In order to study community organization, we have to understand the concept of community. The term community is used in different contexts: a religious community, business community or caste based community etc., but in the context of social work, a community is defined as a group of people living in a common geographical area, sharing common interests and having a sense of belonging. The term Community Organization is used to refer to a process as well as field. This double usage is a familiar phenomenon. We refer to the practice of medicine as a process and to the field of medicine; to the teaching process and to the field of teaching; to the practice of law, which is a process, and to the legal field etc. Community organization is carried on within the area of social work and it is one of the techniques of social work.
The term "community organization covers a series of activities at the community level aimed at bringing about desired improvement in the social well being of individuals, groups and neighborhoods". Community organizing is about creating a Democratic instrument to bring about sustained social change. According to Murray G.Ross, " Community organization is a process by which a community identifies needs and takes action, and in doing so... develops cooperative attitudes and practices. Community organization is a technique for obtaining a consensus concerning both the values that are most important for the common welfare and the best means of obtaining them Sanderson and Polson (1939). Community Organization means a process by which community identify its need or objectives finds the resources (Internal & / or External) to deal with these needs or objectives, takes action in respect to them, and in so doing extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community--.Murray G Ross
In the literature of community organisation we find various sets of principles. Dunham (1958) has presented a statement of 28 suggested principles of community organisation. He grouped those under seven headings. Democracy and social welfare, Community roots for community programs, Citizen understanding, support, and participation and professional service, Co operation, Social Welfare Programs, Adequacy, distribution, and organisation of social welfare services, and Prevention.
The twelve principles identified by Ross are: Discontent with existing conditions in the community must initiate and/or nourish development of the association. Discontent must be focused and channeled into organisation, planning, and action in respect to specific problems. Discontent which initiates or sustains community organisation must be widely shared in the community. The association must involve leaders (both formal and informal) identified with, and accepted by major subgroups in the community. The association must have goals and methods and procedures of high acceptability.
The programme of the association should include some activities with an emotional content. The association should seek to utilize the manifest and latent goodwill which exists in the community. The association must develop active and effective lines of communication both within the association and between the association and the community. The association should seek to support and strengthen groups which it brings together in cooperative work. The association should develop a pace of work relative to existing conditions in the community. The association should seek to develop effective leaders. The association must develop strength, stability and prestige in the community.
Keeping in mind the actual practice situations in India Siddiqui (1997) have worked out a set of 8 principles. The Principle of Specific Objectives The Principle of Planning The Principle of Peoples Participation The Principle of inter-group approach The Principle of democratic functioning The Principle of flexible organisation The Principle of Optimum Utilisation of Indigenous Resources The Principle of Cultural orientation
Removal of blocks to growth (in individuals, groups as well as in communities) Release of full potentialities (in individuals, groups as well as in communities) Full use of inner resources (in individuals, groups as well as in communities) Development of capacity to manage ones own (individual, group & community) life Increasing the ability to function as an integrated unit
The social work Approach Political Activists Approach Neighborhood maintenance/Community development Approach
1.The social work Approach: In this approach, the society is viewed as a social organism and therefore the efforts are oriented towards building a sense of community. The community organizer whose role is of an "enabler or an advocate " helps the community identify a problem in the neighborhood and strives to achieve the needed social resources by gathering the existing the social services and by lobbying with some in power to meet the needs of the neighborhood. This method is more consensual and the neighborhood is seen as a collective client. One example of this approach is the social settlement movement USA and war on poverty program of the Johnson administration in the 1960s.
The political Activists Approach:Saul Alinsky, the Godfather of community organizing is the founder of this approach .He emerged as a community organizer in the 1930s.The basic philosophy of this approach is based on his thinking that " more representative the organization the stronger the organization." In this approach the community is seen as a political entity and not as a social organism. Here, the neighborhood is viewed as a potential power base capable of getting power. The role of the community organizer is to help the community understand the problem in terms of power and necessary steps are taken to mobilize the community. The problem of the neighborhood is always identified as absence of power and in the interest of gaining power for the neighborhood the organizers are faced with conflicts with groups, interests and elities. Since most of the community organizers come from out side the community, it has faced the problems of equality of power relations and leadership in the community. Unlike the social work approach to community organization this approach has the potential to create stable, democratic and effective organisations of neighborhood residents by seeing its role as " meeting power with power"
Neighborhood maintenance/Community development Approach: This approach has emerged out of both the previous approaches namely within the same neighborhood movements. It is seen in the form of civic associations. This association uses peer group pressure to provide services in the community. They use this strategy to pressurize the officials to deliver services to the community but sometimes this approach takes the form of political activists approach as they realize that their goals can be only achieved only through confrontations. In this approach we see the characteristics of de-emphasis on dissent and confrontation and these organisations view themselves as more proactive and development minded.
LOCALITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL: It involves citizens in addressing common interests, defining problem, and developing solutions by building a sense of community. The main focus of this model is whole community or a part of it. The basic belief is that communities have some common needs and interests and once the people realize this need and work together democratically they can take appropriate steps to improve the quality of life. Here the role of the community organizer is to enhance the involvement of the people in the community and help the community to plan and help them find a solution to the problem. It is similar to work of community development, which is done in the underdevelopment world. It refers to the community organization practice when a worker or an agency attempts to develop various schemes and programs to meet the needs of the target population in a defined area. It also includes coordination of various agencies providing a variety of services in the area.
Social planning MODEL: It utilizes the structure of formal organisationas as well as the findings of research to decide rationally upon courses of action to solve substantive community problems. It refers to the type of community work where a worker or agency undertakes an exercise of evaluating welfare needs and existing services in the area and suggests a possible blue print for a more efficient delivery of services, it is termed as social planning. The community planner works in greater capacity with the government and is often identified with power structure of the community but interested in the needs and attitudes of the community. For example:Housing, education, health, childcare and so on. Its aim is to affect a large population.
SOCIAL ACTION MODEL: It is a incorporates conflicts and confrontational tactics and techniques to advocate social justice and shifts in power structures. According to Friedlander,W.A. ( 1963) " Social Action is an individual, group or community effort within the framework of the social work philosophy and practice that aims to achieve social progress, to modify social policies and to improve social legislation and health and welfare services". According to Rothman is that of social action. According to him social action is a strategy used by groups or sub communities or even national organisations that feel that they have inadequate power and resources to meet their needs. In this type of community organisations the community organizer uses all means to pressure the power structure to give in to demands. The role of organizers may differ depending the issues they get involved in. The role may be of advocate, activist, agitator, broker or negotiator. It is a process. This organizing process goes through different stage .So the role of the organizer will also change as per the roles of the organisor at each stage.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Designates the utilization of various techniques and methods under one single programme which rely upon the local community as the unit of action and which seeks to combine outside assistance with that of organized self determination and the efforts of the people and in this process seeks to stimulate local initiative and leadership as the primary instruments of change. CD when initiated by community alone, the action will be slow. CD can be explained as the process of relying upon the local community and utilizing various methods and appropriate techniques for the development of community. Its the combination of outside assistance and internal resources aimed at change in the community. CD is not the doer but its a catalyst for getting the people to the field of doing.
COMMUNITY ORGANISATION 1 community organisation is operative in areas in where levels of living are relatively high and social services relatively well developed, but in where a greater degree of integration and community initiative is recognised as desirable UNITED NATIONS in 19552 considered community organisation as complementary to community development Community organization is a method of social work Community organization emphasizes the processes Community organizers are mostly social workers
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Community development means a total development of a developing community in economic, physical and social aspects by pooling their resources.
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UNITED NATIONS in 19552 considered community organisation as complementary to community development community development is a programme for a planned change community development emphasizes the end or goals social change agents, But community development personnel can be from other professions like economics, Agricultural experts, veterinary experts, and other technical experts.
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COMMUNITY ORGANISATION 6 In community organization people are organized to solve their problem Community organization is universal to all communities Community organization is not time bound
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT in community development goals have to be achieved and for that people are organized. community development programmes differ from people to people and according to the nature of the community development is time bound
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It is achieved step by step according to the pace of the people In community organization peoples participation is important
Time is specified for achieving the development community development peoples development is important
In community organization planning in community development planning is initiated by the people is carried out by an external agency participation mostly by the government
