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

Contemporary Perspectives for Community Practice  Strengths, Empowerment, and Resiliency Perspectives  Focus on possibilities and assets of individuals and communities  Postmodern Perspective  Examine assumptions about causes of perceived problems for communities © 2011 Taylor & Francis