Introduction to Social Work - Chapter 7 SOW 3203 Professor Susan Mankita, MSW, LCSW Adapted from Farley, Smith, & Boyle

Social Work Practice with Communities, Chapter 7 What Is Community Organization? “A method of intervention whereby individutals, groups and organizations engage in planned action to influence social problems” (Brager and Specht)  Macro practice - effective intervention with large systems and organizations on behalf of people  Assess community functioning and design specific intervention techniques  Aimed at bringing improvements to the general society Political Action Community Organization Public Education Campaigning Administration of Social service agencies/public service departments Arenas for practice  Communities  Administration

Community Organization  Dunham:  “conscious process of social interaction” concerned with the following objectives Meeting of broad needs Bringing about and maintaining adjustment between needs and resources in a community Helping people develop, strengthen, and maintain qualities of participation, self-direction, and cooperation in order to deal more effectively with their problems and objectives Bringing about changes in community and group relationships and in the distribution of decision- making power

Approaches to bring about community change  Rothman characterized three types Locality development models Social planning models Social detour models  Underpinnings Community is the client Needs of community are paramount Problems affect a large number of people Resources of community are taken into account and tapped

Planned Change Model (Kettner, Daley, Nichols) Identify the change opportunity Analyze the change opportunity Set goals and objectives Design and structure the change effort Resource planning Implementing the change effort Monitor the change effort Evaluate the change effort Reassess and stabilize the situation

Beginnings of Community Social Work  London Charity Organization Society (1869)  Buffalo Charity Organization Society (1877)  First community welfare councils (1909)  Councils focused on three main areas: Health Welfare Recreation  Federated financial drives 1873 – Liverpool 1877 – Associated Charities of Denver (23 agencies raised $20,000) Community Chest – After WWI United Way

Underlying Principles in Community Organization Five basic functions of communities that serve its members –Warren (1978):  Socialization  Production, distribution, and consumption of goods  Social control  Mutual support  Participation of residents

Underlying Principles that shape community organization Objective: enrich human life through more effective adjustment between social welfare resources and social welfare needs All people in community are concerned in health and welfare services and full meaningful participation is needed Ever changing human needs means goals are always in need of improvement Interdependence of all agencies etc. (McNeil)

Fundamental assumptions of community social work (Ross)  Communities have capacity  People want change and can change  People should participate  Self developed community changes have meaning and a permanence  A ‘holistic approach’  Democracy requires cooperative participation and action in the affairs of the community, and people must learn the skills that make this possible  Communities may need help in organizing to deal with their needs

Community Social Work Processes  Research  Planning  Coordination  Organization  Financing  Administration  Committee Operation  Advocacy and Social Action

Roles of the Community Organizer Organizers as Teachers Organizers as Catalysts Organizers as Facilitators A Linking Role