Strategic Factors for Building Community: The Five C s Community, Connections, Control, Cash, & Collective Action

Transcription

1 Strategic Factrs fr Building Cmmunity: The Five C s Cmmunity, Cnnectins, Cntrl, Cash, & Cllective Actin Have yu ever wndered what wuld have the greatest and bradest impact n the well being f individuals, families, and cmmunities? Scial and medical research ver the last 150 years has shwn that fur factrs have the mst far-reaching and pwerful effect n the psychlgical, scial, and physical well-being f peple. These factrs are based n the degree t which peple feel/have: A sense f cmmunity; Cnnectins t ther netwrks fr resurces and exchange; Individual and cllective cntrl; and Adequate ecnmic, financial assets, and ther resurces. These fur factrs have been called many things in the scial and medical science literature such as scial capital, scial netwrks, empwerment, cllective efficacy, ecnmic self-sufficiency, etc. These factrs reflect fur cnsistent themes that emerged frm the scientific literature that can be described as: Cmmunity, Cnnectins, Cntrl, and Cash. These fur factrs have been assciated with imprvements in a wide range f individual and scial prblems including: preventing and recvering frm strkes; child abuse and neglect; access t emplyment pprtunities; schl achievement; neighbrhd investment; mrtality amng the elderly; preventin f substance abuse, crime, delinquency, vilence; and the prmtin f health and resilience. The mst pwerful and successful cmmunity develpment campaigns are linked t these strategic factrs. By creating a greater sense f cmmunity, cnnectins with netwrks that ffer new resurces and ther supprts, a greater sense f individual and cllective cntrl, and greater ecnmic resurces, thse wh are wrking t build and re-build cmmunities can have a greater catalytic effect n a wide range f individual, scial, and medical prblems. We have als learned thrugh decades f n-the-grund and field-tested experience that the mst effective way t initiate and sustain the develpment f cmmunity is thrugh the fifth strategic factr: Cllective Actin. Cllective actin is a selfgenerating, citizen-centered way t prmte greater cmmunity, cnnectins, cash, and cntrl. The purpse f this paper is t lay ut the basic ideas f the Five C s (cmmunity, cnnectins, cntrl, cash, and cllective actin) and hw they can be put tgether t develp

2 an effective, brad-reaching, and sustainable cmmunity develpment strategy in a variety f situatins. The next sectin will lk at each f the Five C s, what they mean, and sme basic examples n hw t prmte them. Cmmunity There are many different cmmunities r ptential cmmunities in ur lives. We can experience cmmunity where we live, wrk, learn, shp, wrship, r even amng thse wh we cmmunicate with n the Internet, as well as in many ther different situatins. There are als many different ways t describe what ne means by cmmunity. The greatest impact frm any cmmunity cmes frm hw we perceive it - r ur sense f cmmunity. Thery and practice have shwn us that a sense f cmmunity has five key elements: Meeting needs Sharing values Membership Influence, and A shared emtinal cnnectin First and fremst, cmmunities frm, grw, and maintain themselves by meeting the needs f their members. That need may be shelter and security, better educatin, t address cmmn interests, r fr identificatin. When a cmmunity stps meeting the needs f its members, that cmmunity begins t disintegrate. Strategies fr building cmmunity must make sure that the needs f its members are met n a cntinuus basis fr as lng as they are part f the cmmunity. Needs f cmmunity members can be met by institutins, such as gvernment r thrugh cllective actin by residents wrking tgether. The cmmn values amng members can als strengthen their sense f cmmunity. Understanding the shared values amng cmmunity members is ne f the imprtant steps in a cmmunity develpment prcess. Shared values are things that cmmunity members cmmnly believe are imprtant, such as educatin r caring fr each ther. Values reflect the pririties f cmmunity members. Shared values can be changed as the cmmunity evlves and members experiences change. Fr example, caring fr cmmunity members may becme mre imprtant after a disaster r a media campaign that demnstrates hw caring fr each ther can meet individual and cllective needs. A sense f cmmunity prvides a sense f belnging and membership. The strnger the sense f cmmunity, the strnger the sense f bnding r belnging individuals experience. This sense f membership als prvides a sense f security because cmmunity members develp ways f understanding wh is a part f their cmmunity and wh is nt. Gegraphic r ther bundaries are established in rder t strengthen an understanding f wh is part f the cmmunity and wh is nt. A feeling f trust and caring cmes frm this sense f membership. Cmmittee develpment effrts can strengthen the sense f membership by develping cmmn symbls and names that can help peple identify with the cmmunity, such as neighbrhd names r lgs.

3 It is als imprtant t help cmmunity members define the bundaries f their cmmunity s that it is inclusive f all thse wh either wrk r participate in that cmmunity envirnment. Bundaries fill a very imprtant need fr identity, trust, and security, but at the same time, can create a sense f exclusin and discriminatin. Cmmunity members believe that they can individually and cllectively influence their cmmunities as well as be influenced by them. Neighbrhds r ther residential cmmunities with a strng sense f cmmunity have leaders and institutins that residents believe are respnsive t their needs and are influenced by their input. Interestingly, the mre influence cmmunity members believe they have n their cmmunity the mre they are influenced by the cmmunity themselves. Cmmunities with a strng sense f cmmunity prvide pprtunities fr residents t truly influence and imprve their cmmunity, and by ding s, members adhere mre t the nrms and cmmnly held values f the cmmunity. Here again, cllective actin can play an imprtant rle in building a sense f cmmunity by prviding members the pprtunity fr greater influence n the cmmunity envirnment and n the larger systems that greatly affect the cmmunity. The increase in influence created by successful cllective actin can lead residents t mre cllective actin t reslve prblems as well as strnger adherence t cmmunity nrms (e.g. caring fr each ther, taking care f prperty, valuing diversity, and imprving the care f children). A sense f cmmunity is a perceptin but it is als a feeling that cmes frm either a sense f shared histry r thrugh experiencing a very imprtant event tgether. That is why it is n surprise that ften disasters r ther majr events ften strengthen the sense f cmmunity in an area. Hwever, we d nt have t wait fr disasters t ccur in rder t strengthen the emtinal cnnectin amng residents. Anther great surce f emtinal cnnectin cmes thrugh success. Emerging cmmunity rganizing initiatives start with small wins (easy initial victries r successes) that can d a lt t strengthen the sense f cmmunity. Success builds cmmunity. Psitive relatins amng cmmunity members, thrugh psitive experiences, strengthen a sense f cmmunity. Very ften cmmunity develpment effrts start with develping relatinship amng neighbrs where such relatinships are very weak r pssibly nnexistent. Scial events (e.g. blck r neighbrhd parties) and ther celebratins (e.g. cmmn hlidays) als strengthen the sense f cmmunity. Cnnectins The relatinships r cnnectins with ther cmmunities r larger and mre resurceful institutins greatly influence the well-being f individuals and cmmunities. Nt nly is it imprtant t have strng relatinships within a cmmunity, but it is als very imprtant t have access t the resurces and exchanges that can cme with cnnectins t netwrks that extend beynd ne s cmmunity. These cnnectins have been fund t

4 make a difference in finding ut abut emplyment pprtunities, childcare, r fr ther vital services and resurces. Research has als shwn that peple and rganizatins with access t netwrks have a wide number f cnnectins that prvide tremendus pprtunities fr change and psitive develpment. Fr a cmmunity develpment effrt, this means that neighbrhd residents and rganizatins shuld be able t develp relatins with larger institutins that serve their cmmunity r have the ptential t serve the cmmunity. Organizers r ther key "change agents" play an imprtant rle in brkering these relatinships by nt nly making the cnnectin r intrductins, but als preparing grups t wrk tgether. Often, leaders f rganized cmmunity effrts d nt have the experience r psitive histry f wrking with leaders f larger institutins (e.g. plice chiefs, mayrs, r heads f majr agencies). Equally, leaders f these larger institutins are nt prepared t wrk with leaders f rganized cmmunity effrts and may nt even understand hw such cllabratin will benefit the missin f their institutin. Making cnnectins t ther cmmunities fr resurces and help with slutins (ften called bridging) r with larger mre resurce-rich institutins (called linking) are vital parts f the cmmunity develpment prcess. These vital cnnectins include technical assistance prviders and ther supprt rganizatins s that knwledge abut effective strategies and resurces needed t implement these strategies can be accessed by members f the cmmunity. Cntrl The develpment and exercise f individual and cllective cntrl are amng the mst basic f human drives. Withut a sense f cntrl, there is little sense f hpe. And withut hpe cmmunities deterirate. In disenfranchised cmmunities, rganized cllective actin t imprve these cmmunities is the mst effective way fr develping a sense f individual and cllective cntrl. Research has shwn that participating in a successful cllective actins nt nly leads t a greater sense f cllective cntrl, but als influences hw much cntrl peple believe they have in ther aspects f their lives. A sense f cntrl ver yur envirnment can be infectius, and every successful cmmunity rganizing effrt nt nly has stries abut hw the cmmittee envirnment has changed, but als hw the lives f many peple have changed in a variety f ways. Organizing peple t wrk tgether thrugh cllective actin t meet their cmmn gals is the mst effective methd fr building cmmunity and prmting well-being. It is imprtant t differentiate cntrl frm mere influence r input. While influence and input can affect peple's cnnectin with their cmmunity, it is the sense that they actually have cntrl f their individual and cllective destiny that has the greatest impact. Strng citizen-led and inclusive cmmunity rganizatins build that sense f individual and cllective cntrl, which then leads t their hpe and belief that they can

5 make their envirnment a better and healthier place t live. Cash It is n new discvery that inadequate financial resurces are a majr threat t the well-being f cmmunities and individuals. Pverty destrys lives and affects everyne. The lwer ne's incme, the mre susceptible that persn and his r her family are t a wide variety f psychlgical, scial, and medical prblems. Individuals and families need access t educatin and training fr meaningful emplyment; access t emplyment pprtunities that have grwth ptential; access t capital fr investment in business and hmewnership; and financial literacy r management skills. When there is a cncentratin f lwer incme persns and families, individuals and families are expsed t an even greater amunt f prblems and stressrs. What is nt well knwn is that there are cmmunity strategies that can be effective in increasing the financial assets - cash - available t cmmunity residents and cmmunity rganizatins. Cmmunity and neighbrhd-based ecnmic develpment strategies prvide prven pprtunities fr individuals, families and cmmunities t increase their incme and financial assets, especially when they are linked t reginal resurces. Imprvements in educatinal achievement are the single best predictr f increased ecnmic success. Cllective Actin There are different ways that we can prmte Cmmunity, Cnnectins, Cntrl, and Cash in disenfranchised and distressed cmmunities. A multifaceted apprach wuld be ideal. Cllective actin is an essential part f any apprach t bring abut these imprvements in cmmunities. Cmmunity, Cnnectins, Cntrl, and Cash can be prmted and advance thrugh rganized Cllective Actin, such as neighbrhd assciatins, parent advcacy grups in schls, self-help grups, yuth rganizing effrts, fd c-ps, and c-p banks all f which are vehicles fr cllective actin. Cllective actin thrugh cmmunity rganizatin develps a sense f cmmunity by creating a sense f membership and belnging, increased influence, and a shared emtinal cnnectin. Cllective actin als brings abut a greater sense f cntrl thrugh the pwer f large numbers f cmmunity residents wrking tgether t change their envirnment and hlding larger institutins accuntable fr prviding them with the resurces and services they need t be viable and healthy. While there are unfrtunately many pr individuals and families, there are nt really any pr cmmunities. The pled ecnmic and ther resurces f cmmunities with lw-incme persns are actually quite large. Thrugh cllective actin, these ecnmic and ther resurces can be used t increase the cash available t residents and their ability t manage and invest cash ver the lng-term.

6 Questins fr evaluating and reflecting n cmmunity building wrk There are understandably many different ways t apprach this cmmunity develpment prcess thrugh the prmtin f cmmunity, cnnectins, cntrl, and cash and the rganizing f cllective actin. The different settings in which we cnduct ur wrk prvide different pprtunities. One f the advantages f this research-based apprach t cmmunity develpment is that it ffers sme very basic questins that we can use t infrm us hw well ur effrts are in prmting cmmunity, cnnectins, cntrl, and cash thrugh cllective actin: Hw is the wrk that I'm ding prmting cmmunity? Hw am I develping cnnectins with ther cmmunities and larger institutins that have resurces and infrmatin that culd benefit this cmmunity? Hw is what I am ding enhancing the ability f cmmunity members t wrk tgether t take cllective actin t imprve the cmmunity vs. respnding t cmmunity cnditins individually r relying n larger institutins t take care f cmmunity prblems and needs? by David Chavis, Ph.D. Dr. Chavis is internatinally recgnized fr his wrk in the implementatin, supprt, and evaluatin f cmmunity initiatives including a distinguished career award frm the American Psychlgical Assciatin. He has researched and published extensively n sense f cmmunity and cmmunity building strategies. Fr the past 30 years, Dr. Chavis has assisted fundatins, nn-prfit rganizatins, and gvernment agencies t design, implement and use evaluatins, research methds, and capacity building strategies fr cmmunity building. Hw much greater cntrl d members f this cmmunity have ver their envirnment and fr hlding their institutins accuntable because f the wrk I am ding? Hw des this wrk increase the cash and ther resurces available t cmmunities as well as build up their ability t manage and sustain their ecnmic grwth?