Community Engagement
development. Understanding the economic dynamics within a community can
Community – group of people in the same place.
Engagement – engaging with an individual or group of people
Understanding community dynamics and engaging in community action are
both crucial for various reasons:
• Social Cohesion: Communities are the building blocks of society.
Understanding how they function helps create and maintain social cohesion.
When individuals understand their roles within a community and how they
contribute to its well-being, it strengthens bonds and promotes harmony.
• Problem-Solving: Communities often face challenges, whether they are
social, economic, or environmental. Understanding community dynamics is
essential for identifying these issues and finding effective solutions.
Community action can mobilize resources and expertise to address these
challenges.
• Resource Allocation: Communities have limited resources, whether it's
funding, infrastructure, or services. Understanding how resources are
distributed within a community can help ensure fairness and equitable access
for all members.
• Civic Engagement: Community action encourages civic engagement. When
individuals are actively involved in their communities, they become more
informed and empowered citizens. This can lead to increased participation in
local governance and decision-making processes.
• Community Well-being: A strong sense of community positively impacts the
well-being of its members. It can provide emotional support, reduce feelings
of isolation, and create a sense of belonging. Understanding community
dynamics helps in fostering this positive environment.
• Conflict Resolution: Conflicts can arise within communities due to various
reasons, such as differing opinions or resource scarcity. Understanding
community dynamics is essential for resolving conflicts peacefully and
maintaining a harmonious atmosphere.
• Resilience: Communities that understand their dynamics are better prepared
to face and recover from disasters, whether natural or man-made. They can
coordinate resources, share information, and provide mutual support during
times of crisis.
• Cultural Preservation: Communities often have unique cultural traditions
and practices. Understanding these dynamics is essential for preserving
cultural heritage and ensuring that it continues to be passed down to future
generations.
• Economic Development: Communities play a crucial role in local economic
lead to the creation of businesses, job opportunities, and improved living
standards for residents.
• Advocacy and Social Change: Community action can drive advocacy
efforts and social change. Communities have historically been at the forefront
of movements for civil rights, environmental protection, and other important
causes.
• Policy Influence: Communities that understand their dynamics and can
effectively communicate their needs and concerns are more likely to influence
local and regional policies. This can lead to policies that better serve the
community's interests.
In summary, understanding community dynamics and actively participating in
community action are essential for building stronger, more resilient, and inclusive
communities. They empower individuals to make positive changes in their local
areas and contribute to the overall well-being of society.
Social Science Perspective
 A community is a congregation of people or traditions unified by at least one
common characteristic.
 A group of people living in the same defined area, sharing common basic
values, organization, and the interest.
 A community is a group of people whose connections and relations are
formed by their shared history, experiences, geographies, and identities.
 A community is a group of people whose connections and relations are
formed by their shared history, experiences, geographies, and identities.
 It is a set of interactions, human behaviors that have meaning and
expectations between its members. Not just action, but actions based on
shared expectations, values, beliefs and meanings between individuals
THE INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
 Communities are seen as a system which is comprised of individual and
sectors with diverse characteristics and interrelationship. The sectors are
composed of group of individuals embodying distinct role and interest within
the community system.
CIVIL SOCIETY ELEMENTS
- Civil Society is generally defined as a wide array of Non-Governmental A. STRUCTURE - means the internal structure of an employment area, town, city,
Organization, People Organizations and Social Movements that are fighting for neighborhood or another urban area.
solutions to social issues that continue worsen the condition of the disadvantage
sectors of society, especially the poor. EXAMPLES:
Sociopolitical Economics Cultural
- CS is embedded in the community (Warwick and Votizwinker, 2014)
*SOCIOPOLITICAL - refers to laws, regulations, practices, values, and beliefs within
KINDS OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION a community in terms of social and political life.
■ Non-Government Organizations
- Nonprofit, volunteer organizations that are committed to the task of what is *ECONOMICS - the distribution of income
broadly termed development.
*CULTURAL - a set of patterns of human activity within a community or social group
■ People Organizations and the symbolic structures that give significance to such activity.
- Po’s are independent, autonomous entities, officially registered and
acknowledge as organizations according to rules and standards set by the state B. DYNAMICS & PROCESSES - are the changes in community structure and
significant features of Po’s that it claims to represent improvised, vulnerable, and composition.
marginalized communities.
EXAMPLES:
■ Social Movements Community Power Leadership Relationships Social Change
- is a form of collective behavior which springs largely from the attitudes and
aspirations of its participants. *COMMUNITY POWER - consists of organization, connections, voice and power of
individuals in community.
Local and Grassroots
■ This community perspective uses self-organization and encourages the local *LEADERSHIP - leaders understand the importance of inspiring others and
citizens to contribute to the community by taking responsibilities and actions. achieving success through teamwork.

Setting for Intervention *RELATIONSHIPS - are the patterns of behavior between people that impact how
- mainly defined geographically they interact, communicate, and relate.

Target for Change *SOCIAL CHANGE - refers to changes in a community's culture and processes over
- denotes the goal of creating healthy environment time through the influence of social interactions.

Resource TYPOLOGIES
- a good material for promotion
TYPOLOGIES OF COMMUNITY
Agent  Formal-Informal
- focus on respecting and reinforcing the natural adaptive, supportive and  Rural-Urban
developmental capabilities of communities.  Local-Global
 Sectors
 Social Spaces
FORMAL-INFORMAL
 FORMAL- are characterized by institutionally structured hierarchies which
define the relationship between authoritative and subordinate actors and
groups.
 INFORMAL- are said to be generally less rigid. It operates through socio-
cultural mechanisms, thrive true lose connections, social networks and
personal relationships.
Overview on Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- Is working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by
geographic proximity, special interest or similar situations to address issues
affecting their well being

RURAL-URBAN GOALS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 RURAL- are territorial enclaves or villages where there is small, low density
and homogeneous population.

 URBAN- are cities or big towns where there is large, high density and
heterogeneous population.

LOCAL-GLOBAL
 LOCAL- a term often used to denote a geographical bounded community
such as territorial enclave, village, barangay, town, city, municipality,
province, region or even an entire country depending on the point reference.

 GLOBAL- a term used to characterize the interconnectivity of people or

countries all over the world.

SECTORS
 It refers to the subdivisions of society that represent clusters of social
institutions according to their social, economic and political functions.

4 TYPES OF SECTORS
 Public Sector
 Private Sector
 Voluntary Sector
 For-benefits Sector

SOCIAL SPACE
 Is either a geographical or a virtual community where the people gather or
network with one another due to common interests.
SOLIDARITY
- Is unity (as of a group or class) which produces or is based on unities of
interests, objectives, standards and sympathies

CITIZENSHIP
- Is a term denoting membership of a citizen in a political society. Which
membership implies, reciprocally, a duty of allegiance on the part of the
member and duty of protection on the part of the state