Unit 1

Community Engagement
 What is community engagement?
• Community Engagement refers to the process by which community
benefit organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent
relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit
of a community.
• Community Engagement is…the process of working collaboratively with
and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special
interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of
those people It is a powerful vehicle for bringing about environmental and
behavioral changes that will improve the health of the community and its
members It often involves partnerships and coalitions that help mobilize
resources and influence systems, change relationships among partners,
and serve as catalysts for changing policies, programs, and practices
 Community Engagement
• Definitions
• Moore et al. (2016) –
– A process whereby a service system:
• proactively seeks out community values, concerns and
aspirations;
• incorporates those values, concerns and aspirations
into a decision-making process or processes; and
• establishes an ongoing partnership with the
community to ensure that the community’s priorities
and values continue to shape services and the service
system. 
• Attree et al. (2011) 
– [Community engagement] refers to community
involvement in decision-making and in the design,
governance and delivery of initiatives which aim to
address the wider social determinants of population health
and health inequalities.
• In the forestry industry, Dare, Schirmer, and
Vanclay (2008) describe community engagement as:
– A wide range of activities in which stakeholders exchange
information and/or negotiate mutually acceptable actions.
These actions range from providing simple information
signs on plantation boundaries to establishing multi-
stakeholder dialogues that lead to joint action on issues
such as game management or road funding (
• WA Health (2007) 
– The process by which the aspirations, concerns, needs and
values of citizens and communities are incorporated in
government, non-government and private sector decision
making, planning service delivery and evaluation. This
partnership process aims to make better decisions that are
supported by the community and result in better outcomes
for both the community and the agencies 
• Holland and Ramaley (2008)
– “Community Engagement describes the collaboration
between institutions of higher education and their larger
communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of
knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and
reciprocity” (Carnegie 2006). Note the emphasis on mutual
benefits, knowledge exchange, and an expectation of
partnerships that create reciprocity among participants 
• community engagement is a blend of science and art.
– The science comes from sociology, public policy, political
science, cultural anthropology, organizational development,
psychology, social- psychology and other disciplines. It also
comes from organizing concepts drawn from the literature
on community participation, community development,
constituency building, and community psychology.
– The art comes from the understanding, skill, and sensitivity
used to apply and adapt the science in ways that fit the
community and the purposes of specific engagement efforts.
The results of these efforts may be defined differently and
can encompass a broad range of structures (e.g., coalitions,
partnerships, collaborations), but they all fall under the
general rubric of community engagement
• Community engagement can be complex and
labor-intensive and require dedicated resources
such as time, funding, and people with the
necessary skills.
• Citizens and leaders in communities across the
country, and indeed in many parts of the world, are
struggling to make the right choices for the
communities and issues they address.
• Building and implementing effective strategies
requires a solid grounding in the best tools,
techniques, and information available.
 Why community engagement
• Increases livelihood
• Creates more effective solutions
• Improve citizens' knowledge and
skills in problem solving
• Empower and integrate people
from different backgrounds
• Create local networks of
community members
• Create several opportunities for
discussing concerns.
• Increase trust in community
organizations and governance.
• allows to identify and
understand:
– Differing values and priorities
– Differing frames, or ways
citizens view the community or a
particular project
– Various alternatives and
consequences
– Perceptions of benefits and risks
– Different ideas and potential
solutions and actions
– The characteristics and
challenges of your "wicked"
issue
Terms in community engagement

• Community Engagement describes collaboration between MSU

and partnering communities for the mutually beneficial exchange
of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and
reciprocity while fulfilling MSU's mission of scholarly teaching,
research, and service.
• Communities consist of groups of people affiliated by
geographic proximity, special interests, or situational similarities
at the local, regional/state, national, or global levels.
Mutuality refers to an interdependence or shared interest,
purpose, or benefit between two or more collaborators.
Partnership is an association between communities and MSU to
undertake a shared, mutually beneficial action or endeavor.
Reciprocity refers to a mutually beneficial exchange between
MSU and its community partners.
• Community Service defines collaboration between members
of MSU and a community or community-based group that
results in beneficial services. Community service may, or may
not, be related to an academic program and can be performed
by students, faculty, and staff. Community service includes co-
curricular service and civic engagement.
• Civic Engagement is a type of community service that fosters citizenship
through engagement in issues of public interest and/or participation in
governance activities.
Co-curricular Service is a type of community service performed by
students that is not formally linked to an academic curriculum, but
fosters student learning.
Community-Engaged Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that
uses reflection to link community service with academic course
objectives to enrich the educational experience of students, teach civic
responsibility, and meet the needs of a community.
• Community-engaged Research (synonymous with
Community-based Research) refers to a research
partnership between MSU and communities that is
mutually beneficial and includes some degree of
shared decision making and leadership between
communities and MSU.
• Community-engaged Learning (synonymous with
Community-based Learning) denotes academically-
based community engaged courses that may integrate
a range of teaching and learning strategies, including,
but not limited to: service-learning, Co-op, externship,
internship, practicum, clinical, capstone, research
project, public service, practice-based learning,
experiential education, and experiential learning.
Community engagement in India:
 Module – 1
Appreciation of Rural Society
 What is Rural?
• It relates primarily to areas that have a
relatively low population density compared to
cities, areas where agriculture and related
activities usually dominate the landscape and
economy, and places where transport and
communications need to cover relatively large
distances making travel and service provision
relatively difficult and costly.
 According to Harriss, rural development can be viewed as either of the
following:

• state-led activity and a focus for development

policy - these is the notion of government
intervention of one sort or another.
• a broader process of change in rural societies,
which may or may not involve state
intervention
 Rural Development
• Harriss identifies several important
characteristics,
– rural development policy targets particular
• Geographical development
• Economic Development
• Agricultural Development
• Other Developments
- Non-agricultural, - Infrastructure,
- Education, - Health,
- Energy, - Water
- Manufacturing, - Mining,
- Transport, - Marketing,
- Mining, - Services.
 Ministry of Rural development
• Aims of the Ministry of Rural
Development are
– Providing livelihood opportunities to those in need including women and
other vulnerable sections with focus on Below Poverty Line (BPL)
households.
– Providing for the enhancement of livelihood security of households in rural
areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in
every financial year to every household demanding it.
– Provision of all weather rural connectivity to unconnected rural habitations
and upgradation of existing roads to provide market access.
– Providing basic housing and homestead to BPL household in rural areas.
– Providing social assistance to the elderly, widow and disabled persons.
– Providing urban amenities in rural areas for improvement of quality of rural
life.
– Capacity development and training of rural development functionaries.
– Promoting involvement of voluntary agencies and individuals for rural
development.
– Restoring lost or depleted productivity of the land. This is done through
watershed development programmes and initiating effective land reform
measures for providing land to the landless rural poor.
 Schemes

• The following major programmes are being operated by the Ministry of

Rural Development in rural areas,
i. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for
providing wage employment,
ii.National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) for self employment and skill
development,
iii.Housing for All : Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Grameen (PMAY-G) for providing
housing to BPL households,
iv.Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for construction of quality roads,
v.National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for social pension,
vi.Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission,
vii.Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for improving the
productivity of the land.
• In addition, the Ministry also has schemes for capacity development of
rural functionaries; Information, Education and Communication; and
Monitoring and Evaluation
 Budget
• 2016-17 - Rs. 86000 crore
• 2017-18 - Rs. 105447.88 crores
•  2018-19 - Rs. 112403.92 crores
• 2019-20 - Rs. 117647.19 crores
Rural Life-
style
Rural life-style
 Rural life-style
• The soul of India lives in villages
• Nearly 60% of the people still live in villages
• India is a land of agriculture. Its history, customs and
traditions, complex social organization and unity in
diversity etc can be understood by the study of rural life.
• People here enjoys peacefulness, calm, quite and full of greenery where one
can breathe fresh air.

• Lacking the knowledge of family planning or birth

control, people tend to have more children.
• Rural living may lack luxury, but it is more fulfilling.
 Rural life-style
• Before and after rain, these houses need a
maintenance every time.
• Bulls are used for farming and other activity in field.
• Life in the villages of India differ from one region to
another.
• Eater supply, Toilets and electricity are not sufficiently
available.
• In rural areas, the rates of poverty are high and the
standard of living is low.
• Government funds as well as relief or rehabilitation
programs may take longer to reach the rural areas.
• Due to the lack of facilities and less population, rural
areas attract very few.
 Rural society
• Definition - society in which there is a low
ratio of inhabitants to open land and in which
the most important economic activities are
the production of foodstuffs, fibres, and raw
materials. - Encyclopaedia Britannica
• The term „rural society‟ is used almost
interchangeable with terms like „villages‟,
„countryside‟ ,or „folk society‟.
 Meaning
• the term „rural society‟ implies the following:
• It is a small society , meaning thereby that it has a
small population and extends over a shorter physical
area.
• Density of rural population is very low and it may be
clustered according to the criteria of social status
• It is an agrarian society • It is marked by traditional
moral customs(mores) and folkways. It preserves
the traditional culture.
 Characteristics
1. Rural settlement:  have open settlements. Pattern of houses are scattered and cover vast
area for courtyard.
2. Mud constructed houses: most of the are mud constructed. Although use of bricks and stone
is increasing in the societies.
3. Agriculture: most of the people are associated with agriculture profession. Some of them
are also involve in labor related to agriculture.
4. Informal social norms: informal social norms are more important and practiced than the
formal norms.
5. Informal social groups: informality among different groups is found. In the evening, people sit
at common place and share daily activities and talk on the issues of the common interests.
6. Informal social interaction: Interaction is more frequent, deep, face-to-face and informal
among the members of society.
7. Informal social control: Modes of social is informal and more effective than the formal
one. Panchayat system is very much effective and use for the solution of their day-to-day
problem.
8. Low literacy rate: Literacy rate is generally low, and females are discouraged to go for formal
education.
9. Less social change: Mostly static in nature. Very slow and selective modes of social change
takes place.
10. Attachment with religion: people are emotionally attached with religious beliefs. Knowledge
of the people in this society about religion is generally poor and they are the followers of
religious scholars in their social life.
11. Poor urban facilities: urban facilities like hospital, schools, colleges, universities, paved roads,
electricity, gas, telephone, internet, cable, recreational parks, big shopping malls etc. are
lacking behind in this society.
 Rural society covers
• Family
• Marriage
• Economy
 RURAL FAMILY
• Family is the oldest ,most prevalent and
enduring social institution everywhere in the
world.
• It plays a decisive role in the material and
cultural life of the rural aggregate
• Rural society is marked by patriarchal joint
family where the grandfather is the patriarch.
The grandmother is his deputy.
 Family
• Family is the oldest ,most prevalent and
enduring social institution everywhere in the
world.
• It plays a decisive role in the material and
cultural life of the rural aggregate
• Rural society is marked by patriarchal joint
family where the grandfather is the patriarch.
The grandmother is his deputy.
 Joint Family

• It is the old and universal institution of India.

• According to Mandelbaum –
– “it consists typically of a set of men , related as fathers and
sons or brothers , together with their wives and children.
– It is generally a unit of consumption and a unit of
production.
– The property is held in common under the trusteeship of
the eldest male member.
– All the members of the joint family are fed from the
common kitchen and have a single purse.”
– It includes four or more generations
 Characteristics

• Greater homogeneity
• Based on peasant household
• Greater discipline
• Greater interdependence
• Dominance of family ego
• Authority of father
• Filial ana fraternal solidarity
• Hierarchy in family roles
• Close participation in various activities.
 FAMILISM

• Looking after the welfare of the family members

– Marriage at earlier age and its higher rate.
– Family as a unit of social responsibility
– Family as a basis of norms of societies
– Family, its impress in political form
– Co-operative rather than contractual relations
– Family as a unit of production , consumption and
exchange.
– Dominance of family cult and ancestor worship •
Less mobility
 Changes Happening

• There is a change in both structure and functions of the rural

family.
• Traditional joint families are giving way to nuclear households.
• Position of women in rural family has improved
• The cementing bond of family is being changed from
consanguinity to conjugality.
• The basis of rural family relationship is shifting from status to
contract.
• The family is being transformed from a unit of production into
a unit of consumption • Familism ,too, is gradually dropping
off.
 Marriage

• It is a socially recognized assumption by man and

woman of the kinship status of husband and wife.
• Marriage is never been individual affair. • It is a family
affair and brings two families together. • In rural India
,because of village exogamy, marriage has been viewed
as a village affair where two villages are involved.
• A marriage is inevitable in a rural society.
• Unmarried daughters are disgrace to the family and it
shows the neglect of duty on the part of the parents.
• A marriage mobilizes family resources.
 Marriage in rural society
• Marriage is absolutely essential
• Marriage at an early age.
• Forms of marriage (monogamy, polygyny)
• Marriage with relatives prohibited
• Arranged marriages
• Matching of horoscope
• Elders play an important role in initiating the marriage
proposals.
• Eldest male have the final authority in such decisions.
 Economy in rural society
• In the Indian rural economy , land occupies
the key position
• Social life (power and prestige)in a village is
based on the economy of land and grain.