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Definitions of Community Development
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What is Community Development
Work? The key purpose of community development work is collectively to bring about social change and justice, by working with communities to:
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Community Development Work: values
These outline the basic values and principles for good community development work practice. The values that underpin the standards are:
Working towards a fairer society that respects civil and human rights and challenges oppression.
Individuals and groups have the right to identify shared issues and concerns as the starting point for collective action.
Valuing and using the skills, knowledge, experience and diversity within communities to collectively bring about change.
Empowering communities to develop their independence and autonomy whilst making and maintaining links to the wider society
Everyone has the right to fully participate in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Effective community development is informed and enhances through reflection on action. |
Within the Standards, Key Roles for community development workers are summarised as follows:
Key role A - Develop working relationships with communities and organisations;
Key
role B - Encourage people to work with and learn from each other;
Key
role C -Work with communities to plan for change and take collective action;
Key
role D - Work with communities to develop and use frameworks for evaluation;
Key
role E - Develop community organisations and;
Key
role F - Reflect on and develop one’s own practice and role.
Other
useful definitions are found in ‘Methods and Themes in Community Practices’
(Glen 1993,). This text describes three forms of ‘community practice’. Often these three forms of ‘community practice’ are
in operation, in tandem, in one project, programme, or initiative.
Glen’s
three forms of community practice are:
1. Community
Development, which
aims to promote community through the community members defining and meeting
their own needs. It uses creative and co-operative processes and
professionals work in non-directive ways.
2. Community
Action, which
involves campaigning for community interests and community policies. The
participants are socially excluded groups organising to gain more power over
their lives, using campaigning tactics on concrete issues. Professionals
assist as organisers mobilising for political action.
3. Community Service, which develops community organisations and services by trying to maximise community involvement in management and delivery.
Figure II. Glen's typology of three forms of community practice
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PRIVATE |
Community Development | Community Action |
Community Services Approach |
| Aims |
Promoting community
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Campaigning for community interests and community policies |
Developing community oriented organisations and services |
| Participants | Community defining and meeting own needs | Structurally oppressed groups organising for power | Organisations./service users as partners |
| Methods | Creative and co-operative processes | Campaign tactics on concrete issues | Maximising community/user involvement and inter agency links |
| Roles | Professionals working in a non-directive way |
Activists/organisers mobilising for political action
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Service managers restructuring transactions with users |
Glen A: (1993) Methods and Themes in Community Practice, in Butcher H., Glen A; Henderson P; and Smith J: (1993) Community and Public Policy, London, Pluto Press
The
building blocks for community development -What
makes for a good community?
These might be considered the ten key characteristics of a good & well functioning community.
It will be:
(1) A learning community, where people and
groups gain
knowledge, skills and confidence through community activity.
(2) A fair and
just community, which upholds civic rights and
equality of opportunity, and
which recognises and celebrates
the distinctive features of its cultures.
(3)
An active and empowered community, where people are fully
involved and which
has strong and varied local organisations
and a clear identity and
self-confidence.
(4)
An influential community, which is consulted and has a strong
voice in
decisions which affects its interest.
(5) An
economically strong community, which creates
opportunities for work and
which retains a high proportion of its
wealth.
(6) A caring
community, aware of the needs of its members and in
which services are of
good quality and meet these needs.
(7) A green
community, with a healthy and pleasant environment,
conserving resources and
encouraging awareness of
environmental responsibility.
(8) A safe
community, where people do not fear crime, violence or
other hazards.
(9) A welcoming
community, which people like, feel happy about
and do not wish to leave.
(10) A lasting
community, which is well established and likely to
survive.
The
first four are about community empowerment, aiming to encourage communities
to be better able to cope with, challenge or change their situation. The
other six, known as the quality of life building blocks indicate the type of
community that community development tries to achieve.
[i]
What
is meant by social capital?
To some, community development is regarded as a process of building social capital or social assets. It means the social resources provided by friends, neighbours, families and organisations that help us get through life and contribute to our physical, social and economic well being. A formal definition of Community Capacity Building is ‘activities, resources and support that strengthen the skills and abilities of people and community groups to take effective action and leading roles in the development of their communities’. [ii] For example, being a member of a Carers & Toddlers group can help young carers to develop friendships and local contacts, which in times of need could provide a shoulder to cry on and confidence, knowledge and support to cope.
There are three types of social capital or social assets: [iii]
Bridging capital, which is inclusive and outward looking, encompassing people across diverse ethnic, cultural and social cleavages. Examples of bridging social capital include youth service groups, ecumenical religious organisations and anti-racist organisations.
Bonding capital, which is by choice or necessity inward looking, and tends to reinforce the identity and confidence of homogeneous groups. Examples of bonding social capital could include ethnic groups, homeless groups, special interest groups and religious groups.
Linking capital, which is the extent and nature of relationships and trust between different decision-makers and those with power. Examples of linking social capital could include between funders, a local authority and a residents group who work together to improve the local area.
[i]
From the Social Exclusion Unit (1998) and Taylor, M; Barr, A; West, A: Signposts to Community Development. Community Development
Foundation, 1992, reprinted 2000.
[ii]
From Building Civil Renewal, Civil Renewal Unit, Home Office, 2003.
ccbr@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
[iii] Federation of Community Development Learning newsletter, Winter 2004 pages 6 & 7
