Community Engagement,

Solidarity and Citizenship

Community Dynamics and Community Actions
(Lesson 1)
What is Community Engagement?
To better understand the meaning of community
engagement, we can break down each word:
• Community – Groups of people based on common
geography (country, state, region, suburb,
neighbourhood, etc.) or common interest (customs,
values, religion, needs, etc.), which may include citizens,
businesses, residents, stakeholders, and more
• Engagement – The act of including stakeholders in
activities and communications and allowing them to
contribute in a meaningful way
 Community engagement involves taking
a strategic approach to an organization’s
community-based stakeholders. This includes
b u i l d i n g r e l at i o n s h i p s , d e v e l o p i n g
communications, and managing interactions in
order to achieve specific outcomes for the
organization and the community itself.
“Community engagement” is a strategic process to
directly involve local populations in all aspects of
decision-making, policy development and
implementation to strengthen local ownership,
capacities and community structures as well as to
improve transparency, accountability and optimal
resource allocations across diverse settings.
 The study of community entails us to
understand our very own community life. It gives
us the idea on how to perceive reality by becoming
involve in the day-to-day process which is
socialization. In the interaction process, people
grasp the challenges of the contemporary
community life.
 Using the imaginative yet rational ideals
of social sciences, we sought to investigate
how socialization may impact the dynamics
within the community – whether it has
improved or worsened the present condition.
In this lesson, we are guided by the following specific objectives:
q Cite the importance of community dynamic.
q Share significant community-based activities describing the
community life.
q Identify the importance of studying the community action.
q Express ideas about the importance of studying community action.
What are the benefits of community
engagement and why it matters for
organizations.
• Make better decisions – Community engagement gives you more
information and perspectives, which can help you make decisions
that consider the bigger picture and impact on all your
stakeholders
• Be socially responsible – By engaging with the community, you
can become more aware of social, environmental, and economic
factors at play and (hopefully) contribute in a positive way
• Increase trust – By communicating with community members,
you demonstrate greater transparency, which can help to build
trust
What are the benefits of community
engagement and why it matters for
organizations.
• Gain a license to operate – Increased trust and satisfaction as a
result of community engagement can make it more likely that your
organization and project will gain community acceptance (in other
words, a social license to operate)
• Successfully manage conflict and negotiate – By strategically
engaging with the community (identifying and analyzing
stakeholders), you can pinpoint potential sources of conflict
earlier, as well as identify potential common ground that might
help different groups (and your organization) negotiate and move
forward with the project
• , both organizations and communities have a lot to gain
from a successful community engagement.
Community - The word community was derived from the Latin word communis,
which means “common” or “shared”.

Community Action - is any activity that aims to increase the understanding,

engagement and empowerment of communities for the intention of giving services
to people.

Community Dynamics - The changes in the community brought about by social,

cultural and environmental experiences whether it is positive or negative
development that impacts within the community.
• Empowerment- enable the people to independently decide,
plan out and take action to control the situation they have in the
community.
• Non-geographical Community - It is a community formed
based on needs, ideas, interests, identity, practices, and roles in
social institutions.
• Geographical Community - It is a community where members
share the same geographical vicinity such as a village, province
or neighborhood.
• Micro-level community - A community wherein a
group is formed based on personal ties.
• Social Capital - Social capital is a positive
product of human interaction. The network of
relationships within particular society, to function
effectively.
Lesson 1: The Community We Live In!

What is Community and Why is there a Need in

Studying this?
Individuals having significant interaction within a
specified area becomes one of the contributory
fa c t o rs i n fo r m i n g c o m m u n i t y. T h e w o rd
community was derived from the Latin word
communis which means “common” or “shared”.
 It may share a certain sense of place whether it is
geographical area or through a virtual space.
Geographical community is a community where
members share the same geographical vicinity such as
a village, province or neighborhood. Non-geographical
community is a community formed based on needs,
ideas, interests, identity, practices, and roles in social
institutions such as at home, all work, in government,
society, or the community at large
 and are
imperative in building community. As people
communicate and interact, relationships foster.
It develops pattern by which adopted in the
environment.
Communities may also be in two levels:
Micro-level community, a group is formed
based on personal ties. This may include
groups formed for pursuing common interests
or goals like forming a small organization to
hold a fund-raising activity such as concerts.
At macro-level, large group affiliation is formed
such as national communities, international
communities, and virtual communities. Companies
and corporations may develop various programs
that would include different members across the
country. They w i l l w or k on m eet i ng c er t ai n
objectives and expand on the aspect of community
involvement.
 Mores, values, and identity is a
commonality that form culture. Hence, the
interest of social sciences focused in the
study of communities.
The following are the importance of studying
community:

1. It motivates people to work together – people

feel a sense of community and recognize the
benefits of their involvement. 4 (ec.europa.eu)
2. It encourages social, religious, or traditional
obligations for mutual help.5 (ec.europa.eu)
3. People see a genuine opportunity to better their
own lives and for the community.6 (ec.europa.eu)
The following are the importance of studying
community:

4. It understands policies promoting community

participation that values social capital.7
(dspace.nwu.ac.za)
5. Community participation could be understood as
the direct involvement of citizenry in the affairs of
planning, governance, and overall development
programs at local or grassroot levels.
 Understanding community life makes us
value the things we have on a daily basis,
social encounter constructs reality and affects
some changes within – this is Community
Dynamics.
 Have you
noticed some
recent changes
in your
community?
The changes in the community are brought about by social,
cultural and environmental experiences whether it is
positive or negative development that impacts within the
community. People adopt the changes and it has shaped
their way of life.
Can you remember different activities in your community? Do these
activities have changed overtime? Post a picture in different structures that
showed changes.
Reflect!
1. As social science student, do you think it is
necessary to study community? Why do you
think so?
2. Can the dynamics in the community affect
the lives of the people? If yes, why? How? If
not, why not?
Let’s ponder on and write:
1. Can the community facilitate action for their
own community? What is your idea about this?
2. Is it possible that we consider individuals in
the community as social capital? Why? Why
not?
 Keep this in Mind!
What is Community Action?

• Community Action is any activity that aims to

increase the understanding, engagement and
empowerment of communities for the intention of
giving services to people.
 There are 3-key points in grasping the
definition more meaningful:

Understanding – raise an awareness

about certain communal issues that
needs to be addressed. People develop
the feeling of involvement once they
truly comprehend the situation within.
They come together to support
advocacies that will overcome
community needs and difficulties.
 There are 3-key points in grasping the
definition more meaningful:

• Engagement – Once issues are

assessed properly and people in the
community understand the needs, they
work collaboratively to act on it. The main
goal of engaging in the community is to
improve the partnership and coalitions
among the community. It is important that
engagement occurs so that members will
be able to involve meaningfully in the
activities that they have created.
There are 3-key points in grasping
the definition more meaningful:

• Empowerment – enable the people to

independently decide, plan-out and
take action to control the situation they
have in the community. This means,
initiative and decisions come from
internal group organized for the benefit
of everyone. It is also necessary that
the community can provide significant
networks and linkages that will
genuinely serve the advocacies that
they have built.
 Hence, the study of community action
is imperative in the field of social sciences and
other related disciplines as it lays on the
foundation that individuals and families – as
basic unit, are embedded in different social
structures that shape the behaviors in the
system. Having knowledge in community
action makes an individual understand better
by being aware in the environment, have
meaningful engagement and accept
empowerment to create significant impact.
Reflect!
“Individuals and families – as basic
unit, are embedded in different social
structures that shape the behaviors in
the system.”
1. Make a short essay and ponder on
the statement above. Do you agree
that individuals and families shape the
behavior in the social system? Why?
Why not?
2. Is it necessary to study community
action along the field in social science?
Why?
Post-Test
Modified TRUE or FALSE: Examine the underlined word
from the given statements below. Write T if the statement
is True and F if the statement is False. If false, write the
correct word or words to make the statement correct.

________________ 1. One of the importance in

studying the community is that the people see an
opportunity to understand the policies within and
values cultural capital.
______________ 2. The interaction taking
place in the community is community
dynamics itself.
Post-Test
Modified TRUE or FALSE: Examine the underlined word
from the given statements below. Write T if the statement
is True and F if the statement is False. If false, write the
correct word or words to make the statement correct.

________________ 3. Changes in the

community can be brought about by social,
cultural and historical experiences.
________________ 4. Geographical
communities are formed based on needs, ideas,
interests and identity, practices and roles in social
institutions.
Post-Test
Modified TRUE or FALSE: Examine the underlined word
from the given statements below. Write T if the statement
is True and F if the statement is False. If false, write the
correct word or words to make the statement correct.

________________ 5. Macro-level perspectives

are focused on pursuing common interests or
goals like forming a small organization to hold an
advocacy.
________________ 6. Empowerment is to raise
awareness about certain communal issues that
needs to be addressed.
Post-Test
Modified TRUE or FALSE: Examine the underlined word
from the given statements below. Write T if the statement
is True and F if the statement is False. If false, write the
correct word or words to make the statement correct.

________________ 7. Community Action is any

activity that aims to increase the understanding,
involvement and empowerment of communities
for the intention of giving services to people.
________________ 8. It is important to identify
the different needs of the community that should
be addressed.
Post-Test
Modified TRUE or FALSE: Examine the underlined word
from the given statements below. Write T if the statement
is True and F if the statement is False. If false, write the
correct word or words to make the statement correct.

________________ 9. People in a community

share something in common.
________________ 10. It is important that
engagement occurs so that members will be able
to involve meaningfully in the activities that they
have created.
 Awareness on community and community
dynamics makes us realize the value of individuals’
involvement in different communal undertakings.
Social capital strengthens the community link and
create a diverse network. It entails us to
understand external resources that may be
beneficial in the development process aspired by
the community leaders.
 Research about non-governmental, non-profit
organizations and write their vision, mission, goals
and objectives focused on community
development and community dynamics. Identify
their plan of action in order to attain the VMGOs.