Community Engagement, Solidarity & Citizenship – Module 3: Functions of Communities (Structures, Dynamics, Processes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts on community structures, dynamics, and processes.

Civil Society

Groups or organizations that advance citizens’ interests while operating outside government and for-profit sectors.

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

A membership organization formed to provide welfare and development services to the poor.

Social Institution

A social structure and mechanism of order and cooperation that governs members’ behavior.

Family

The smallest social institution tasked with producing and rearing the young.

Government

The institution that resolves public conflicts involving more than a few people.

Community Social Structure

Organized patterns of institutions, groups, statuses and roles that meet basic community needs.

Social Group

Two or more community members who regularly interact with one another.

Status

The position or rank a person holds in relation to other community members.

Ascribed Status

A status assigned at birth or acquired automatically during one’s life.

Achieved Status

A status earned on the basis of merit or accomplishment.

Role

Behaviors or obligations expected of an individual because of a particular status.

Community Cultural Structure

Institutionalized patterns of shared, learned, and accepted ways of life in a community.

Symbol

A shared word, gesture, object, or signal used to convey recognizable meaning.

Language

A symbolic system that lets people develop, record, and explain complex thoughts and ideas.

Norm

A specific cultural expectation about how to behave in a given situation.

Value

An abstract community standard of what is good, just, and desirable.

Belief

A shared idea that community members collectively hold to be true.

Ritual

A sacred or secular procedure or ceremony regularly performed by community members.

Artifact

Any object that carries special meaning for people in the community.

Community Political Structure

Established ways of allocating power and making decisions for managing community affairs.

Political Organization

A political party or group in the community engaged in political activities.

Citizenship Norms

Shared expectations about the proper role of citizens in politics.

Power Relations

Patterns showing how different community groups interact with and control one another.

Leadership Structure

The composition of recognized community leaders and the workflow of their authority.

Community Economic Structure

Organized means by which community members produce goods, allocate resources, and generate wealth.

Capital Asset

Property or anything owned with economic value expected to generate long-term profit.

Human Capital

The labor force’s health, education, skills, and capacity to work and adapt.

Social Capital

The collective value of social networks and the support they provide.

Natural Capital

Land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources and services.

Physical Capital

Infrastructure, tools, and technology (e.g., roads, buildings, equipment) available to the community.

Financial Capital

Monetary resources such as savings, credit, remittances, pensions, and wages.

Vulnerability Context

The insecurity households face from shocks, seasonality, and long-term trends.

Community Dynamics

Changes in community power structure and population over time.

Community Power Structures

Hierarchical interrelationships governing how individuals interact within a localized group.

Authority

Formal power derived from an elected or appointed position backed by codified laws.

Influence

Power based on other people’s positive perception of one’s competence and ability.

Status-Based Influence

Influence gained through prominence, family position, past achievements, or personal prestige.

Wealth (as Power Source)

Influence attained by using money and material resources.

Expertise

Influence derived from possessing specialized knowledge or skills.

Charisma

Influence stemming from unique personal magnetism that naturally attracts followers.

Fertility

The actual reproductive performance expected during a woman’s childbearing years.

Mortality

The demographic process related to death, summarized by death rates and life expectancy.

Migration

The movement of people from one place to another; can be internal or external.