Social Work
and Human
Services
KERJA SOSIAL DAN
PERKHIDMATAN
MANUSIA
WEEK 9
2nd (2024-2025)
COMMUNITY WORK
(KERJA KOMUNITI)
07/31/2025
2 07/31/2025
3
Working with the community
Based on social worker generalist approach ...
Social workers need to identify community
functions and form specific intervention
techniques
A community social workers needs to
understand both variables…
Knowledge about the community and
Knowledge about the processes required
in the field of community social work to
ensure the effectiveness of
intervention/practice
4
Definition of community work
Focusing on the circumstances that need
to be intervened to bring changes or
development needed by a community.
The community is referring to a place or locality.
Responsibility of Community Worker
Bring social change through the process of
analysing social situations and forming
relationships with different groups to bring
changes needed by community members.
5
Definition of community work
Francis, D & Henderson, P.
Community work is a process of helping
groups in the community to develop, in
order to tackle their needs, disadvantages
or inequality
Community works’ helps people to identify
their needs, to come together in a group, to
be supported in their action in order to
achieve their goal
6
Definition of community
Numerous definitions used to analyze the concept of
community.
Hillary (1955) found 98 definitions of community,
Sociologists agreed that community had
something to do with people
Newby (1980) defined community in three ways:
as a social system (a set of social relationships)
as a fixed locality (a geographical area)
as the quality of relationship (a spirit of
community)
These aspects of community are interrelated, Newby claims
that they are distinct, and evidence of one does not
guarantee the presence of the others.
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Musil (1998) in social work the term community
express:
a category of disadvantaged people –
unorganized group of people, they need a
help
a community of interests – organized interest
association, that express its interests and
work on them
a service community – organized connection
inhabitants of community (hubungan
masyarakat yang teratur), able afford to help
with a network of professional organizations
a municipality – as social space, in which are
built relations between providers of services
and disadvantaged
8
Community workers also work
with families and neighbours
in cooperation with professional
organisations participate on providing
help raise organised network, which is
based on relationships in community.
informal networks, that are providing
informal help. Their cooperation with
professional organizations grow up
integration of formal and non-formal care,
that we could specify by the term service
community.
Gublenkian Report,
- Current issues in community work
i. About social change
ii. About redistribution of power and scare resources;
iii. About the inactivity of large institution
iv. About the conflicts of interest between different
group in a community;
v. About how the activist and the articulate may both
have a proper say in decision making processes that
affect them; and
vi. About the kind of decision that people wish to make
and contribute to themselves (community).
vii. And… how might be possible to balance institutional
power with ‘spontaneous power'.
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10
Definition of Community Work
(social work perspective)
Social work intervention method using
community as a target
Through organizing people to participate in
collective action, to identify needs of the
community and to solve community
problem collectively
Improve living environment and quality of
life
11
Help community members to participate in
community programs or activities In the
participation process, increase the
belongingness of the people, build self-help,
mutual-help, and self-determination;
Increase people’s participation in issues of the
community and their ability and
consciousness in influencing social policy
Achieve potential and promote leadership
To bring a more equal, justice, democratic
and harmonious society.
12
As a social work
method
One of the three major intervention
methods: casework, group work and
community work
Related to case and group work intervention,
community work is the latest Intervention
method recognized by social work profession
Extend dimension of the analysis of social
work out of the micro level, fill in the gap of
crisis intervention, so that clients’ problem
can be solved comprehensively
13
Community work have the same values with
other social work practice as profession (case
work and group work) believe in
self-determination,
dignity and worth,
justice
In different service settings, community have
been adopted,
e.g. youth council and social concern in youth
services; self-help groups for chronic patients
and their relatives; policy advocacy and right
protection organizations of elderly,
networking in family services
14
Community Work by a social workers
One of the major intervention methods of social work
A process
Collective action
Self-help, mutual-help and self determination
Identify and fulfill needs, solve community problems,
enhance belongingness and identity to social
harmony and integration and improve quality of life
Develop people’s ability and enhance their
autonomy
Promote social change
In broad sense, anyone or organization perform
activities to serve people in the community, can be
treated as ‘community work’.
15
Focus of Community
Work
Changing social institutions
Changing distribution of power
Decrease powerlessness
Increase self-confidence and
empowerment
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Special Values of Community Work
Use community as target;
Structural orientation;
Wider intervention dimension: social institutions
and social policies
Emphasis on people’s collective participation
Task goal and process goal are both important
Utilize resources in the community-strength
base/asset-base
Political in nature
07/31/2025
17
Community social work
• Community social work or Community
organization - is one of the key
methods in the social work practice
(education curriculum policy
statement, 1962).
• Also known as macro practice. The
practice at the macro level refers to
social action, social planning and local
development.
18
Community
• The basic concept of the community
is very important and remains a
critical focus on the interests of a
large group of people their overall
well-being, their dignity, and their
right of choice.
• The concept of the community
provides a global perspective where
social workers can see the world
more clearly, identify problems and
form appropriate goals.
19
Community organizations are a conscious
process of social interaction and methods in
social work, emphasize on several
objectives: -
• Meeting of broad needs and maintaining
adjustment between needs and resources
in a community;
• Helping people to deal more effectively
with their problems and needs, by helping
them develop, strengthen, and maintain
qualities of participation, self-direction
and cooperation
• Bringing changes in community and group
relationships and in the distribution of
decision-making power.
20
The community social work process
Many approaches in the practice of
social work of the community, but the
common process discussed is based
on…
• Research,
• Planning,
• Coordination and organization
21 07/31/2025
Research
…obtaining facts regarding social
problems and their solution, need a
scientific research, eg: juvenile
delinquency – report from newspaper,
what can the community do, what
does it about, how much delinquency
is there…
22 07/31/2025
Planning
• ...a formula of actions to be taken,
conducted through several
community meetings on social
difficulties or issues in the community
members is a representatives from
various professions and
organizations, they meet several
times and formulate plans of
problems solving ...
Organization and 23
coordination
• The process of working together to
avoid duplication, unnecessary effort
and conflict, involving everyone,
agency, support action, strengthening
between one another, enhancing
service effectiveness, cost savings,
avoiding improper duplication in social
services for the community,
"Coordination is more than
cooperation "
Knowledge and skills in
community work
• Knowledge is one of the most
important elements in a
professional field.
• Knowledge can be defined as an in-
depth understanding of theory and
practice of science or art.
• For the field of community work, the
knowledge base can be divided into
6 categories: -
BASIC KNOWLEDGE FOR COMMUNITY
WORKERS
1. Policies and social services
2. Human behaviour and social
environment
3. Community work practice
4. Knowledge of specific practice
areas
5. Knowledge of agencies related to
community
6. Knowledge about community
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(1) Social policies and services
• Information on social issues
• Related social services (prevent or
treat)
• Information on social policy is how it
is formed, and implemented
effectively
• Community workers need to know to
critically analyse social policy
changes;
• The role of community workers in
shaping and improving the policy.
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(2) Human behaviour and social
environment
• Knowledge of human development and personality
development
• Cultural values as well as norms
• Existing community processes
• Other aspects that affect individual social and
group social functions
• Knowledge in human development and community
development
• Helping a community worker master the element of
human behaviour and its relationship with the
social environment
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(3) Method of Practice in community work
• Intervention strategy in community
organizations
• The important of research and
administration components in
practice.
• Theoretical and real experience in
practice methods through theoretical
and practical classes
• Through the educational curriculum,
in-service training, courses and
seminars
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(4) Knowledge of specific practice
areas
For example for community workers
in the field of children need to equip
themselves with knowledge in various
theories of child development, physical
and cognitive development, children's
learning process and so on.
Examples in economic growth, there
should be knowledgeable about
business or economic management.
5) Knowledge about agencies related to
community
Agencies and institutions such as…
• JKM
• Schools, government offices in the
community
• Organizations in the community
• NGO’s
• Government agency
• Private agencies that contribute to the
social sector
6) KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
COMMUNITY
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (1)
• Know the community as a client to the
agency
• Views as newcomers in the community
• Views as outsiders of the community
• From the perspective of minority groups in the
community
• From perspective of others community
members
• Each community is special and has its
own characteristics
• Knowledge about community systems
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (2)
• Know about the problems in the
community
• What is the long-term problem
• What is the short-term problem
• Are problems arising from conflict or
overlapping responsibilities?
• It is due to financial problems or the
attitude of the population, local
authorities or politicians
• Are problems arising from poor
management?
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (3)
The general features of the community
(basic assumption)
• All organizations or community change
over time
• Communities are concerned with the
risks and benefits that will result from
change
• Community change is a continuous
process
• Individuals in a community will engage in
community programs
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (4)
Specific features of the community
• What is the main feature of the
population – demographics
• What is the main feature of the
economy?
• Unemployment rate
• Design or type of housing / placement
• Norms related to religion
• Norms that work with individual
behaviour – in the community
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (5)
Characteristics of community life
• Media available in the community, eg
the existing newspapers and the most
influential newspapers.
• existing charitable or voluntary
organizations
• associations in the community
• Administration
• Interagency cooperation
• Programs and facilities
• Non institutional care
• General help program
• Institutional care
KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY (6)
Knowledge about community finances
Financial sources and financial cycles
• Where is the money
• What is the funding cycle from the
government
• How “real” is the money
Models of Community Work Practice
Main role/ title Examples of work/
Strategy
of worker agencies
Community Care Cultivating social Organizer / Work with older
Volunteer
networks and voluntary people, persons with
services. Developing disabilities, children
self-help concepts. under 5 years old
Community Improving co-ordination Organizer / Councils for Voluntary
Catalyst /
organisation between different Manager Service, Racial Equality
welfare agencies Councils, Settlements
Community Assisting groups to Enabler / Community groups,
Neighbourhood
development acquire the skills and Worker / Tenants groups,
confidence to improve Facilitator Settlements
quality of life. Active
participation.
Social/ Analysis of social Enabler / Localities undergoing
Facilitator
community conditions, setting of redevelopment
planning goals and priorities,
implementing and
evaluating services and
programmes
Models of Community Work Practice
Main role/title of
Strategy Examples of work/agencies
worker
Community Attempts to bring Educator / Community
education and community Facilitator schools/colleges,
education into a closer and more
'compensatory
equal relationship
education', Working
class/feminist adult
education
Community Usually class-based, Activist Welfare rights
conflict-focused direct movement, resistance
action action at local level
against planning and
redevelopment, tenant's
action
Feminist Improvement of women's Activist / Women's refuges,
welfare, working Enabler / Women's health groups,
community collectively to challenge Facilitator
work Women's therapy centres
and eradicate inequalities
(mencabar dan membasmi
ketidaksamaan) suffered
by women
Black and Setting up and running Activist / Racial Equality Councils
groups that support the Volunteer and Commission for
anti-racist needs of Black people.
community Racial Equality funded
Challenging racism.
projects
work
From: Popple, K. (1995) Analysing Community Work - Its theory and practice, Buckingham: Open University Press. See
chapter 5 for models of community work.
Rothman (1995) identify three
models of community organization
and macro practice. Originally
developed in 1970, Rothman's three
models of community practice have
probably been one of the most
influential conceptualizations of
macro social work practice.
• Locality Development (Bottom-up)
• Social Planning (Top-down)
• Social Action (Inside-out)
The philosophy of community care
• Community should be provided
within the context of ‘welfare
pluralism’ the government
agencies and local authorities
should NOT be the principles
provider of care.
