Knowing Your Own Community: The Nature of Human Communities Session 21

2 Session Objectives  Describe the social meaning of community  Develop a realistic understanding of the nature of most communities  Conceptualize communities as networks of interacting groups and organizations with conflicting goals  Apply an understanding of human communities to emergency management and disaster response

Session 21 3 What Is A Community?  A Population?  A Neighborhood?  A Region?  A Governmental Unit? Is it a geographic unit? …. a political one? …. an economic one? …. a social unit?

Session 21 4 Our concept of COMMUNITY assumes  Geographic proximity  Common natural environment  Subject to same hazards But also :  Common interests  Sharing of values  Cooperation  Mutual support

Session 21 5 COMPOSED OF DIVERSE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS  Political  Economic  Educational  Religious  Social  Families

Session 21 6 “Where I can be accepted for what I believe and who I am” “A community is family. My family”..”knowing almost everyone on the street” “Being able to leave my bike out and not have someone steal it” “A sense of belonging means you don’t feel amiss..” “…common experiences, shared experiences”

Session 21 7 Some Correlates With a Strong Sense of Community  Stable population  High home ownership  Many live and work in same area  Common spaces for socializing  Civic-minded churches  Active associations  Shared concern for neighborhood children  Safety and security

Session 21 8 Some Myths About Human Communities:  Romantic Fallacy: Community as small town America  Organizational Fallacy: Community as cohesive, goal oriented organization

Session 21 9 Impediments To Strong Social Communities  Population Mobility  Rapid population growth  Increasing diversity  Rapid pace of life  Lack of good land use planning  Others?

Session Community as an Ecological Network Groups and organizations linked through exchange networks and member sharing Bonds are flexible and contingent Bonds are flexible and contingent Competition and conflict are the norm Competition and conflict are the norm Inequalities are a major issue Inequalities are a major issue

Session  Many heterogeneous and diverse groups  Each with own goals and competing interests  Competition for scarce resources  Conflict is the norm  Inequalities in power and resources  Common goals are abstract  Cooperation is rare -- and requires effort and leadership Communities Today:

Session Government Plays Key Role  Coordination  Conflict resolution  Protection of all interests  Planning for the common good

Session Hazard Human community Disaster? To understand disasters it is not enough to consider the nature of the hazard itself The nature of the community, how it is structured, how scarce resources are distributed will have as much to do with the disaster, sometimes more, than the nature of the agent itself Disasters result from the interaction between the hazard and the nature of the community

Session WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN THE CONTEXT OF DISASTERS?  Government expected to lead in bringing interests together  NGOs often try to bring competing private and public interests together  Business interests carry a lot of weight  Vital to get institutions functioning  Household recovery left to personal resources  Minimal needs-based assistance  Uneven recovery

Session What defines a disaster- resistant community?  Solid and diverse economic base  Relative economic and social equity  Proactive initiatives to help the most vulnerable  Strong community institutions  Good family support systems  Good coordination among groups  Effective leadership  Effective government across jurisdictions  Community awareness about hazards and mitigation  Good land use planning

Session Disaster Resistant Communities are:  Well-planned in relation to the natural and physical environment  Products of holistic land use planning  People-friendly  Sustainable

Session What does that mean when disaster strikes?  Recovery plans in place  Networks in place at all levels  Coordinating mechanisms  Policies and practices facilitate family and kin assistance  Most vulnerable identified and targeted for help  All interested parties involved

THE BOTTOM LINE: Disaster-resistant communities are good places to live! It’s a quality of life issue.