Chapter 10

Ecology of the Community

Prologue

How did communities evolve?

• Does the individual shape the community, or does the community shape the individual?

• How can we know what rules are fair to all, and who is qualified to decide?

Community

• Structure and functions– Group of people in same geographic area– Under common laws– Sense of fellowship, belonging and

obligation to the group

Fig. 10-1, p. 402

Community

• Community has 5 functions– Production-distribution-consumption– Socialization– Social control– Social participation– Mutual support

The community’s influence on socialization

• Physical factors– Population– Noise– Arrangement and types of houses– Play settings

The community’s influence on socialization

• Economic factors• Social and personal factors

– The neighborhood setting– Patterns of community interaction

• Gemeinschaft: Mutually dependent and caring

• Gesellschaft: independent and contractual

Table 10-1, p. 413

The community as a learning environment

• Child community linkages established when citizens become involved in working toward mutually beneficial goals that focus on the positive growth and development of children

The community as a support system

• Chronosystem and Macrosystem influences on community services– Public agencies are financed by taxation

and are administered within the legal framework of the local, state, or federal government

– Private agencies are financed by donations and/or fees and are administered by a board of directors

The community as a support system

• Preventive, supportive, and rehabilitative services– Preventive services: Parks, recreation and

education

The community as a support system

– Supportive services: Family and child• Referrals• Economic assistance• Counseling• Family preservation• Senior citizen services• Child health and welfare• Protective• Child care

Table 10-2, p. 420

The community as a support system

– Rehabilitative services: Corrections, mental health, and special needs• Correction• Mental health• Special needs

Table 10-3, p. 423

Creating caring communities

• Economic assistance– Alleviating poverty– Addressing the needs of homeless families

• Health care– Preventing disease and increasing public

access to health care

Creating caring communities

• Support for families– Financial assistance for families in need– Problems associated with self-care by

children• Special childcare services

– Support for children with disabilities or children who are victims of maltreatment

Table 10-4, p. 434

Mesosystem influences

• Linking community services to families and schools-services should be comprehensive in that they link health, nutrition, social services, and education for children and their parents

Involvement and advocacy

• Types of advocacy groups – advocacy groups can form to solve and monitor specific problems, or they can be a source of ongoing support for children’s problems in general

Involvement and advocacy

• Advocating for child protection– Helping protect children– Treatment or intervention programs

available for child maltreatment• Support• Prevention