these programmes and schemes, as they couldn't yield the desired result.
Let us tp to understand the meaning of grass roots level planning It may be defined as the form
of planning lower institutional levels of the block and village, w'here the people from all sections
of the sociep get together and enlist and prioritize the areas of intervention, take a view of their
resources and formulate, execute and supervise the plans for the development of their ou'n
communip by sharing responsibilities among themselves. Figure 2 shows the planning process
and flow of resources and information in the grass roots level planning. It must be emphasized
that grass roots level planning is decentralized planning where the people at the grass roots not
only have the authorip to plan for their own community, but also the power to use resources for
effective implementation and to supervise the whole process. It also involves sharing of
responsibilip and accountabilip among themselves for the socio-economic development of their
own communip as u'ell as that of the nation.
Centre-District-Block- ¥’illage
Under the system of democratic decentralization, which is popularly termed as Panchayat Raj in
the context of rural areas, the rural people elect village Panchayat members, who are responsible
for executing the plans and programmes for rural development. The village members participate
in the planning of rural development programmes and its monitoring, supervision and evaluation
through gram sabhas One of the unique features of this democratic decentralization is the
involvement of all sections of the sociep in the planning and execution process.
The weaker sections of the sociep, who have, more or less, never been involved in decision-
making process for community development are given the legal right tube a part of the grass
roots level planning. The scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, the other backward classes and
women have been given due reservation of seat sin various u'ards and constituencies. The
inherent theme behind the involvement of representatives of u'eaker sections has been to secure
the well-being of their respective fellowmen. In the same manner, women are expected to raise
issues related to the welfare and u'ell-being of females during planning process in Panchayat
In the grass roots planning, the village Panchayat deals with many issues pertaining to rural
development like regulating building construction, protection of public lands against
encroachment, maintenance of traditional drinking u'ater sources, collection and disposal of solid
waste and regulation of liquid waste disposal, maintenance of environmental hygiene,
management of public markets, vector control, protection of roads and other public properties,
street lighting and its maintenance, adoption of immunization programmes, agriculture related
activities like cultivating u aste land sand marginal lands, soil protection, encouraging
horticulture and vegetable cultivation and management of Krishi-Bhavans.
The scope of grass roots level planning is too vast. It also includes other crucial areas like animal
husbandry and dairy fanning, minor irrigation, fishing, social forests, small scale industries, rural
housing, u ater supply, electricip and energy, education, public works, public health and
sanitation, social welfare, poverp alleviation, development and welfare of scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes, promotion of sports and cultural affairs, public distribution system, relief work
during natural calamities, etc Apart from all these areas of intervention, it is the dub of the
Panchayat to ensure people's participation in all the activities for the development of the village
and to maintain transparency in their work
THE PA CHAYATI R.4J SY STEM .4ND GRASSROOTS LEVEL PLANNING
Meaning of three tier system of panchayati raj:
Gram Panchayat Sabha (or) village panchayat:
1 This is the village level of the Panchayati system which is also known as the village level
system
1 The Sarpanch is the head of this Sabha and the members of this panchayat are elected once
every five } ears by the Gram Sabha.
Panchayati Samiti:
1 This is the block level of the Panchayati raj system at the tehsil level. 1 This
Samiti is the associate between village level and district level panchayat Zila
Parishad Samiti:
1 This is the district level or the top of the Panchayati raj Samiti. The members of this samiti
govern the advanced system

1 The head of this sainiti is an IAS officer and a chief officer of the Samiti for district level.
The matters relating to decentralized planning are gaining u'ide interest among the social
planners and social researchers. It is universally agreed that ‘local problem shave local solutions’
and a blanket strategy cannot be effective even u'ithin district's
brief look at the institutions of democratic decentralization u'ould be beneficial in understanding
its significance Communip Development programmes were introduced in 1952 in order to
transform the social and economic life of the rural cominuniq. These programmes could not
elicit effective people's participation To understand the reasons, Balvantrai Mehta Committee
was set up, u'hich recommended institutionalization of local participation and democratic
decentralization through Panchayati Raj system It suggested three tier-system of Panchayati Raj
zillaparishads at the district level, block samiti at the intermediate level and village Panchayat at
the 1ou'est level.
Many states adopted the recommendations of the committee, but the Panchayati Raj system in
these states was not uniform There were feelings of general apathy or indifference or even
hostility among the officials and state level politicians. Powers of the Panchayat members u'ere
verv limited. The institution itself could be dissolved by the district authorities. Elections for
Panchayats were very irregular Consequently Panchayati Raj system started fading away after
l9ñ5. From l977to 1988, many committees and sub-committees u'ere set up to look into the
institution, its strengths and u'eaknesses and to suggest modalities to make it effective.
Committees like Asoka Mehta Committee ( 1977), GVK Rao Committee (I985),LM Singhvi
Committee (1986), PK Thungan (1988) and VN Gadgil (1989) studied various aspects of the
Panchayati Raj institution and came up with valuable suggestions, though they differed with each
other in proposed modalities and structure of the Panchayati Raj system (Details of these
committees have been given inMRD- 10 1, Block 4, Unit 2). Among others, the salient
recommendations made by these committees were giving constitutional recognition to
Panchayati Raj bodies, u'ith three-tier system, fixed term of five years and reservations for
SC/ST and women.
Subsequently, the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 that came into effect from 24 April 1993, provided
Constitutional sanction to the pou'ers, responsibilities and finances of the Panchayat bodies.
A fundamental change that has occurred in Indian polity is that the democratic base of the Indian
polity has widened. Prior to the Amendments, our democratic structure through elected
representatives was restricted to the two Houses of Parliament, 28State Assemblies and t ’o
assemblies of Union Territories Now; there are nearly594 district Panchayats, about 6000
block/tehsil/mandal Panchayats at the intermediate level and about 250,000 gram (village)
Panchayats in the county. As a result of these structural changes, in the current context, in every
five years,about 34 lakh representatives are elected by the people of whom more than one million
are women.
Even though the institution of Panchayati Raj existed before this landmark constitutional
amendment, they were not having the real pou'ers to take decisions, nor did they have any
financial or legal pou'ers to execute their plans. This Act ensures provision of rights and
responsibilities to the elected members of the Panchayat to play a much larger role in the
development. Non' the Panchayat bodies are empowered institutions executing regulator,
administrative and developmental functions. This act entrusts the village Panchayat to plan and
execute programmes on subjects like agriculture, land improvement, animal husbands, smallscale
industries, safe drinking u'ater, health and sanitation, poverp alleviation programmes, family
u'e1fare, social welfare and the like. Salient Features of Panchayati Raj Institution
Before understanding how grass roots level planning is done, it would be important to
understand the basic features of the existing Panchayati Raj system It is a three-tier structure of
local self governance where, at the village level, Village Panchayat takes care of the civic and
developmental administration Block level body or Block Panchayats assist Village Panchayats
and give technical advise and guidance for execution of developmental programmes Here, it
may be noted that smaller states w'ith population below’ 20 lakhs will have the option of not to
have the intermediate level Panchayat. At the district level, Zilla Parishad is mainly supervisor
and coordinating institution and functions as a bridge between state and people below district.
One of the mandatory provisions that shape the structure of the new PR administrations the
establishment of Gram Sabha comprising all the voters in a village. It is the ‘Gram Sabha’ or
‘village assembly’, which comprises all adult members registered as voters in the Panchayat area
Gram sabha is the basic unit of the democratic system. Every adult citizen of that area can take
part in the grass roots level planning through the gram Sabha The grain sabha has the right to
take part in the planning, supervision of the activities as well as financial status of the
programmes being implemented in its respective area The village Panchayat is accountable to
grain sabha for all its activities. Gram sabha acts as a u'atchdog over the functioning of low'er
level Panchayat All the states have provided for the constitution of gram Sabha, but in terms of
meetings, there are variations among the states ranging from once in a year in Madhya Pradesh
and West Bengal to four times in a year in Assam. Some states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
have integrated Gram Sabha into the process of selecting the beneficiaries that make them more
active in the process of development It also makes the process of selection of beneficiaries,
crucial in many developmental programmes, more transparent.
The present constitutional amendment ensures to fulfil, both structurally and financially, the
responsibilities of the PRIs, through reservations for the oppressed sections, including women
and other backu'ard castes. This has enabled these sections to occupy seats of decision-making.
Due recognition has been given to the citizens belonging to weaker section, like women,
SCs/STs, to take active part in the fiinctioning of the PRls. Seats and posts of chairpersons of the
Panchayats at all levels u'ere reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs)
inproportion to their population in that area. One-third of these must be women. Asa result,
women are chairpersons of about 200 district Panchayats, more than 2000block/tehsil/mandal
Panchayats at the intermediate level and about 85,000 gramPanchayats. Also, there are about
700,000 elected members belonging to the SCs/
TWO-TIER Sh"STEM: TRIB.4L PLAN
Tribal societies are often known for their unique life-sb le, customs, laws, sociocultural mores,
etc. They are not homogeneous groups in terms of their demographic, social, economic and
educational aspects Some communities among them are numerically very small, while the others
are large. Some ST communities are sociall} and economically vulnerable. Many tribal societies
have been living autonomously, cut off from the rest of the society These groups have their ow'n
vibrant institutions of administration. Due consideration needs to be given to their indigenous
institutions and ethos while considering democratic decentralization in tribal areas
Integration of traditional tribal Panchayats with the PRls. It is necessary to consider the manner
in which the tribals' traditional Panchayats could be integrated u'ith the bigger structure of the
statutop PRls u'ithout disturbing them in any way A committee has been set up, known as
Bhuria Committee, to make recommendations to extend the Panchayats to the Scheduled areas.
Its aim is to provide a suitable administrative framew'ork for self-rule or grass roots governance
with traditional management practices to safeguard and preserve the traditions and customs of
tribal socieq. As per the recommendations made by the Bhuria committee, a Bil1u'as passed in
the Parliament in 1996 and it is known as ’The Provisions of the Panchayts (Extension to the
Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Let us now’ pay attention to some of the salient features of the above mentioned Act The
mandatop provisions of the extended Act are as follow’s:
Any legislation on the Panchayats for the tribal areas shall be in consonance with the customary
law, social and religious practices, and traditional management practices of the community
resources It intends to keep their integrin and identip intact.
Unlike the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, even small, scattered tribal settlements have
been declared as a village for the purpose of the enactment of the extended Act In tribal areas,
with mostly hilly topography, the villages are population wise small and scattered The 1992 Act
considers these small hamlets, or tolas as village with their own gram sabha It is a ver
significant feature of the extended Act It protects the theme of democratic decentralization and
grass roots level planning The combination of more than one villages, just for the number sake,
would have resulted in domination of the larger communities over the smaller ones.
Gram sabha is the nucleus of democratic decentralization and grass roots level planning
According to the extended Act, every member, u'hose name has been included in the electoral list
of that village, is the member of the grain sabha These village assemblies or grain sabhas have
been endou'ed with wide ranging pow'ers and functions, for empowering them to safeguard and
preserve the traditions, customs and cultural identity of the people, cominunip resources and
settling local disputes through customap methods. The gram sabha takes part in the planning
process for the socio-economic development of the tribal communip. It has the power to approve
of or reject the plans and programmes developed by village Panchayat for the socio-economic
development of the communip The gram sabha also identifies and selects beneficiaries for
poverq alleviation and other programmes For all the projects and programmes for socio-
economic development of the village, the village Panchayats are supposed to obtain a certificate
of utilization of funds from the gram sabha So, u'e see that people's participation has been
institutionalized ina
proper way through this Act u'here the common tribal person takes active part in the planning
and implementation of policies and programmes for the development of his/her community The
tribal people are often the victims of so-called ‘developmental projects’, say, construction of
dams and roadways, etc. Many times, in the past, they have been displaced from their
environment and rehabilitation was at the mercy of the authorities. However, this extended Act
provides the pou'er to the tribal people to take decisions topics affecting and influencing their life
directly or indirectly According to the Act, the acquisition of land for development projects and
rehabilitation or resettlement of persons affected by such projects in the scheduled area has to be
done in consultation with grain sabha or village Panchayats at appropriate level. Planning and
implementation of the projects will be coordinated at the state level. Similarly, grant of
prospecting license of mining lease and grant of concession for the exploitation of minor
minerals by auction has to be given on recommendations of grain Sabha or the Panchayats at the
appropriate level. It is commonly believed that tribal areas are rich in minerals, forest and water
resources Traditionally, the tribal people have been using these natural resources, which have
not only economic value for them, but also the socio-cultural andreligious connotations attached
with it.
Besides the above mentioned functions and powers, the gram sabha or thePanchayats at the
appropriate level shall have the following inandatop pou'ers.
a) Enforce prohibition or to regulate or restrict the sale and consumption of any intoxicants
b) The ou'nership of minor forest produce and to manage all types of village markets.
c) To prevent alienation of land and to take appropriate action to restore any unlau'full}
alienated land of a Scheduled Tribe in the scheduled areas.
d) Exercise control over money-lending to tribals, and control institutions and functionaries
u'orking in the social sectors in the area
e) Control over local plans and its resources including tribal sub-plans.
Major Areas of Grassroots Level Planning
According to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, there are 29 items, covering different
aspects of socio-economic life of the villages such as regulatory functions to maintain civic
amenities, social service and infrastructure, development and enhancement of economic
resources of the village and welfare and development of ’eaker sections, particularly the families
below the povem, line. The 29 itemstransferred to PR institutions can be grouped into seven
major sectors as follows:
Sector 1: Agriculture and Allied Activities
1)Agriculture and extension
2) Land improvement, land reforms, consolidation, soil and u'ater conservation
3) Minor irrigation
4) Animal husbands, dairying, poultry, etc
5) Fisheries
Sector 2: Forestry and Environment
6) Social and farm forestry
7) Fuel and fodder
8) Minor forest products
9) Non-conventional energy resources
Sector 3: Industries
10) Small industries including food processing

11 ) Khadi village and cottage industries
Sector 4: Infrastructure, Minimum needs, Social services
12) Roads, culverts, bridges, ferries, etc
13) Rural electrification
14) Drinking water
15) Rural housing

16) Education
17) Technical and vocational education
18) Adult and non-formal education
19) Libraries
20) Cultural activities, festivals, etc
21) Health, sanitation, etc
22) Family welfare
23) Public distribution system
24) Markets and fairs
Sector 5: Social Welfare
25) Women and child welfare

26) Social welfare including welfare of handicapped and mentally retarded
27) Social welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
Sector 6: Poverty Alleviation
Sector 7: Maintenance of Community Assets

Planning for these 29 items at the three levels of the PR s}stem would be difficult unless the
various constituent components of each of them are segregated and allocated at the appropriate
levels of the three-tier of the PR system Here, it maybe mentioned that many States have ver
distinctly mentioned in their respective Panchayati Raj Acts, distribution of the item-related
activities among the three-tier levels of Panchayat bodies. This has helped in dividing the
responsibilities between the three-tiers in respect of planning and implementation u'ith a clear
demarcation of authorip, resource sharing and also speci ing the role of official hierarchy in each
line department. The 29 items can be divided into as many as 290 activities of which 108 are
district components, 87 block components and 95 village components.
The eventual focus of the decentralized planning is village development The grassroots level or
micro-level planning, as a tool for the development of villages, u'ould-be effective only if there is
clarity of the items that fall within the purview of the village Panchayat, block Panchayat and
district Panchayat: their respective roles, interdependence and independence in implementation
of plans and programmes among themselves and with the government machinery and the
technical and managerial expertise available to them from the government departments, and the
adequacy of financial support from various sources For example, in the case of agriculture and
allied sector, seed production can be the role of district Panchayat; seed, fertilizer and pesticide
storage that of block Panchayat: and the village Panchayat may be responsible for the
distribution of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides Financing ¥'illage Development Plans
The proper execution of village development plans depends on the financial resources available
with the village Panchayat. There are three popes of activities for which finances are required by
the village Panchayat. First, for maintaining Panchayat office, which includes salary of the office
bearers, maintaining office building, electricip, water, furniture and other office materials
Second, activities is related to maintenance of civic services, physical infrastructure and
Panchayat assets The third investment is required for the construction of new' infrastructure and
developmental activities including poverty alleviation and social welfare programmes According
to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, a Finance Commission is to be constituted in each State
to determine the principles on the basis of which adequate financial resources would be ensured
for Panchayats and municipalities
Now’ let us look into the sources of income for the village Panchayat A large portion of the
finances comes in the form of state grants through many programmes like Jawahar Rojgar Yojna
Secondly, the village Panchayats have the right to develop self-reliance by collecting taxes, for
example, house tax, properp tax, cattle tax, etc , and the costs of civic services provided to the
communip to meet the maintenance expenditure Hou'ever, as a number of families are poor and
not in apposition to pay the actual cost of the services, they could be asked to pay a lower rate for
a certain period and till that time, the state should compensate to the gram panchayat UNIT- 17
SOCIAL ACTION
• Social action is about people coming together to help improve their lives and solve the
problems that are important in their communities. It can include volunteering, giving
money, community action or simple neighbourly acts
• Social action, also know as Weberian social action, is an act which takes into account the
actions and reactions of individuals (or ’agents’) According to Max Weber, “Action is
“social” insofar as its subjective meaning takes account of the behavior of others and is
thereby oriented in its course ”
• Individual or group behavior that involves interaction with other individuals or groups,
especially organized action toward social reform.
UNIT — 18
STRATEGIES OF SOCL4L ACTION Collaborative Strategy
In this strategy social workers collaborate with the local authorip and other authorities or
agencies in order to bring about improvements in the existing social policy The underlying
assumption of this approach is homogeneip of values and interests, through which substantive
agreement on proposed interventions is obtained. It doesn't involve loss or gain of power,
authorip or money: change occurs within a consensus that includes both values and interests In
collaborative stratergy the change in the social structure or institution is brought about by
peaceful means u'hich include education, persuasion, demonstration, and experimentation. One
of the premise on which it is based is that all those who have power will not necessarily respond
to change only through the conflictual approach. Through the above techniques, change can be
brought about as for them, the intended change is either the lesser of the two evils, or, they have
themselves identified the factors which affect the very existence of the institution or the
achievement of its goals. They themselves are disenchant
Advocacy And Negotiate Strategy
The second set of techniques are based on the premise that one anticipates some resistance to
change, and the activip of the change agent may have to be accompanied by tactics which are not
persuasive rather seek to affect change through pressure. In this strate contending parties utilize
commonly accepted campaign tactics of persuasion, negotiation and bargaining with the
willingness to arrive at a u'orking agreement.

Litigation strategy
Litigation strategy is the process by which counsel for one pay to a 1au'suit intends to integrate
their actions with anticipated events and reactions to achieve the overarching goal of the
litigation. The strategic goal may be the verdict, or the damages or sentence awarded in the case.
Alternatively, in the case of impact litigation (also known as strategic litigation) the goal may be
more far-reaching, such as setting legal precedent, affecting consumer-safety standards, or
reshaping the public's perception of a societal issue Broader goals and more challenging cases
require a strategist with a greater understanding of, and facilip u'ith, the tools of litigation
strategy
Attorneys w'ho apply advanced strategic concepts (such as Maneuver and the Bo}d Loop), u'hich
are not taught in most law’ schools, may gain a decisive advantage over attorneys who are
unfamiliar u'ith the skill set and who, because of their unfamiliarity, can be unwittingly
maneuvered into disadvantageous actions. The resulting imbalance has led to academic criticism
of the use of advanced strategic techniques. Professor Hugh Selby of Australian National
University's College of Law has been particularly critical of its use by prosecutors, who already
wield the massive pou'er of the state against often poorly resourced defendants The
counterargument is that strategy can correct already-existing imbalances in the system, allowing
a sole or two-attorney law finn with an indigent client to level the playing field against a large
law’ firm u'ith a u'ealthy corporate client, and allou'ing attorneys with little trial experience to
effectively try cases against vastly more experienced opposing counsel
Conscientization Strategy
Conscientization is an emancipatory pedagogical process developed by the educator Paulo Freire
that is designed to teach students, through critical literacies, how to negotiate the world in a
thoughtful way that exposes and engages the relations between the oppressor and the oppressed.
A key concept in Freire’ s approach is conscientization, meaning the ways in
which individuals and communities develop a critical understanding of their social realip
through reflection and action. This involves examining and acting on the root causes of
oppression as experienced in the here and now
Human Relation strategy
Merriain-Webster defines “human relations” as the “study of human problems arising from
organizational and interpersonal relations (as an industr}) ” That definition has translated to a
business approach focused on supporting employees in their career development and agency at
work in addition to running a profitable company
A human relations-centric approach to management and business requires a special skill set on
the part of emplo} ers and managers. To effectively carp out a human relations-focused
workplace culture, five skills are essential
A human relation is the relationship betw'een human resources of the
organization It incorporates management-employees, employees-employees relationship. It also
consists of relationship between the organization's human resource & outsiders (such as clients,
suppliers).
Human resource is one of the important assets of an organization Hence, healthy human
relations lead to increased productivity and efficiency It also plays crucial role in growth and
success of the organization.

The approach of human relations deals u'ith the psychological variables of organisational
functioning in order to increase the efficiency of organisations It is the process of integration of
man-to-man and man-to-organisations
A human relation is the relationship betu'een human resources of the organization. It incorporates
management-employees, employees-employees relationship. It also consists of relationship
between the organization s human resource & outsiders (such as clients, suppliers).
Human resource is one of the important assets of an organization Hence, healthy human
relations lead to increased productivip and efficiency It also plays crucial role in growth and
success of the organization.
The approach of human relations deals with the psychological variables of organisational
functioning in order to increase the efficiency of organisations It is the process of integration of
man-to-man and man-to-organisations
According to Mac Farland “Human relations is the study and practice of
utilising human resource through knowledge and through an understanding of the activities,
attitudes, sentiments, and interrelationships of people at u'ork” Political organisation strategy
A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including
political parties, non-governmental organizations, advocacy groups and special interest groups.
Political organizations are those engaged in political activities (e.g., lobbying, coinmuniq
organizing, campaign advertising, etc.) aimed at achieving clearly-dehned political goals, which
typically benefit the interests of their members.
While parties are one type of political organization that may engage in some or all of those
activities, they are distinct in that they typically focus on supporting candidates for public office,
winning elections and controlling government
Economic Organisation Strategy
The wa} in which the means of production and distribution of goods are organized, such as
capitalism or socialism +2 -1
Organizational economics involves the use of economie logic and inethods to
understand the existence, nature, design, and performance of organizations, especially inanaged
ones Organizational economics is priinarily concerned with the obstacles to coordination of
activities inside and between organizations
Economic Organization is the act of coordinating the other factors of
production — land, labor and capital Organization performs a very important function in modern
production, which is carried on a large-scale
Thus, five types of economic organisations can be identified; these are.
• Subsistence
• Reciprocal exchange with subsistence
• Peasant u'ith primary reliance on self-produced food, but containing some
exchange elements. (a) Market peasant. ADVERTISEMENTS:
• Market-commercial.
• Redistributive, or state socialist.
Organizational economics is useful in developing a firm's human
resource management policies, determining how a firm should be organized, assessing business
risk, implementing reu'ards systems and making, analyzing and improving management
decisions.
Conflict Management Strategy
Conflict management is the process by u'hich disputes are resolved, u'here negative results are
minimized and positive results are prioritized This key management skill involves using
different tactics depending on the situation, negotiation, and creative thinking
Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflict
while increasing the positive aspects of conflict. The aim of conflict management is to enhance
learning and group outcomes, including effectiveness or performance in an organizational
setting.
Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann developed five conflict resolution strategies that people use
to handle conflict, including avoiding, defeating, compromising, accommodating, and
collaborating. This is based on the assumption that people choose how cooperative and how
assertive to be in a conflict
Situation Nlodification Strategy
Situation modification involves efforts to modify a situation so as to change its emotional impact
Situation modification refers specifically to altering one's external, physical environment
Altering one's “internal” environment to regulate emotion is called cognitive change
Situation modification involves changing aspects of a physical situation to change its emotional
impact, without simply avoiding the situation.
UNIT-19
UNIT- 20 Concept and Meaning of social action

• Social action as a method of social work can be defined as efforts to bring about change
or prevent change in current social practices or situations, through education, propaganda,
persuasion, or pressure on behalf of objectives believed by the actionists to be socially
desirable. Generally social action involves organised efforts to influence public opinion
or official policy or executive action with the support of groups or individuals.
• Social action is a collective endeavor to bring about desirable changes in the existing
structure or preventing undesirable change through a process of making people aw'are of
the socio-political and economic realities conditioning their lives and mobilizing them to
organize them as the living force so as to work for their ou'n betterment.
SOCIAL ACTION AS A STRATEGY" FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
In recent years. The country has been a witness to the rapid growth of regionalism, casteism and
communalism. Since these pose a very grave threat to the county ’s integrin and also to the
laboring masses ID terms of their livelihood, social action is often addressed as the only solution
to making the poor and the marginalized aware of their rights.
Social Development means evenly shared balanced progress of entire populations towards
enhancement of the circumstances ofliving, the quality of life and the quality of human relations
If the idea of sustainability, which is the idea of the day, is inculcated then social development

should also meet the needs of the present without compromising the abiliq of future generations
to meet their own needs
The Social action theory developed by Social theorist Max Weber, u'hich u'as later, adopted by
sociologists, tries to understand the relationship between social structures and the individuals and
their behaviour and actions.
Now; social development is not possible without understanding the social structures In India
Caste and class dominate the social structure Evenly shared progress can only happen when
social policies are designed consciously to treat every human as a subject of intrinsically equal
worth Entitled to equal social, economic, civil and political rights, liberties, responsibilities and
recognition
How’ can social action help social development? Social action is not alien to India (even though
its origin is attributed to the west). Social action dates back to the “8” and 19” Century when
reformers fought against the evil of Sati, child marriage, widou'hood practices for women. The
disadvantaged segments of the community have alu'ays assumed a non-participatory role in
social life and social action can be a process to include the disadvantaged segments of the
communip to gain access to rights and can also pave to redistribution of resources as per
principles of democracy and social justice
Since the term “social” means “interaction of individuals in socieq” it also includes political,
economical, cultural and ethical aspects When it is used as a prefix to action, it carries the
connotation of a collectivity working tou'ards achieve an end
One great disadvantage of the present day development is that the marginalized have been unable
to tap the prosperity that others enjoy. Accountabilip and lack of inclusion ha ve a l ways
threatened the cohesiveness of societies. Hence it is important to adopt comprehensive and
inclusive strategies that empower poor and marginalized.
Social development should also be sustainable. The future should also be focused and
development should look into the needs of the future generations which is not happening at
present looking at the carbon emissions, degradations of greener, mining to exploit minerals etc
Hence social action should focus on the concept of essential needs in particular and the idea of
limitations should be practiced.
In recent times empowerment of women is given significance and self help groups have always
been in focus. Frances Sinha in her book ‘Self Help groups in India” says that out of data
collected from 214 SHGs (Self Help Groups) from 4 states 30% reported coininunip action;
sometimes more than one such action and around half of these actions have been successful such
as improvement in access and quality of communip services and infrastructure.
Hou'ever Social action should ensure returns and allow assets to be used productively and freely
Social action if combined with Robert Chamber's u'ork on sustainable livelihoods and Amartya
Sen's approach to assets and capabilities can be effective in helping the poor, their families and
communities. Intense involvement of organizations in grassroot levels has also shown that the
process of empowering people should allow’ space for independent initiative, creativip and
personal aspirations. Otherwise it could become a oppressive rather than a liberating factor
Equally important is the need for the group to develop a mechanism to deal with our differences
within a discipline, which strikes a proper balance betu'een democracy, responsibility and
authority

If social work is working among the poor, or helping the poor to help themselves, social action
can be an effective means to empower the poor and development can be effective only if includes
the poor, the marginalized and even other section of vulnerable community
Social u'orkers can use social action as a key model to empower the socio-political and economic
status of the oppressed groups, commnities and organizations This will enable them to access
opportunities and resources in the society which will enable them to contribute to the society as
valued human beings.
Social u'orkers can also use social action for advocacy and lobbying of right based issues and can
also use it, in collaboration with organizations to draw development and action plans The social
work profession has a long and proud tradition of advocacy and social action leading to social
reform Social action has successfully lobbied especially to reduce abuse and violence by
enacting laws and legislation Hencee if social workers can use social action to create au'areness
and einpou'er people on issues of environment, socio-economic situation in the country and
issues relating to privatization, supra structure etc , it is great deal of service indeed.
Scope of social action in India
• The scope of social action is very vast and it is one of the most apt methods of
social work practice even in to day's context as the approach of social u'ork
practice has shifted from charip to empowerment, the scope of social work has
expanded enormously
• The innovative approaches, participatoq techniques, outreach, and holistic
thinking are critically important in creating a better u'orld, u'hich is indeed the
vision of social work profession.
• It is important to understand the systems from the perspective of social work
intervention which determines the scope of Social Action They are:
• Change Agent System
• Client System
• Target System
• Action System
Historical Progress of Social .4ction in India
Beginning with the Ajivikas and Sramanas, nearly 2500 years ago, the subcontinent's history is
replete with inadequately researched, anti-hierarchical socio-religious and cultural
manifestations Pan-lndian heterodoxies such as Buddhism, Jainism and Bhakti movement;
regional sects, such as Vira-Shaivism, Sikhism, and Kabirpanth, and numerous other local
movements, to a greater or lesser degree, u'ere expressions of anti-heirarchical aspirations and
value. More tumultus and localized forms of resistance such as social bandits, caste boycotts and
peasant-tribal movements against the impositions and excesses of caste-feudalism in pre- modern
times still await serious study (Aloysius, 1998)
The movements of the colonial period were marked by rejection of the traditional socio-political
order and a desire of the people for self-government, economic betterment, a social status among
peers and such other motives However, traditional dominance in India transformed itself into
state power without undergoing any substantial change The modern European idiom of
secularism, liberal democracy, nationalism, etc were all appropriated to assert what in substance
turned out to be just an updated version of the same old principle of ascription (Aloysius, 1998, p
226-227)

After independence and in 1950s, most of the voluntary organizations ‘u'ere either relief
(satis ing the immediate needs of the people) or institutionalized programmes sponsored by
schools and hospitals’ (Fernandes, 1980, p. 14-15). But in the 1960s many realized that this
approach fails to reach the neediest and, still more, to make them self-reliant. Efforts were
therefore focused on functional literacy and technical education as u'ell as growih-oriented
economic and technological inputs.
In the 1970s, this approach was also found u'anting. A new type of education, geared to making
the weakest sections aware of their situation, to enable them to become active agents of their own
development and change in their society, w'as thus considered essential. Education and
organization of people, especially the disadvantaged, were considered essential ingredients to
counteract the better-off from monopolizing the benefits of development (Fernandes, 1980, p. 5-
7)
In spite of some chronologists discrepancies, Karat basically agrees with the evolution of
Voluntap Organizations (VOs) as put foru'arded by Fernandes According to him, the Voluntary
Sector was warmly utilized for relief, chariq and rehabilitation-oriented projects Up to 1975-76,
the emphasis ‘was on Development Projects: rural development, community development,
employment generation, slum improvement, betterment of living conditions, etc.’ (Karat, 1984, p
19-54).
Constraints experienced during 1975-76 led to volunt organization adopting another
approach, that of education and organization of the disadvantaged. And in this process VOs were
often renamed as “Social Action Groups” (SAGs) and ‘Social Workers” of VOs became “Social
Activists”
SAGs, known by various names like VOs, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Grassroots
Initiatives, Non-Party Political Formations, Semi-Political Formations, Transformative Action
Groups, etc in the 1970s u'idely spoke of and utilized social action approach. A large number of
people, especially middle class youth u'ho got disillusioned, dared to enter into the lives of the
poor and the oppressed to raise the voice of the voiceless (Volken, 1985, p.13) The
disillusioriment due to u'hich action groups came about u'as the result of the mess that had set in
political, social and economic spheres. Political parties had failed to live up to their expectations
They had no time to reach out and handle the problems of the poor and oppressed in remote
areas The poorest of the poor did not benefit from the faulty ‘top dou'n’ development model, also
called the economic growth model that really failed to ‘trickle down’ (Sheth, 1984, p. 260). This
trend continued into the 1980s and early 1990s. However, with the onset of Liberalization,
Privatization and Globalization (popularly referred to as LPG) many NGOs experienced
resources crunch and many genuine social activists had to put up with the repressive approach of
the state. This process has negatively impacted the nature and volume of social action in India
With enormous rise in the influence of globalization and the US imperialism (especially since
1991) social action in India has taken a backseat and is struggling to revive itself with new
models and strategies of activism
Position of Social Action witbin Social 11'ork in India
Social work education in India started by laying emphasis on curative methods Hence, social
action as a method of Social Work w'as not given much space either in education or in practice
(Siddiqui, 1997,213)

The First Review Committee on social work education in India the University Grants
Commission (UGC) in 1965, strangely, said that as the objective of social reform has already
been achieved social workers should get into social service and social welfare functions like
attending to the needs of children in orphanages. It did not make a mention of social action as a
method of social work However, the veterans in social work education and practice like
Kulkarni, Hasan, Dasgupta and Nanavatq came out strongly against this approach in a Seminar
organized by Associaltion of Schools of Schools of Social Work in India (ASSWI) Kulkarni, for
example, strongly advocated the commitment of the profession to act as a pou'erful force in
favour of democracy, social justice and social development (Kulkami, 1967).
The Second Review Committee on Social Work Education in India (UGC, 1980) in its report
stated that, Our model of social work practice and education u'as based on an industrial, urban
and metropolis dominated sociep ... . Social work education was thus based on an individual-
urban based model... the late sixties have revealed that industrialization cannot eliminate pove
even from the affluent societies... .It has brought to the fore the global need to emphasize the
teaching of social action, social policy and social administration, since it is the social milieu and
not only the individual, that is the major client of the profession
Siddiqui (1997) opines that the changing characteristics of social u'orkers, together with the
reorganization of the u'ork and market situation for social work have led to the marginalization of
social action as a method of social work. Given these trends, he feels that social action as a
method will remain on the peripheq rather than become a central method.
In the quest to attain ‘professional’ status social work had to face the dilemma of finding
compatibilip betu'een social work which could play conformist role and social action u'hich
demanded a confrontationist role Hence, ver often than not, the process of professionalization
of social work led to the weakening of social action as a method (Siddiqui, 1997, p. 212).
However, there is a large chunk of social workers who feel uneasy about the lack of ‘social
commitment’ u'ithin the social work profession. The social commitment is generally assumed to
imply involvement of social workers with macro issues and using their power to remedy the
prevailing injustice in society Thus, without their being conscious, many social u'orkers have the
regret and guilt that the method of social action which has the potential to show their social
commitment is relegated to the peripheq (Siddiqui, 1997, p 212- 13)
SOCIAL ACTION IN INDIA
India has been the place of many social action movements Let us briefly Mention some of them
Satyagraha is a uniquely Indian concept and mode of social action shaped Into a formidable tool
by Mahatma Gandhi Although based on non-violence (since Gandhi believed and practiced
ahimsa and considered it a powerful Tool), satyagraha meant exerting moral pressure, through
mass mobilization, Mass courting of arrests, and long protest marches to achieve the goal. We
Mention here some examples
The Rowlatt Act Sap agraha: What is popularly known as the Rou'latt Act (1918) represented
an attempt to put war time restrictions on civil rights and Detentions without trial for a maximum
period of two years. All sections of Indian political opinion vehemently opposed the Rowlatt Act
but it was left to Mahatma Gandhi to u'ork out a practicable all-India mass protest. The intention
Was to go beyond petitions but at the same time to stop it from being unrestrained Or violent.
Initially, the volunteers merely courted arrest by publicly selling Prohibited literature. It was then
extended by Mahatma Gandhi to include the Idea of an all India Hartal (strike).

The Salt SaR'apraha: Mahatma Gandhi’s famous Dandi march symbolized Protest against the
government monopoly of salt and the claim to salt tax The March u'hich started from Sabarinati
to the sea through the heartland of Gujarat Attracted considerable attention both within India and
outside. Mahatma Gandhi Propagated manufacture and auctioning of salt by the people violating
the Unjust law This action u'as accompanied by boycott of foreign cloth and liquor
The Nappur Flag San agraha: This was started in mid 1923 against a local Order banning the
use of the Congress flag in some areas of the cix The Borsad (Kheda district, Gujarat) Sa
agraha: This was directed against A poll tax imposed to be paid by even adult for the police
required to suppress A wave of dacoities. The movement took the form of total non-payment of
the New levy by all the 104 affected villages and the tax had to be w'ithdrawn.
The Vaikom Satvapraha. This was the first temple end movement It was Essentially an
attempt on Gandhian lines to assert the right of low caste Ezhavas And untouchables to use roads
near a Tranvancore temple. Gandhian social action has to be understood in the context of the
Gandhian Philosophy of work which aimed at building a social and economic order based On
non-violence, and building the strength of the people and the moral fabric. It included not only
activities like relief work in emergencies but also setting Up basis education schools, the
promotion of khadi and other cottage crafts, Anti -liquor propaganda, uplift of the lower castes
and untouchables
‘Chetna’ march in Pancbmahal and Sabrakantha districts of Gujarat: This u'as organised
by DISHA (a voluntap organisation) which, on analysis of Its programmes, caine to the
conclusion that unless au'areness is among The forest laborers, minor forest produce collectors,
small communip action Groups and other agencies u'orking in the area, the injustices and
exploitation Would continue and the affected people would not come fom'ard to lodge their
complaints, narrate their grievances and seek redressal One of the methods Social Action
devised by DISHA to generate awareness was to organize a foot march in the area which covered
nearly 1000 km through the most backward districts
Mahila Mukti Morcha — Dalli Rajhara: Dalli Rajhara is an iron ore mining town in the
southern Durg district in Madhya Pradesh The mines here are largely worked manually through
contractors Contract laborers are mainly members of Adivasi, landless and small peasant
households from the seven districts of Chattisgarh in eastern Madhya Pradesh.
The women took a leading role in organising social action struggles For example, in 1979-80,
the wages of the workers improved after a successful struggle A successful anti-alcoholism
campaign was carried out on the ground that it drained hard won benefits back into the pockets
of the contractors and liquor merchants The mass mobilization achieved among the households
was a rare example of mobilization on a social issue. Women played a leading role in
propagating the philosophy of this campaign, and in organising mohalla committees, for
detection and punishment In 1982 the women started their ou'n forum called Mahila Mukti
Morcha (MMM) The forum concentrated on three broad areas of concern — women and work,
women and health and women's struggles Action arising out of MMM platform was largely
issue-based. Awareness and mobilization were effected through a varied of methods including
plays and songs, and through annual observation of martyrdom of those u'ho had struggled for
the rights of thPradesh
Narmada Bachao Andholan is a social action movement which has brought together several
organisations engaged in developmental issues, for the environmental problems caused by the
construction of the Narmada Dam. The movement today enjoys widespread support, cutting
across different segments of the population, apart from people directly affected by the
construction of the dam. The movement is spearheaded by eminent social u'orkers, scientists,
intellectuals, students and the local villagers Huge protest marches have been organised in which
villagers from far and near, from different states, have participated u'ith banners, shouting
slogans, sporting badges forming a human chain on the banks of the Narmada in protest, taking
pledges, organising demonstrations at the dam site, and often violating prohibitory orders Its
defiant message from the people to decision makers and planners is for full participation at all
the levels of planning and that the people are no longer prepared to watch in mute desperation, as
projects after projects are approved without ensuring that the benefits accrue mainly to the
people and are not cornered by the vested interests like the ‘contractor and the rich’ UNIT- 21
SOCIAL LEGISLATION
Legislation is an instrument to control, guide and restrain the behaviour of individuals and
groups living in socieq. Individuals and groups left in absolute freedom may clash with each
other in the pursuit of their self interest at the cost of others. They cause grave harm to sociep
leading to chaos Legislation isone of the many institutions which controls and directs individual
action into desirable channels. Others being social customs,traditions, religious prescription etc.
Law is a vast subject having many branches In a broad sense, all law’s are social in character, in
a narrow' sense only those lan's that are enacted for the purpose
of social welfare are categorized as social legislation There are several types of legislations such
as taxation,
corporate, civil, criminal, commercial etc. Sociallegislation is that branch of law’ which is an
aggregate of the law’s relating to the various socio- economic conditions of the people It is a
social institution that embodies the social norms created on the initiative of a competent
legislative agency These laws are enacted keeping in view the needs of the time, the
circumstances of the nation and its socio-political ideals.
Social Legislation as an Instrument of Social Cbange
1s social legislation a tool of social change? There are two schools of thought Social scientists of
one school believe that lan' in itself cannot lead to change, it can only follow' change. Thus it
cannot be an instrument of the basic transformation of values and attitudes On The other hand,
there are experts who are of the view that social legislation is an important enabling mechanism
of bringing social change. It u'ould not be incorrect to say that law alone, can not be truly
effective unless, it is supplemented and supported by public opinion and administrative
reforms Despite its limitations social legislation can be a pou'erful and effective tool in the
hands of the professional social u'orkers to fulfil their commitment to the weaker and the
marginalised sections of the sociep. Let us take a look at and understand its potential for change.
The British rule in India for the first time established the supreme authorip of law in social
matters, ensuring uniformiq in law and social order which India did nothave till then In the last
century, u'e have had a series of legislations intended for bringing about significant changes in
the status of women, children, scheduled castes and other such vulnerable groups on the one
hand, whereas there were legislations for bringing
reform in social institutions like family, marriage etc.on the other Since Independence a number
of social legislations have been passed. We know many of theevil practices such as sati pratha,
child marriage etc.may have still persisted, had the} not been curtailedby timely suitable
legislations. Social legislation, beset

as it may be with drawbacks, has nevertheless helped us to shelve many of our outmoded
traditional customs and practices For instance law’ has been instrumental
in bringing about a change in the status of women.Equalip of sexes has been ensured by our
constitution and law’ has endow'ed many rights on women at par with men. Today we have
legislation which prohibits
any discrimination on the ground of sex A woman can acquire, hold and transfer absolute
property in addition to Stridhan under the Hindu Succession Act 1956.TheAct further gives the
women the right of succession
equal to that of male heirs Where a Hindu male dies without making a will of his property, his
widow; mother,daughters and sons are all classified together as classl heirs and they take one
share each
The Down Prohibition Act of 1961 requires the dou'ryainount to be transferred to the bride
within three months from the time of the soleinnization of the marriage. This property is her
absolute property and goes to her heirs if she dies before receiving it. Thereforms in the marriage
law’s of Hindus have removed many disabilities traditionally imposed on u'oinen lthas abolished
bigamy and divorce can now’ be legallyclaimed by a wife. Child Marriage Restraint Act l929has
restrained child marriage. In matters ofemployment, a woman is entitled for equal pay as herinale
counterparts A daughter can be given and taken in adoption under the Hindu Adoption and
Maintenance Act 1956.
Law also has been instrumental in bringing aboutstructural transformation by abolishing the
caste system. Both under the constitutional and statutory law birth into any caste is no longer a
barrier to occupational choice. Abolition of untouchabilip by theProtection of Civil Rights has
paved the u'a} for socialmobility Many more such instances can be cited w'here the changes and
reforms are brought through social legislations Thus, we can say that social legislation has
helped in promoting opportunities for the exerciseof freedom, dignip and justice to the less
fortunate.Our traditions impede change but lan' can be instrumental in changing traditions and
old customary practices
Social Legislation and Social 1S'ork
As u'e have discussed the purpose of social legislation earlier, now we u'ill discuss the
relationship betu'een social work and social legislation. Social Work is professional help
extended to individuals, group and communities. Since social work aims at resolving problems
and issues related to structural inequalities, mass poverty, socio-economic injustices and
deprivation,the major task of today and in the coming days would be to promote social change
by einpou'ering people. Thelnternational Federation of Social Workers and thelnternational
Association of Schools of Social Workdefined social work “The social work profession promotes
social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empou'erment and liberation of
people to enhance well-being Utilising theories of human behaviour and social system, social
work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments” Principles of
human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work
Social Workers attempt to relieve and prevent hardship and suffering They have a responsibilip
to help individuals, families, groups and communities through the provision and operation of
appropriate services and

by contributing to social planning. They work u'ith, on behalf or in the interests of people to
enable them to deal with personal and social difficulties and obtain essential resources and
services Their work may include, but is not limited to, personal practice, group
work, community work, social development, socialaction, policy development, research, social
work education and supervisor and managerial functions in these fields Social legislation can be
used by professional social workers as a tool for social advocacy,
empowerment to ensure basic human rights, dignity,and conducive environment. In other words,
the overall thrust of social work will be on deve1opmental,remedial and rehabilitative
dimensions with a non elitist approach. Thus social legislation works as a tool for social reform,
social welfare, development and change.
SOCIAL ACTION GROUPS
action groups, it may be added that a social. action group is a group that is formed to take social
action which is essentially non-violent, though it may be militant.
UUCF's Social Justice Council organizes the congregation's major social justice efforts into the
follou'ing social action groups.
• Racial Justice Steering Committee
UUCF launched its commitment to exploration, learning and transformation around racial justice
with its campaign “Thirty Days of Love A Call to Action for Faith, Race and Justice” early in
2016. The congregation continues this commitment through a Racial Justice Steering Committee,
working on long-term advocacy, training, education, partnerships and engagement
• Committee for Immigration Justice
UUCF joined the Congregation Action Network in April 2017. The Network is a group of 70+
faith communities in DC, Maryland and Virginia dedicated to acting in solidarity to resist
policies that racially profile, criininalize, detain and deport undocumented immigrants and
discriminate against marginalized communities including those who are black, indigenous,
Muslim, Latinx and LGBTQ+. The Committee for Immigration Justice (CU) coordinates
UUCF's involvement in the Congregation Action Network and engages in other community
actions aimed at raising up the humanity of all people.
o Ending Gun Violence
UUCF is committed to ending gun violence and to urging our legislators to approve sensible gun
violence prevention legislation To that end, UUCF members passed a Congregational Resolution
on Preventing Gun Violence in 2013
In additional to other local, state and national actions on gun violence prevention, UUCFers
participate in gun violence prevention vigils at the National Rifle Association headquarters in
Fairfax on the 14th of each month at 10 a.m. (2 p m. if the l4th falls on a Sunday). These vigils
commemorate the lives lost to gun violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and
thousands of others since
• Climate Action Group and Paris Pledge Initiative
The UUCF Climate Action Group (CAG), founded in 2013, plans and implements climate-
related projects u'ith a direct impact on UUCF, its members and the interconnected web of life.
View’ this brief video to learn more about global warming/climate change, its human causation

and consequences CAG believes advocacy and solutions are necessaq now CAG is actively
involved in Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, an interdenominational climate action group
started by CAG members along with members of other congregations.
The Paris Pledge Initiative is a framework of CAG projects with the goal of reducing UUCF's
carbon dioxide emissions
• LIBTQ+ equality
For decades, UUCF has been dedicated to ensuring LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer and others) rights and is a Welcoming Congregation focused on education,
consciousness raising and fellowship within the UUCF community and beyond.
• Interfaith Connections and Refugee Resettlement Project
The mission of Interfaith Connections (formerly Muslim Liaison Group) is to build personal
relationships and deepen understanding betu'een UUCF and local faith communities, including
local Muslim communities. Click here for more information and a list of upcoming events In
2016, UUCF formed a Refugee Resettlement Project to sponsor a refugee family That family is
now independent, but several UUCF congregants maintain relationships u'ith the family
• Hypothermia Shelter
UUCF participates in this annual FACETS interfaith winter project, providing shelter for about
40 homeless adults homeless in Fairfax County Many volunteers are needed. Read more here. o
Rebuilding Together
For one day in April more than 40 UUCF volunteers come together to make a home more livable
for a local resident in need. The goal is to keep people living in warmth, safer and
independence, u'hile helping to build communities. The local Rebuilding Together program is
under the auspices of Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church, a non-profit that
preserves and develops decent and affordable housing for limited-income individuals and
families
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
In partnership u'ith Southgate Community Center in Reston, UUCF volunteers teach ESOL
classes for disadvantaged immigrant residents Check the What's happening page for upcoming
events
• Beacon House
UUCF and other area UU congregations have helped fund and provide volunteer support to
Beacon House since its founding in 1991. Beacon House provides tutoring, mentoring, cultural,
athletic, recreational and nutritional programs to at-risk children, ages 5-18, in and around the
Edgewood Terrace community in Ward 5 of Washington, DC Contact Beacon House President
Rev Donald Robinson
Paulo Freire and Saul Alins in u'orking u'ith community
Social Action has developed its theoretical position by drawing on a number of approaches
1nitia11} Social Action was influenced strongly by the ideas of Paulo Freire (1970) the Brazilian
liberationist educator It was also influenced by the writings of Marx and Engels and community
organizers and activists like Saul Alins (1971).
UNIT 22: Paulo Freire and Saul Alins in working with communip PAULO
FREIRE
Paolo Freire u'as a Brazilian educator who linked literacy w'ith development and social
change For Freire, education is political — it is either domesticating or liberating
Traditional education is based on a banking model where the teacher (expert) makes
deposits of knou'1edge, u'hich the student (object) banks to be regurgitated in exams. In
traditional (domesticating) education he describes the student as an einpq vessel into u'hich
the
teacher pours knowledge For Freire education is the practice of liberation both for the student
and the teacher
Freire has influenced education, health and cominunip development workers globally In an
international development context he critiqued the role of agricultural extension
workers and the ‘aid’ or ‘helping’ relationships which are based on an ideology of paternalism,
social control and non-reciprocity betu'een experts and ‘helpees’ Instead he poses an approach
based on equality, the abolition of privilege and non-elitist forms of leadership. This does not de-
role or de-skill the Social Action practitioner Rather it emphasises a different set of skills. These
are: listening; being interested in what matters to peopleasking open questions and listening and
accepting answers (even u'hen they clash u'ith your own values/view of the u'or1d); facilitating
open conversations: humility about what you don't know as well as what you do know Social
Action facilitators engage in dialogue with communip members and learn together how they can
apply their common partial knou'1edge of the subject being problematised Freire challenged the
notion of donors and recipients (see Pedagog} of the Oppressed and Cultural Action for
Freedom). For Social Action this means addressing the power relations bemeen the paid
professional and the ‘service user’ This means making yourself vulnerable as a worker because
you become the co-creators with communip members - the experts in their lives and their world.
Your skills are in facilitating conversations and enabling the ‘experts’ to uncover their worlds
This is what Friere describes as having the abilip to ‘dialogue u'ith educatees in a mode of
reciprocip'’
Social Action has taken his approach and methodolo and developed and adapted it to
work across the human services. Freire's critique of mainstream education in Brazil
resonated with m}/our experience of u'orking in communities and different service user
groups in the UK. For the most part u'e don't come from the communities in which we
practise This difference may be based on geography, class, race, gender, disability, age,
sexuality or other forms of difference. The challenge then is to connect with the group
or individual in a u'ay that generates a creative process.
There are three connected parts to Freire's methods which have influenced and guided
the development of Social Action. 1. Freire's approach is based on a belief that change

is possible through critical reflection and human action — Praxis. His focus is on enabling those
who are oppressed to transform their ou'n lives and to begin to transform their ou'n destinies,
(Casemore (1983). Praxis is dialogue, u'hich consists of both action and reflection, or active
reflection and reflective action, in an equal or balanced relationship
This dialogue breaks down the traditional relationship between teacher-student and
replaces it with a relationship where roles inter change and the student and the teacher are
co-investigators each reforming their thinking through reflecting u'ith each other Knowledge
is created and recreated through critical reasoning.Part two is problematisation, u'hich is a
process of finding 'generative themes’ in communities These are issues or situations that excite
the community and require action or change. The possibilip of change is indicated by posing
questions Problem posing is a process of questioning deeper structures: of challenging
commonly accepted ideas by posing more and more questions to dig beneath conventional or
common sense explanations of realip ; of raising and analysing contradictions (Kidd and Byrain
1982) To be effective the themes must be coded in the language and culture of the people
concerned, drawing on their experience.
Part three is conscientization, this he describes as “a permanent critical approach to realip in
order to discover it and discover the myths that deceive us and help to maintain the
oppressing dehumanising structures, (it) leaves nobody inactive” (Freire, Hard Cheese 1971)
Conscientization goes beyond consciousness raising or an awareness of reality and involves
critical development based on experience (Casemore, 1983) This is the process where
people become critically aware of the social, political, economic and environmental factors
that interact in a hegemonic u'ay to limit their lives (Ledwith, 1997). Conscientization leads
to political action.
ALINSKY
Saul Alinsky, communip activist and writer in the USA in the l950s/60s, wrote Rules for
Radicals, which influenced our early ideas about the relationship between individual action and
social change. He focused on communitv organising and was involved with key social issues of
the period, activating communities to challenge injustice.
“It is a grave situation when a people resign their citizenship or when a resident of a great city,
though he may desire to take a hand, lacks the means to participate. That citizen sinks further
into apathy, anonymity, and de-personalization. The result is that he comes to depend on public
authority and a state of civic-sclerosis sets in” (Alinsky Prologue to Rules for Radicals 197 l)
Alinsky's u'ork connected with Social Action because his philosophy is “anchored in optimism It
must be, for optimism brings u'ith it hope for a future with a purpose - and therefore a will to
fight for a better world. Without optimism there is no reason to carry on.”
Alinsky also had clear ideas on the role of the cominunip organiser and how you must look and
behave to engage in effective community organising “u'ith people who do not participate in the
endless responsibilities of citizenship and are resigned to live lives determined by others”
Because “to lose your identip as a citizen of democracy is but a step from losing your identity as
a person. People react to this frustration by not acting at all” (RE:generate Communip
Organising: 1s it for me? leaflet)
RE:generate go on to summarise what they see as the core ofAlins 's approach, drawn from
Rules for Radicals:
• As a community organizer, start from where the u'orld is and not as you would like it to
be
• People are ready to u'ork to change situations and to tackle problems that most affect and
frustrate them. Organise people around issues and problems that are important to them
• People start to change from where they are and from the realip they know’ best. Change
starts in the minds and hearts of the people
(taken from RE:generate Coininunip Organising: Is it for me? leaflet) Alinsky's
ideas are close to those of Freire's illustrated here.
“People only understand things in terms of their experience, u'hich means you must get within
their experience. Further, communication is a two-way process If you tq to get your ideas
across to others u'ithout paying attention to u'hat they have to say to you, you can forget about
the whole thing” (Ledwith, 2005).

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• A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristics in

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Types of social system

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Altered popes of consciousness include:

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Cbaracteristics of Social Problems

Causes of Social Problems

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• supremacy or preeminence over another

doctrine; racial discrimination The process of community integration and

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Community integration encompasses:

DISINTEGRATION OF THE COMIIL NITY

4IODULE- -2 LE.4DERSHIP.4ND COMML NITY’ ORG.4NIZATIO

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• Community leader is a designation, often by secondaq sources (particularly in the

1. It is a inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers

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UNIT- 5 THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP

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• According to Marry, It is to identify needs and takes action to develop cooperation,

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CO4IMUNI TY ORGANISATION .4S A PROBLEM SOL4’ING METHOD

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Principles of Community Organization

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2 Communities like individuals have a right to self-determination:

3 Social need is the basis for organization;

6 Services should be distributed equitably;

7 Diversity in the programme should be practised:

Application of the mind to the acquisition of know'ledge, as by reading, investigation, or

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The social work approacb:

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The specific tasks associated with this model are.

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10) Small industries including food processing

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25) Women and child welfare

Sector 7: Maintenance of Community Assets

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