Lesson 3.

Theoretical Perspectives in Community Engagement

1. Structural-Functionalism – Emile Durkheim

 According to Structural-Functionalism, communities are analogous to living organisms (for

example, a human being). Each part of the human body is linked to all other parts. Individual
organs combine to create something that is "greater than the sum total of their individual parts".
 In social terms, "organs" equate to social institutions (patterns of shared, stable, behaviour) and
the focus of analysis is upon the relationship between various institutions in society. Society is a
system of interconnected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance
and social equilibrium for the whole.
 According to Durkheim, community should be analyzed and described in terms of functions.
Society is a system of interrelated parts where no one part can function without the other. These
parts make up the whole of society. If one part changes, it has an impact on society as a whole.
 Functionalists use the terms functional and dysfunctional to describe the effects of social
elements on society to a community. Elements of society are functional if they contribute to
social stability and dysfunctional if they disrupt social stability. Some aspects of society can be
both functional and dysfunctional.

Structural-Functionalism Community Typologies (Ferdinand Tonnies & Emile Durkheim)

a. Gemeinschaft is a community of individuals with close personal and family ties.

 Natural will – where members relate to one another as total personality.
 Durheim designate this as mechanical solidarity. It is a form of social cohesion that arises
when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types
of work. Mechanical solidarity most commonly occurs in traditional, simple societies such
as those in which everyone herds cattle or farms. Amish society exemplifies mechanical
solidarity.
 Rural Communities – are territorial enclaves or villages where there is a small, low-density
and homogenous population. The economic system is based on agriculture.
b. Gesselschaft is characterized by impersonal, secondary, contractual, and rationalize
relationship.
 Rational Will – characterized by forethought and deliberation.
 Durheim designate this as organic solidarity. It is a form of social cohesion that arises
when the people in a society are interdependent, but hold to varying values and beliefs
and engage in varying types of work. Organic solidarity most commonly occurs in
industrialized, complex societies such those in large American cities like New York in the
2000s.
 Urban Communities – are cities or big towns where there is a large, high dense, and
heterogeneous population. The economic system is industrial and/or administrative in
nature.

Scope of Structures of Communities

1. Local Community – example: village, barangay, town, city, municipality, province, region
2. Global Community – characterized the interconnectivity of people or countries all over the
world.

2. Institutionalism

Social Institution - a group of people assigned to perform a definite task and function in a social system.

 Institutions are social structures that have attained a high degree of resilience. They are
composed of cultural-cognitive, normative, and regulative elements that together with
associated activities and resources, provide stability and meaning to social life.
 Institutions increase the predictability of the decision-making situation by setting rules that
govern the players, allowable actions and strategies, authorized results and linkages among
decisions (Heywood, 2000).

Two Types of Institutions

Institutions consist of formal rules and informal constrains. Definition of their distinction as follows:

Formal institutions are openly codified, in the sense that they are established and communicated
through channels that are widely accepted as official. This refers to those officially established often by
the government. They’re legally introduced and enforced by the state.
Informal institutions are socially shared rules, usually unwritten, that are created, communicated, and
enforced outside of officially sanctioned channels’. Informal institutions are equally known but not laid
down in writing and they tend to be more persistent than formal rules.

Formal Institutions Informal Institutions

Formal institutions are those officially Informal institutions are not officially
established in one way or another, often by established, but practices commonly
governments. accepted throughout society.
Laws, Constitutions, Government Beliefs, Norms, Values

3. Civil Society Perspective

Civil Society- conventionally refers to the political community of organized group operating within the
authoritative parameters of the state. It is an aggregate of active groups and associations such as
business, interest groups and clubs. It has been referred to as the third sector distinctive from the state
(government) and the market (businesses).

Kinds of Civil Society Organizations

1. Non-Government Organizations – the Philippine National Economic Development Authority

(NEDA) describes NGOs as private, non-profit, volunteer organizations that are committed to the
task of what is broadly termed development.
2. People’s Organizations – POs are independent, autonomous entities, officially registered and
acknowledged as organizations according to rules and standards set by the state. Significant
features of POs is that it claims to represent impoverished, vulnerable, and marginalized
communities.
3. Social Movements – is a form of collective behavior which springs largely from the attitudes and
aspirations of its participants. Social Movements confront with specific power structures and
pursuit socioeconomic and political change.

4. Organic Perspective

- It refers to local or grassroots groups within a particular locale that are driven and organized because
of community issues and concerns. They are referred to as “grassroots” because of their local and
capacity-building characteristics. It is generally conceptualized as the formation of neighborhood
organizations, rural or urban, convened to pursue local development goals or address particular issues.

Reference

 Abenir, M. (2017) Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship. Makati City: Diwa
Learning System Inc.
 Jose, M., Ong, J., (2016) Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences. Quezon City: Vibal Group,
Inc.
 Marsh, D., Stoker G. (2002) Theory and Method in Political Science. New York: Palgrave
Macmillian.
 Taguibao, J. (2017) Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship. Quezon City: Vibal
Group Inc.