The social
construction of the community
Contents
What is society?: (
Top)
“A
society or a human society is (1) a group of people related to each
other through persistent relations. (2) A large social grouping that
shares the same geographical territory, subject to the same political
authority and dominant cultural expectations.
The term society came
from the Latin
word societas, which in turn was derived from the noun socius
("comrade, friend, ally"; adjectival form socialis) thus used to
describe a bond or interaction among parties that are friendly, or at
least civil. Human societies are characterized by patterns of
relationships (social relations) between individuals sharing a
distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described
as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members.
Without an article, the term refers either to the entirety of humanity
or a contextually specific subset of people. In social sciences, a
society invariably entails social stratification and/or dominance
hierarchy.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society)
Societies
are more than a bunch
of people stuck together in the same space and time. They are organised into groups that have various
functions
within society. These functions
are organised
into various roles that fit together like a clock or a play.
These
groups can be described in
any number of ways according to the relationship of the group with other groups in society. They
provide a way to
understand our relationships
with each other and
the others around us:
... Society:
probably the most inclusive or generalised
... Community: defines our
relationships within
society
... Clubs: defines our
relationships within the
community
... Teams: defines our
relationships within clubs
... Groups: defines our
relationships within
teams
(These groups
can be reorganised any way according to the perspective of the user)
The expressions "society", "social" and "community" have often been
used to mean the same things. A social group describes the common
characteristics of a group, but not the personal relationships within
the group. A community group is the shared interests, networks and
relationships we have with each other within society. While a person
can move from one community to another easily according to his/her
needs at a particular time, it is more difficult to move from one
society to another. As a result we see lots of communities that are a
part of the same social group.
If someone wants to build a nuclear reactor in a suburb, I would be
more inclined to protest if it was planned to be built in my suburb. If
the nuclear reactor became a social issue, there would be a great deal
of discussion about the project.
Simply put,
society could be best
described as the way we do things, and, community is
who we do those things with.
What is community?: (
Top)
A community is not
"My Community".
It is
"Our Community".
Communities are as varied and individual as its members. Often people
belong to two or more communities. Family, education, business, work,
sport, religion, culture all involve communities that we take for
granted as a normal part of our lives. They seem to be a part of the
background. It’s only when things are not going the way that we want,
that we take any notice of them.
Most people think of communities as a place or setting, or a suburb or
city that they live in. Communities are much more that that. They are
the very essence of how we live and socialise with others. We have our
own personal communities, the communities that we are a part of and the
communities that we associate with. Communities are the building blocks
that allow us to make sense of the world in which we live, participate
and share experiences. They provide a sense of identity and purpose, a
sense of being a part of and belonging.
The origin of community
is from the
latin word:
"In
sociology, the concept of community has led to significant debate, and
sociologists are yet to reach agreement on a definition of the term.
There were ninety-four discrete definitions of the term by the
mid-1950s. Traditionally a "community" has been defined as a group of
interacting people living in a common location. The word is often used
to refer to a group that is organized around common values and is
attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location,
generally in social units larger than a household. The word can also
refer to the national community or global community.
The word "community" is derived from
the Old French communité which is derived from the Latin
communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad term for
fellowship or organized society." (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community)
"Community:
The origin of the word "community" comes from the Latin munus, which
means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So
community literally means to give among each other." (
http://www.seek2know.net/word.html)
The idea of "community" probably came about where people gathered
around a common area for their mutual benefit. Sharing a language,
customs, ideas, skills, goods and services, or protection from enemies
would be some of the advantages in being a part of a group. Over the
years the idea of community has change to accomodate different things.
While different definitions mean different things, the idea is the
same; that a group comes together or lives together to share something
that is of value to the members of that community. Today the word
"community" has taken on whole new meanings, New technology in
communitation and transportation mean that a community is no longer
where we live. While we may live in a suburb, town, city or some
geographical location, they no longer define the communities that we
are a part of. Communities have also become so specalised these days
that we no longer look for one community to fulfill our needs.
Characteristics of a
community: (
Top)
While communities are as
individual as
their members, they are usually
organised or built around a set of principles that allows the members
to participate in the community
... Access: the members
must be able
to
access the community
... Communication: the members must be able to communicate with each
other
... Presence: the members must have some sort of relationship with
the
other members (see themselves, and are seen, as a part of the community)
... Participation: the members must have some sort of involvement
within the community
The community also needs ...
... A way of defining itself as a
community
:... An agreement between the members about what the community
does and
how it is to be done
These principles could be described as the characteristcits
of the community.
Characteristics of a community:
... Has one or more
roles
that
define its identity within
society.
... Has a set of goals - provides a sense of direction.
... Is organised within a set of formal/informal
beliefs,
values, expectations and behaviours that defines the boundary of
the community.
... The boundary may be explicit (physical) or implicit (defined by the
shared characteristics of its members).
... Has ownership of it's members.
... There is some form of communication between members.
... Has skills and resources that are shared between the members.
... Balance the needs of the community with the needs of its members.
... Often has clubs, teams, groups etc. within the
community.
While different
communities have
different roles in society, they all share the same characteristcits.
These characteristics could also be described as its
social
construction. They provide
the building blocks that the community is built on. While it is
preferable for communities to have all these characteristics,
communities that do not have all, or where a characteristic is severly
lacking, could be considered as a
Dysfunctional
community. An
institution is an improtant part of the social construction of the
community. The institution describes the means of cooperation, order
and stability within the community.
Roles: (
Top)
Communities have five main roles or finctions:
… To provide a service to
the members,
… To provide the skills and rescources necessary for the community.
… To maintain the community to a standard that can be used by all
members.
… To balance the needs of the members with the needs of the community,
… To share and draw on skills / resources where needed.
Each
community is based on a model that
loosley describes it's function or role within society.
Three broad (and simplistic) models could be
described as, but not limited to:
… Social
(holistic): is concerned with who we are,
and how we socialise with each other. Human interaction with each other
and the
environment play an important part. Settings are all about how the
members interact with each other and how
the
environment affects the members as a group. Members also have the
opportunity
to change their own environment to their own needs without affecting
the
community as a whole. The purpose (objectives, goals, policies etc.)
of the
community are less formal with less defined roles.
… Professional (holistic/specialised): is concerned with providing an
environment that accommodates the particular profession or the activity
of the
profession (educational / medical / business). The members have to fit
in to
structured environments that are less accommodating to the needs of
individual
members and how they interact with each other. Settings are about
groups of
people, and how the person fits into the environment rather than how
the
environment fits into the person. The purpose (objectives, goals,
policies
etc.) of the community is formal with clearly defined roles for its
members.
Community services are often built around the professional model, where
staff
or volunteers are employed by the service to support the service users
within
the goals, values etc. of the service provider. Records are kept on
budgets,
expenses, care plans, progress notes, medical histories etc.
… Scientific (specialised): is concerned with research,
facts and
figures. The setting is highly structured around a set of standards,
procedures and principles that do not allow for individuals. Focus is
on objective systematic enquiry of objects, patterns
of behavior and interactions, time and resources, balance sheets and
budgets, efficiencies
of
scale, opportunity cost etc. Research communities need to have a
consistent approach to inquiry so results can be analysed and compared.
Sporting communities are about finding the best performance of the
players to achieve a desired outcome - to win the game.
The three models and how they relate to the community.
Communities are generally a
mixture of
the three types (Social, Professional
and Scientific). Social groups need to have the freedom to socialise,
but also
need some order and structure to coordinate activities and work within
budgets
etc. Work places etc. need formal structures and environments to
achieve
the
desired goals, but there also needs to be some flexibility to allow for
individual needs. Scientific communities study, measure and analyse the
behavior, performance and the environment of the individual and the
group, but
they also need to have some flexibility to allow for individual needs.
The
role
of
the community provides the
members with a sense of belonging and purpose. Community
roles
can be active in providing a
service, supportive, where
the members support the activities of another community, or a mixture
where the members share experiences,
resources, skills and knowledge with each other. Communities can be
recreational, and provide a social
role
in enabling its members to
participate in various activities, or provide an educational role in
providing its members
with knowledge, skills and resources. A community could also be a
service
provider, an
organisation, a local community group or
any service that supports people with high support needs (
Characteristics of
the service
provider), or fulfill
any other
role
that is valued in society
as well as other communities that it is a part of.
Valued
roles
provide a common cause or
focus for
the community. The
members develop a sense of pride and purpose in being a part of the
community that bond and strengthen the community. The
role
is valued in
a sense that it brings something to the wider community that it is a
part of, as well as the members of the community. Valued
roles
are also
about community leadership
that is intouch with the community and can create a feeling of
importance within the members.
... Community members that
support
disadvantaged people in their community
are valued by those people, as well as the community that they are a
part of, Meals on Wheels etc. Members offer support and provide a
service in helping others in their community. I remember the LIONS club
was involved in supporting people in the community. It is possible for
any
community to institute this culture. We often see this happening
spontaneously in communities where a member is sick etc.
... Recreation communities are valued within the wider community in
providing a means for its members to participate in
activities, develop skills, share experiences and and friendships
within the activity.
... Supporters that support a sporting
club
are valued by the club and have a valued
role
in
the club. The club
also has a valued
role
in the wider
community.
... Volunteers that work for and support organisations are valued by
the
organisation and have a valued
role
within the
organisation.
... Events such as 'Clean up Australia' provide a valued
role
for
communities and groups to clean up Australia.
There are lots of other
examples of
communities and groups that have a
valued
role.
This can happen in any community where disadvantaged people can be
included in activities through various strategies.
By providing a valued
role
for a
community
(living, recreation,
education or employment) through some form of participation where a
person is included in the community (active
role),
rather than the
current model (supportive
role),
the
community
learns new values and
skills in supporting people people with high support needs.
Minority communities generally have devalued roles in society. These
communities have a charecteristic, agenda or function that is not
representive of the society in which the community participates.
Institutions: (
Top) (See
also
Characteristics
of an
institution.)
Institutions define the way we interact with each other within the
community. They
are determined by the formal and informal cultures and values of the
society in which the community participates, and provide order and
stability within the community.
Without a form of order and stability ...
... the community can not
fulfill its
role,
... there are no boundaries that define the community,
... the members do not see themselves as a part of the community,
... communication brakes down, or is nonexistent
... the commnity looses its skills and reources,
... the community can not fulfill its needs,
... clubs, teams, groups etc are no longer are a part of
the
community,
These 6 broad characteristics can be further broken down to describe a
particular insitution.
Institutions can be thought of within two main groups:
1) Institutional care:
provides the
mechanisms for providing support for a group in society.
... Short term care
... Long term care
2) Social institutions: provides the mechanisms for social interaction
and participation.
Types of institutions:
... Community
... Cultural
... Religious
... Health
... Sporting
... Educational
... Recreational
... Professional
Boundaries: (
Top)
Boundaries can be physical, virtual or psychological. They define the
identity of the community. All communities need a way to determine what
the community does and how it does it. Without boundaries, the roles of
the community become meaningless. Does a sporting community focus on
transportation or scientific research? While transportation or
scientific research may be a part of the community, they are not a part
of the role on the community in society.
Without boundaries the community may ...
... become unfocused,
... become too diversified and uncoordinated,
... not adequately provide for its own needs, or the needs of its
members,
... create tensions within communities that it is a part of, or a
part of it,
... create layers of bureaucracy that become communities in their own
right,
Boundaries are often defined by the ...
... the institutions of
the community
... the members of the community
... the settings (physical, virtual or psychological)
... government (local state and federal) policy and practice
... other communities that it is are a part of, or are a part of it
Members: (
Top)
... there is a sense of
ownership and
responsibility of the members that are a part of the community,
... coordination and cooperation between members is vital for any
community to achieve its goals,
... leadership - leadership defines institutions of the community.
Just as a community has valued/devalued
roles
in society, the members also have valued/devalued
roles
within the
community. These
roles
provide the members with a sense of purpose in achieving the goals of
the community. Members with low valued roles are generally
marginalised in the community.
Valued
roles:
Teacher - student, doctor
-
patient, painter - art
lover, friend - friend all suggest there is a positive co-relationship
between the
roles.
Other
roles
such as policeman, politician, professor,
accountant, fisherman, businessman, banker all suggest a value in
providing a service within the community. How these
roles
are practiced
depends on the person in the
role.
A
policeman or
banker for example
have valued
roles,
but may use the
role
to their own advantage in
abusing his/her power or stealing money.
Devalued
roles:
Devalued
roles
are usually assigned to
people that do not fit into the community (marginalised). These
roles
describe a
negative characteristic of
a person
that sticks out. Others may also be assigned the same
role
(labeling)
in order to legitimise or justify the person or group being treated
differently to others in the community. Deviant, sick, druggie, dole
bludger etc. are some labels that are used to devalue a person or group.
The community needs to be able to communicate with its members in order
to achieve its goals.
The members communicate with each other to share thoughts, feelings,
experiences, skills and knowledge. Clear thinking and expression of
thoughts is essential to effective communication.
The community also needs to communicate with others outside the
community. To function effectively as a community, the community needs
to be able to respond to events that are outside the community and have
an impact on the community.
“Communication is the process of exchanging information, beliefs and
feelings among people; it may be oral, written, or nonverbal.
Information may travel up, down, or horizontally.” [
5]
Oral communication:
The most common form.
Written communication:
People communicate using
words, signs,
pictures etc.
Nonverbal communication:
The most misunderstood
form of
communication. All behaviour is communication. When we talk to someone
or write to someone we also convey messages in our behaviour (gestures
etc) to reinforce the communication. When there is no verbal or written
communication associated with the
behaviour, the respondent has to interpret the behaviour into something
that can be made sense of. Mostly the message is obvious but sometimes
the message does not get through.
A good example:
Person A is shouting and
screaming.
Person B may think:
Person A is shouting and screaming because the person happy.
Person A is shouting and screaming because the person is upset, angry
or in pain.
Person A is shouting and screaming at me and needs to be disciplined.
Person A is shouting and screaming to draw attention to some event (the
place is on fire etc).
The main function of communication is to make decisions. The
effectiveness of the community is dependent upon the quality of the
decisions, and the quality of the decisions is dependent upon the
quality of the communication between its members. Communication and
decision making involve the exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions.
Winn & Guditus [
5]
describe communication, as
well as decision
making, as essential to all other functions such as planning,
organising, coordinating, goal setting, directing, evaluating, managing
conflict, and managing change.
For a community to be able to effectively communicate to each other,
there needs to be a code, or set of principles. Anderson [
6]
lists some
examples of productive behaviours.
... All members
participate and freely
express themselves
... Members are listened
to and receive
empathic responses
... Supporting and having respect for each other
... Treating everyone equally, whilst valuing difference eg. Gender
... Taking time to appreciate one another’s point of view
... Aiming for mutual understanding
... Respecting the knowledge and experience each brings to the task
... Being non-judgemental / avoiding negative criticism
... Being open to learning
Skills and recources: (
Top)
Data
collection and information
... Understanding the
services and
service processes
... Identify existing resources in the community
... Identify resources not in the community
... Adequate and appropriate service delivery strategies and mechanisms
in place
... Innovating
An available source of wealth that can be drawn upon when needed.
The community needs to have resources that it can depend on in order to
achieve its goals.
Inventory and control of resources
... The most important
resources are
the members themselves. Members bring their own resources
(experiences, skills,
knowledge, tools, equipment etc) to the community.
... Tools and equipment
... Facilities
... Natural resources
Allows for reliable, effective and efficient use of the resources.
Resources can be quickly distributed and used where necessary.
Resources that are not used can be identified.
A community generally needs a set of skills and resources in order to
achieve it's goals. They provide an available source of wealth that
can be drawn upon when needed.
The skills and resources of the community ...
... knowledge based skills
: the
particular
skills of the community. While
communities generally have a set of skills, there is a specific skill
or charasteristic that defines the community.
... physical resources : community facilities or services that are
available to the members.
While community skills and resources are available to the community,
they may not be available to all members within the community. The
members also need their own skills and resources to access those skills
and resources. Just as a country may have a known amount of resources,
these resources ane not automatically available to its citizens. The
members may need to invest some personal time and resources in gaining
access to the skills and resources of the community. There may also be
some negotiation, payment, policy, process, induction or rite of
passage that
allows or disallows a person access to those skills and resources.
The skills and resources of its members ...
... the skills that can be
shared by
the members
... the physicial wealth that can be shared by the members
... the social networks of its members
While the community has it's skills and resources, the members also
have their own skills and resources. These are needed to access the
community. They are also shared between the members where there is a
common need between the members. The members may also share their
personal skills and resources in times of crises or where the community
is threatened. Often the needs of the community come before the needs
of it's members, and as a result some members may become disadvantaged
where their skills and resources may be taken from them and used to
provide for the needs of the community. Rates and taxes that are used
to provide community services and facilities is one example where
personal wealth (skills and resources) is used to fulfill a need that
all members may be unable to acces. A community need may be a new
football stadium, however, only a small group of members will take
advantage of the stadium. What happens to the poor, the aged, the
members with no education, health or transportation?
Needs: (
Top)
Communities are
"a one size fits all",
where
individual needs are less inportant to the overall health of the
community. Where a particular personal need is not prioritised as a
community need, a specalised service may be provided to fulfill that
need. Any minortiy groups within a community have this problem where
their individual need is not important to the survival of the
community. It is only through social action, change and awareness that
an issue can be resolved. Often this may create other problems where
other members are disadvantaged through the change.
Communities (clubs, businesses,
services and
organisations etc) have internal needs as well as external needs.
This
distinction has often been misunderstood, and as a result, communities
often treat these needs the same way. Internal needs are essential to
the community fulfilling its role in society, external needs allow the
community to participate in society. While external needs are essential
to the survival of the community, they are not essential to the role of
the community. External needs are needs that do not need to be sourced
within the community, While communication is an internal need, the type
of communication used is an external need. While transportation may
seem to be an internal need (to get from one place to another), it is
an external need, unless the role of
the community is to provide transportation. While community access is
an internal need, I would argue that the way the members access the
community is a personal need, unless the existance of the community is
threatened. A person or group of people may negotiate with others in
the community, or, provide regulations or services that facilitate
access into the community.
Communities that do not
prioritise these needs often find that their role becomes blurred,
unfocused or to generalised. This also creates a state of imbalance
within its own role in society, and the roles of the other communities
that it associates with in society. We see communities taking on roles
that are already provided by other
communities. Societies are
probably
responsible
for this blurring of
community roles.
Social values, attitudes and expectations dictate government policy and
practice in
determining what a community can and can't do.
Internal:
The community needs to
function as a
community. The principles described above allow the members to
participate with each other as a community.
... presence and
participation - the
community must see itself as a
community by its members and others within the wider community.
... access - the members must be able to access the community
... space (physical or virtual) - defines the arena of the community.
... leadership - leadership defines institutions of the community.
... goals - provide a sense of direction.
... boundaries - allows the community to define itself as a community.
... safety needs - members feel that they can call on other
members in times of need or when threatened.
... belongingness and love needs - ownership, shareing, affection,
relationships, etc.
... esteem needs - self-esteem, values,
expectations and behaviours, etc.
... self-actualization needs - empowernment, realising potential,
self-fulfillment.
(Taken from
Abraham
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)
External:
What factors influence the
way the
community fulfills its internal needs?
... what skills and resources are available within the community?
... what skills and reaources are available outside the community?
... government policy and practice - rules, regulations.
... available skills and resources within the wider community.
... relationships with other communities - how do other communities
advantage or disadvantage the community?
Teams, groups: (
Top)
Societies are more than a bunch of
people stuck together in the same
space and time. They are organised into groups that have various
functions
within society. These functions are organised into various
roles
that
fit together like a clock or a play. These groups can be described in
any number
of ways according to the relationship of the group with other groups in
society.
These groups provide a way to understand our relationships with each
other and the others around us:
... Society: probably the
most
inclusive or
generalised
... Community: defines our relationships within society
... Clubs: defines our relationships within the community
... Teams: defines our relationships within clubs
... Groups: defines our relationships within teams
(These groups can be reorganised any way according to the perspective
of
the user)
Communities are generally organised into teams or groups. These teams
or groups provide the mechanisms for coordinalion and cooperation
between the members. The success of the community in fulfilling it's
role in society is dependent on each team or group fulfilling its role
within the community
When providing the most
appropriate
care for people with high support
needs ...
1) The community is not
where the
person is living, but where the
person participates, shares experiences and has valued relationships
with others.
2) People with high support needs (severe disability, aged etc.)
will always need support structures as a part of their lives.
3) The amount of participation in a community (living, education,
employment or recreation) is directly related to the skills and
resources of the person, and, the skills and resources of the
community that the person wishes to participate in.
4) Institutions are going to be around in one form or another
whether we like it or not, It is the way that they are used that is the
problem.
5) The institutions of a society towards a particular group
determine the way the group participates in society.
6) The institutions of a particular government department,
organisation,
profession or service define the way the person is supported within
that society.
7) Facilities that support people with high support needs do not
need to be the nursing homes or prisons in the
sense
that they are today, but can become warm inviting community places that
offer a range of services to the community, as well as be a part of the
wider community within that society.
8) People with high support needs are a minority group in our
society, and will have the same problems as other minority groups in
being a part of society.
Peter Anderson
http://www.psawa.com
