Introduction to Community

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Introduction to Community

• FYC 6020
• Dr. Carolyn Wilken

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Definitions of Community

FYC6020
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Definitions of Community
Community consists of persons in social
interaction within a geographical setting and
having one or more additional common
ties. Hillary
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Definitions of Community
Social organization of a place within which
social and economic institutions enable the
day-to-day functioning of the residents lives.
Mulkey et. al
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Communities have

• Economic components

Social components
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Community Ecology and Family Social Pathology
Definitions

• Community Ecology qualities of a familys
  neighborhood and community
• Social Pathology problems or dysfunctions
  that are related to the quality of the social
  environment

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A Healthy Community

• Residents have common vision of future
• Leaders identify and resolve issues
• Organizations/institutions anticipate and adapt
  to changing environment

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6 Characteristics of Healthy Communities

• Common sense of community, including history and
  values
• People feel empowered
• Absence of turf battles
• Common meeting places
• Top-down and bottom up leadership
• Communication and cooperation
• Duhl

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Cycles of Community Change

• Growth phase
• Development phase
• Stagnation phase
• Retrenchment phase
• Revitalization phase
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Evaluating Your Communitys Health

• Community attitude
• Community leadership
• Community vision
• Community action
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Resources for Healthy Communities

• Human resources
• Physical infrastructure
• Financial capital
• Technology innovation capital
• Capacity to change
• Business environment
• Natural and environmental resources
• Quality of life
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Building a Healthy Community

• Progress f(A, V, P, R, B)
• A attitudes, values, and principles
• V vision that is worth pursuing
• P strategic plan designed to bring about the
  vision
• R resources needed to implement the plan
• B benefits for the stakeholders
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Attitude and Values

• Positive attitudes lead to a can do approach to
  change
• Negative attitudes lead to no action or damaging
  decisions
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Characteristics of a Compelling Vision

• Built and agreed upon by stakeholders
• Gives direction and focus to the plan
• Challenges all involved
• Motivates and unites people
• Helps identify key issues
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Vision

• The creation of a compelling vision focuses a
  team on a chosen path
• A lack of vision leads to aimless activity and
  confusion
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Strategic Plan

• Framework providing a systematic approach to
  planning for future development and allocating
  needed resources for anticipated changes
• D. Darling S. Bittel

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Plan

• A well thought out plan guides actions
• The lack of a plan results in a false start
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Resources as Capital

• Human Capital
• Social Capital
• Financial Capital
• Engineered Capital
• Natural and Environmental Capital
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Resources

• Acquiring and controlling needed resources moves
  the plan forward
• Lack of resources frustrates the planning team
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Benefits

• Positive outcomes encourage more proactive
  planning
• Disappointing outcomes discourages repeating the
  process
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Community Economic Development

• Positive outcomes encourage more proactive
  planning
• Disappointing outcomes discourages repeating the
  process
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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Community Leadership

• Modeling attitudes
• Championing compelling visions
• Building and implementing a plan
• Finding resources
• Securing resources
• Creating win - win outcomes
• D. Darling K-State Extension

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What is YOUR community?

• Can you evaluate your community?