CHAPTER TEN DEFINITIONS AND TYPES OF COMMUNITIES The Practice of Generalist Social Work (2 nd ed.)
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Transcript of CHAPTER TEN DEFINITIONS AND TYPES OF COMMUNITIES The Practice of Generalist Social Work (2 nd ed.)
Key Ideas
There are several types of communities that social workers might be involved with in their work.
Communities can be understood through the functions they serve and through various theoretical and other perspectives.
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Types of Communities
Communities of locality Structures of connectedness based on a
physical location Communities of identity
Groups that share a common interest, concern, identity, and similar sense of belonging
Personal communities A collection of both locality and identity
communities; serve to provide meaning to one’s identity
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Community Functions
Production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
Transmission of knowledge, social values, customs, and behavior patterns
Social control
Social participation
Mutual support
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Community as a Social System
Systems theory posits that communities as systems:
Are composed of multiple intersecting components that are related to one another
Are part of larger systems Are part of subsystems
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Community as an Ecological System
Community from the ecosystems perspective emphasizes:
The interdependence of people and their environment
The spatial organization of community resources
The relationship of these resources to one another and groups of people
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Community as Center for Power and Conflict
Power Dependency Theory Focused on the dynamics associated with
dependent relationships of communities to their sources of resources
Conflict Theory Community is divided into influential and non-
influential groups that compete for resources Resource Mobilization Theory
To create change, communities must create a collective identity and protest their exclusion from decision-making processes
© 2011 Taylor & Francis