Community Engagement

Communitas is Latin for the ‘same’

Comunis means “common, public”

A community is a group of people living in the same place or

having a particular characteristic in common such as norms,

religion, values, or identity.

Social perspective - Political networks, links individuals

Institutional perspective - Distinct roles and interests

Civil Society Perspective - People, structures, and systems. The third sector of society.

Local and Grassroots Perspective - community seen as a setting for intervention

Structures - foundational framework that organizes and shapes how the community functions

  1. Physical Infrastructure - roads, buildings

  2. Institutional Structures - schools, governments

  3. Organizational Framework - Rules, policies

Sociopolitical - social and political networks

Economic - Means of production

Cultural - beliefs and traditions

Community power - capacity to influence the decision-making

Leadership - influencing individuals or groups

Relationships - kinship, friendship

  1. Complete community - based in size

  2. Limited liability - sentiments and motivations of people living the neighborhood

  3. Society - moral worth of people

  4. Personal community - communes with the sense of community

Community Action

  • campaign undertaken by people living in a particular place

  1. Community Engagement - community benefit organizations and individuals thru ongoing permanent relationships

    Community Benefit - English common law concept (1891)

    Community Organizing - a community acts for shared self interest

    1. Community Building

    2. Planning

    3. Action

    4. Promotion

    5. Changes

  2. Community of Solidarity

  3. Citizenship Building

    Qualities of a Community Organizer

    1. Be Eager

    2. Flexibility

    3. Sense of Humor

    4. Fearlessness

    5. Ability to Hear

    6. Awareness of their own Interest

    7. Be Self-Critical

    8. Willingness to Share Power

    Core Principles of Community Engagement

    1. Careful Planning & Preparation

    2. Inclusion and Demographic Diversity

    • diversity involves the representation of different characteristics, inclusion allows all people to participate fully in society. demographic diversity is influenced by many factors, including migration, birth and deaths rates, development and globalization

    1. Collaboration and Shared Purpose

    2. Openness and Learning

    3. Transparency and Trust

    4. Impact and Action

    5. Sustained Engagement and Participatory Culture

Community Action - social action

Building community and social capacity - sharing knowledge skills and ideas

Community resilience - helping the community support itself

Prevention - early access to services

Maintaining / Creating Wealth - employment

Marginalization - pushed to lesser importance

  • LGBTQIA+

  • Mentally ill

Youth and Government

Youth as Planners

6 C’s

  1. Capability

  2. Commitment

  3. Contribution

  4. Continuity

  5. Collaboration

  6. Conscience