Introduction
Community development pulls together the idea of community and development. Many communities have failed to attain development due to lack of knowledge in the principles that need to be applied when pursuing developmental goals. The knowledge and application of the principles that define community development is fundamental for every development-oriented individual and practitioner since it puts the interested parties in the right track to sustainable development. A community by definition entails integration of various entities (human beings and environment) that make one unit called ‘community’ and in this unit there is interaction among human beings themselves, and human beings with the environment. Development on the other hand consists of improvements in the well being of citizens and the capacity of economic, political and social systems to provide the circumstances for that well being on a sustainable, long-term basis (Barder, 2012). Community development can therefore be defined as a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common economic, social, environmental, cultural and political problems. Community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) on the other hand is an approach under which communities become responsible for managing natural resources (forests, land, water, biodiversity) within a designated area (Donnay and Webbie, 2011). However the basis of CBNRM lies in the community development process where collective action is required to have an effective CBNRM program. CBNRM programs are implemented worldwide and they aim to spur rural development while improving natural resource management (Boggs 2000; World Wildlife Fund for Nature 2006). In...
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... everyday life. Oakland, CA: Institute for Labor and Mental Health.
Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition: Values and Principles of Community Development. www.ohcc-ccso.ca/en/courses/community-delopment-for-health-promoters/module-one-conepts-values-and-principles/values-
Perkins, Douglas D. and Zimmerman, Marc A. 1995. Empowerment Theory. Research and Application. American Journal of Community Psychology. Volume 23, No.5, pages 569-579.
Speer P.W. and Hughey, J. 1995. Community Organizing: An Ecological Route to Empowerment and Power. America Journal of Community Psychology, Volume 23, No.5, page 729-748.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature (2006). Species and people: linked futures. A report, with case studies, on the contribution of wildlife conservation to rural livelihoods and the Millennium Development Goals. Gland, Switzerland: WWF International.
Robbins, Chatterjee, and Canda (2012) describes empowerment as the process of gaining power by accessing resources that will permit people to control the situations in their life (p.
As defined by McWhirter (1991), empowerment refers to helping individuals and groups develop an awareness of the role of power and privilege in their lives, helping them develop knowledge and skills for appropriately taking control over their life situations and helping them empower others in the community.
Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2011). Human behavior in the macro social environment: An empowerment approach to understanding communities, organizations, and groups, 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
A community can be seen as a group of people who share a common interest or live in the same location, sharing the same beliefs. A group of peo...
Spreitzer, G. M. (1995). Psychological empowerment in the workplace: Dimensions, measurement, and, validation. Academy Of Management Journal, 38.
“Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of one 's own destiny” (Heathfield, 2015). An organization can empower its employees by removing barriers, listening and respecting to an employee’s contributions and concerns, and giving them a say in certain decisions. An employer can create an environment that encourages employees to become empowered but ultimately it’s up to the employee to take control of their own destiny. An employee who is empowered will desire to use their strengths to benefit the organization and be more inclined to offer creative, innovative ideas on how
...within their organizations as the primary factor for success. Although empowerment has become somewhat of a “buzz'; word within the business arena, it’s power is nonetheless stronger than any other tool used by leaders to get results from people. Because in its most simple form, empowerment is sharing the decision-making process with others, it is closely related to courage. Those companies that have stood the test of time, such as Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Nordstrom, and Wal-Mart have infused into their organizations the practices of empowering their employees.
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
After learning about this theory in workshops in new that this theory would be included in my practice framework as it ties in well with my values and beliefs. During my time at placement I was able to practice implementing this theory and then was able to reflect on the interaction.In this practice example a client and been disempowered and oppressed to a point that she believed she had no say in the decisions in her life. After hearing the perspective of the client and how powerless she felt I went straight to an empowerment approach. I believe that interventions are more beneficial when the clients have strong input and control, for this reason I found that empowerment theory would be the best perspective for this scenario. Humanistic approach and empowerment theory are key professional perspectives that ties in with this scenario and my practice frame work. I chose this approach as I have a strong belief in the human capacity for conscious choice and strongly value control in both a personal and professional settings this approach. For this reason, I chose to use an approach that would facilitate the client’s ability and right to choose. Empowerment theory allowed me to promote the client’s potential to take control over her life. I also have a strong value for self-determination, by taking an empowerment approach I was able to
Dubois states, “a conceptualization of empowerment social work as a social justice contract requires a core of ethical preferences that gives due consideration to both the clinical and critical dimensions of empowerment social work” (Dubois, 2007). To approach their clinical work from an empowerment perspective,
In social work there are many theories that are very beneficial. I think that empowerment theories are something you must know about. First, I will list some reasons why these theories are special. Then, we will explore the history of it. Thirdly, the key concepts will give us an open insight on what we are really talking about. Fourthly, we will focus on the term critical consciousness. Next is defining the empowerment concepts in a social context. Finally there will be information on the social work empowerment theories more in depth.
This approach to development rejects the idea that development aims simply at the fulfilling of basic needs, such as food and shelter. It argues, on the basis of human solidarity, that all people should be involved in the integral and authentic development of all. Development, in this sense, gives attention to economic justice, ecological sustainability, and other values that go beyond speaking of development only in terms of economic growth. This ecological sustainability begins with relationships taking place at the atomic and molecular level, between plants and animals, and among species in ecological networks and systems. For example, he points out, “We need only recall how ecosystems interact in dispersing carbon dioxide, purifying water, controlling illnesses and epidemics, forming soil, breaking down waste, and in many other ways which we overlook or simply do not know about”
Sustainable development means that the present generations should be able to make use of resources to live better lives in such a manner that it doesn’t compromise the ability of future generations to survive and make better lives for themselves as well. For sustainable development to occur, there needs to be sustainable economic, ecological and community development. Society needs to be educated about ways in which they can use resources, especially natural, in such a manner that it doesn’t cause harm to the environment and put future generations lives at risk.
It is known that the world relies on capital. Without it the economy would collapse leading to war, famine, and death. Wildlife is an integral part of the world's economy. The world's populatio...
In the terms of community investment, Cultural Anthropologist Victor Turner used the term community that emerges during a collective ritual and is characterized by social equality, solidarity, and togetherness (Liburd 1) From this perspective, Turner argues that a connection of commonality, interest and preservation are elements needed to not only increase awareness of environmental issues in efforts to secure protection against toxic agents from entry into the community. I want to argue six points to consider in building the characteristics of a community that is deemed effective in combating against environmental injustice and community disenfranchisement for the people of color. First, a community must incorporate a membership or sense of identity and belonging. In efforts to raise awareness about problems in the community, neighbors need to establish a sense of identity through actions, beliefs and shared common interest in order to bring unison in the community. Second, a community with a common symbol system such as language is often used to conceptualize community. For instance, researchers argue that technical language remains a prerequisite for most deliberative forums, often creating an intimidating and discipline barrier for lay citizens seeking to express their disagreements in the language of everyday life. Speaking the language of science, as well as the jargon of a particular policy community, remains an essential, but often tacit, credential for participation in environmental health decision-making even in the new deliberative forms. (Corburn, 43) Third, a community must have shared values and norms that support, promote and educate the ideology of environmental health issues to educate and empowers community lea...