Community Development Theory
Salman Wahid
SWK301Seminar72019.pptxSocial Development and international community work
Working With & Developing Communities
SWK301 Seminar 7
Community development is not one- dimensional but includes;
Social
Economic
Political
Cultural
Environmental
Spiritual
Personal
Survival development
See- Ife. J (2013) Community development in an Uncertain world
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Let’s focus on social development
“a process of planned social change designed to promote the well-being of the population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development.” (Midgely 1995: 25)
Midgely, J. (1995) Social Development: The developmental perspective in social welfare. London: Sage
The CDU library has ordered an updated version of Midgely’s book (2010) as an e-book .
Midgely is considered the key (and first) author in the social work/humanitarian area to write about social development
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Social development is a different approach to promoting welfare.
‘Unlike philanthropy and social work, social development does not deal with individuals either by providing them with goods or services, or by treating or rehabilitating them. Instead, social development focuses on the community or society, and on wider social processes and structures.’
(Midgely, 1995. p. 23)
How do structures impact on people’s lives?
There are a range of structures that impact on people’s lives.
List what you think might be some of structures
eg; government, business, social structures, organisations, etc
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Much of what we consider community development is also social development
Ife. J (2013) p. 214
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Social development
Service development
Community centre/neighborhood house
Social animation
Social planning
There are a range of understandings or approaches to community development….one of these is social development (Campfens, 1997)
Ref: Campfens, H. (Ed) (1997) Community Development around the world: Practice, theory, research, training. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
The term “social development’ – preceded the use of ‘community development”
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community development is informed by
Values
Attitudes
Perspectives
Empowerment
| Perspective | Source of ‘blame’ | Source of problem | Solution |
| Individual | Blame the victim | Individual pathology, psychological, biological, moral or character defect | Therapy, counselling, medical treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy, moral exhortation, control |
| institutional reformist | Blame the rescuer | Institutions to deal with the problem, court, schools, welfare department | Reorganise institutions, more resources, more services, better training.. |
Account of social issues
Ife, J (2016). Community development in an uncertain world.
This table outlines different ways to look at social issues, that go beyond the individual account. Building on the work of Taylor-Gooby and Dale (1981). Recognising that there is value in each of these approaches and there is a need to include elements of each. Be aware that social policy strategies rely on the first two.
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| Perspective | Source of ‘blame’ | Source of problem | Solution |
| Structural | Blame the system | Structural disadvantage/oppression; class, race, gender, income distribution, power.. | Structural change, changing basis of oppression, consciousness raising, liberation movements, revolution |
| Post -structural | Blame the discourse | Modernity, language, formation of language, shared understandings | Analysis and understanding of discourse, access to understandings, challenging the ‘rules’ |
Ife, J (2016)
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Shared Action Project, Long Gully
-A 3 year project focussed on safety of children as a community concern
-Parents, community members, leaders, local business, sport, were involved in a range of activities to create a safe community
-The solutions or responses were driven by local people
A three year project focussed on how to create safety for children in an area of Long Gully, Bendigo.
This story highlights what can happen when the workers don’t have a set of solutions, but work with the local people to determine what they think is important.
Local people were, involved in designing ways to generate a sense of community that saw children as central to it and their safety as a shared concern. Some of local developments included; a local footy team, local leadership development.
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How do we apply this in an international context?
International community work
What do you think of when you hear the term, international community work?
International community work often has connotations of colonising, outsiders directing projects, failed projects, money not well spent, …….
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Colonisation
-imposes one world view/culture as superior to another
-is oppressive
-exploitative
-can be well intentioned
Be aware of colonising approach in community work in a local or international setting–(these statements are warning signs!)
How will I get people to listen to me?
How will I get them to come to my meeting?
They should…
I’m doing this for them.
They should be grateful.
I know what they need.
The language used by a worker can signal the way in which they work, their approach, their values.
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Links to community work
Community work and community-based work focusses on process of establishing, or re-establishing structures of human community within which new ways of relating, organising social life and meeting human need become possible (Ife, 1995).
How does this fit in the context of international community work? How does this apply to working with displaced people after a natural disaster ?
To be effective in working with communities ALL elements need to be considered; social, political, economic…
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Think back to the earlier slide (no. 2) Community development is concerned with all domains of community life
Think of ways that economic development can be part of effective community development
Think of ways political development could be part of effective community development (remember consciousness raising)
Discuss this in small groups and brainstorm different examples you know .
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Summary
Community development is concerned with all areas of development
Perspectives shape approaches
‘Colonisation’ applies to both international and local contexts
Next session Culture, identity and community work
