Assignment Code: BSW-123/2021-22

Course Code: BSW-123

Assignment Name: Community Organization and Communication

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Note:

(i) Answer any five of the following questions in about 300 words each.

(ii) All questions carry equal marks.

Q1. Explain the values and principles of community organization. (20)

Ans) The adoption of some basic concepts and principles as a foundation for working with people underpins the value orientation of community organising, as it does all social work practises. Individual dignity and worth, as well as the possession of potentials and resources by each individual for directing one's own life, are among these. Some of the value orientations that form the basis of community organisation process include the need for a social climate that encourages individual growth and development, the individual's right, and responsibility to participate in the affairs of one's own community, the viability of discussion, conference, and consultation as methods for solving individual and social problems, and "self-help" as an essential base for community organisation.

Principles of Community Organisation

1. Community organisation is a tool, not an aim in itself: It is a process that improves the capacity of a community to function as a cohesive entity.

2. The goal of community organisation is to foster community cohesion and democratic practise: it should work to eliminate disruptive factors that endanger the community's well-being and the viability of democratic institutions.

3. The Community Must Be Clearly Identified: Because the community is the client of the community organisation worker, the community must be clearly identified

4. Fact-finding and needs assessment: Community-based organisation programmes should have a strong local presence. It is often preferable for local community services to be developed locally rather than imported from elsewhere.

5. Identification, mobilisation, and utilisation of extant resources: Existing social welfare resources should be utilised to the utmost extent possible before new resources or services are created.

6. Participatory planning: It is critical that the practitioner creates a blueprint for what he or she intends to do with the community right from the start.

7. Active and vital participation: From the standpoints of democratic principle and feasibility, community members' participation throughout the process of community organisation should be encouraged.

8. The right to self-determination of a community should be respected: The community organisation worker's job is to help people's groups and organisations achieve social welfare goals by providing professional skill, assistance, and innovative leadership.

9. Mutual understanding, voluntary acceptance, and mutual agreement: Community organisation must be built on voluntary cooperation.

10. The spirit of collaboration rather than competition, as well as the practise of effort coordination: The experience of community organisations has shown that the most effective progress is made when people work together.

11. Recognition and engagement of indigenous leadership: Community organisation, as defined, necessitates the participation of the community's members.

12. Limited use of authority or coercion: In community organization, it may be necessary to utilise authority or compulsion on occasion. However, it should be used sparingly, for as little time as possible, and only as a last choice.

13. The dynamism and adaptability of programmes and services: The changing conditions, issues, and requirements of communal life necessitate responsive social welfare agencies and programmes.

14. Continual participatory assessment: As programmes are created to suit community needs, time must be given aside for process evaluation. The importance of receiving regular feedback from the community cannot be overstated.

Q2. Outline the history of Community Organization. (20)

Ans) The Elizabethan Poor Law, which was established to offer services to the poor in England, was the first of its type. The creation of the London Society of organising charitable aid and eradicating mendicancy and the Origin of the Settlement House Movement in England in 1880 is another significant milestone in the history of community organisation. These movements did, in fact, have a significant impact in the United States of America. The Charities organisation was founded in 1880 to bring order to the world of charity and relief.

The major community organization activities in the United States could be classified into three periods:

The Charity Organization Period,1870-1917

This period marks the start of social welfare in the United States. Buffalo, New York, established the first city-wide charity organisation society in 1877. With the help of the London Charity Organization, which was founded in 1869, this movement took off. Rev. S. H. Gurteen, an English priest who had worked with the London Charity Association and had come to Buffalo in 1873, led this movement in the United States. In just six years, the COS had expanded to over 25 cities across the United States.

The Rise of Federation 1917 to 1935

It is a time when we may observe the formation and growth of chests and councils. It began with the establishment of war chests in 1917 and ended in 1935 with the passage of the Social Security Act, which laid the groundwork for the growth of public welfare programmes. Following the First World War, a considerable number of chests and councils arose. The American Association for Community Organization, subsequently known as Community Chests and Councils of America, was founded in 1918 as the national agency for chests and councils. The Cincinnati Public Health Federation, founded in 1917, was the country's first independent health council. During this time, the American Association of Social Workers, the first general professional organisation, established its training for social workers and others who specialise in community organisation, which was founded in 1921.

Period of Expansion and Professional Development 1935 to Present Time

In the sphere of public welfare, we witness a larger utilisation of the community organising process throughout this time. The founding of the Federal Security Agency, which shows the government's greatest engagement in welfare programmes, is a significant feature of this era. The agency was strengthened and reorganised in 1946, and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was founded in 1953. Professional growth was also a significant development during this time period. Another research was conducted based on this in 1940, but due to American engagement in World War II, an active programme could not get off the ground. The current state of community organisation is marked by the advent of new community development programmes aimed at providing services to underserved areas of worldwide social welfare. As a result, the current strategy focuses on collaborating with the entire community and placing a larger emphasis on self-help.

Q3. Define advocacy. Explain the purpose and types of advocacy. (20)

Ans) "That part of social work practise in which the social worker takes action in a systematic and purposeful way to defend, represent, or otherwise advance the cause of one or more clients at the individual, group, organisational, or community level, in order to promote social justice," according to the definition of social work advocacy.

Purpose of Advocacy

The following is the purpose of human rights advocacy:

1. Educate ourselves and others on a problem or topic that requires attention.

2. Addressing specific myths and misconceptions regarding social problems might help to change attitudes and raise awareness in society.

3. Sensitize and influence policymakers, bureaucrats, and larger communities about disadvantaged and oppressed people's situations.

4. Organize efforts to encourage legal and social change in the form of new legislation and the execution of existing legislation.

5. Organize coalitions and networks to collaborate on common aims.

6. Influence the media to depict the marginalized's current issues.

Types of Advocacy

The types of advocacy are as follows:

Self-Advocacy:

Self-advocacy is one of the most important types of advocacy since it focuses on individual empowerment through increased understanding, strength, and ability to advocate for oneself.

Peer Advocacy:

Peer advocacy occurs when the person offering assistance has gone through or is going through a comparable situation. Support groups frequently utilise this technique, which is also known as ‘support advocacy.' Its goal is to raise people's awareness, confidence, and assertiveness so they can speak up for themselves, or ‘self-advocacy.'

Professional Advocacy:

What we mean by advocacy in general is professional advocacy. It normally operates within the confines of the law. It cannot, however, always be used because it requires the payment of professional costs, which not everyone can afford.

Citizen Advocacy:

The persuasive and supportive activities of trained and selected volunteers who are usually unpaid are referred to as citizen advocacy. They work on behalf of those who are unable to defend their rights. They inspire regular people to become more interested in the wellbeing of those who are less fortunate.

Statutory Advocacy:

This is a sort of advocacy in which someone is entrusted with the legal responsibility of representing someone else, such as a welfare guardian.

Activism for Public Policy/Systems Change:

This type of advocacy focuses on changing the system. It's a long-term process that's still going on. Organizations focused on specific concerns and areas seek public policy advocacy.

Q4. Elaborate on the types, tools, and strategies of networking. (20)

Ans) The types of network are as follows:

Informal Network:

Personal relationships such as family, neighbours, and friends comprise the informal network on which one can rely for support. Natural networks are another name for them. For planning and intervention, the social worker turns to this network first.

Structured Groups:

Any professional organisation formed to foster networking among its members is referred to as a formal network. They're also known as structured and planned support groups.

Internal Network:

This network is linked to the workplace. The social worker's internal network is made up of the professional ties and associations formed in the job. This internal network can be seen in the networking between different departments inside the same company.

External Network:

The external network is made up of professional contacts and alliances that exist outside of the workplace yet are relevant to the profession.

Operational Network:

An operational network is a group of people who work together and collaborate.

Personal Networks:

These are distinct from informal networks in that they are defined by affiliations outside of the family. It includes groups with similar interests, such as professional associations, alumni, and affinity groups.

Strategic Networks:

This is a crucial network that entails forming alliances with peers and senior professionals in one's industry. This network is especially important for professional development since it allows for the exchange of ideas on best practises, the learning of new approaches, and keeping up with current advancements in the field.

Social Network:

The word "social media" refers to the online technology that allows people to communicate and share information and resources with local, national, and international audiences in real time.

Civic Engagement:

Civic engagement is the interaction of civil society organisations with governments at the local, national, and international levels. Building positive relationships and bringing about social, economic, and political improvements are critical.

Tools of Networking

Social Media:

People can communicate and share information and resources with local, national, and international audiences using social media. It reaches a larger audience at a lower cost and has a greater reach than other forms of communication.

Professional Memberships:

Professional memberships are an important step for both professional progress and expanding alliances with diverse organisations working on social justice problems.

Alumni Groupings:

Extended institutional groups, such as alumni associations, provide social workers with numerous networking opportunities. Attending meetings of such affinity groups is extremely beneficial in forming long-term and useful networks to support social work objectives.

Seminars/Conferences/Workshops/Meetings:

Attending professional events such as seminars, conferences, and meetings might help you form new professional ties.

Common Issue-based Forums:

Staying up to date requires aligning oneself with issue-based forums and organisations. These coalitions are crucial not only for supporting a cause; they also provide opportunity to participate in macro-level policy change activities.

Strategies of Networking

1. Providing a meeting space.

2. Making a financial contribution and arranging for funds.

3. Providing members with information.

4. Members are given leadership training.

5. People are being referred to the group.

6. Publicizing the activities of the group.

7. Accepting the group's referrals.

8. Providing credibility in the community at large.

9. Assisting in the establishment of professional credibility.

10. Acting as a go-between for the group and other agencies/organizations.

11. Providing group leaders with social and emotional assistance.

12. Consultation with the leaders of the groups.

Q7. Describe the various intervention methods available for social workers to handle the problems faced by families. (20)

Ans) The various intervention methods available for social workers to handle the problems faced by families are as follows:

Social Work with Individuals in Family Setting

When dealing with a family, the social worker may choose to limit his connection with a family member to one-on-one. Certain issues, such as low academic performance and emotional outbursts in children, or some parental behavioural issues, such as being authoritarian, excessively demanding, and too protective, may not necessitate the engagement of the other family subsystems.

Social Work with Groups in Family System

Many parents will face some common issues when raising their children. Similarly, children or spouses may have a few problems that follow a similar pattern. In such cases, it will be more advantageous to assist them in groups rather than dealing with them individually. If a group of parents has issues about their parenting practises, for example, bringing them together in a group and allowing them to discuss their anxieties, vent their frustrations, and learn from one another's experience will be more beneficial.

Working with the Community for Family System

The family does not live in a vacuum, but rather as part of a larger community. The family's primary support system is the community. Members of the family are also involved in various community organisations. For instance, a family's father may work in the private sector while the mother works for the government. The children may be enrolled in a school or a university. They may also be followers of a specific faith or residents of a particular neighbourhood.

Crisis Intervention

A family might be thrown into crisis by the death of a spouse or kid, extramarital affairs, a spouse's long-term imprisonment, or an adolescent's drug addiction. It is a key time in a family's life. It destabilises the family's stability and harmony, putting the members' safety and survival at jeopardy. These family will require some outside assistance in this situation. One strategy that is commonly utilised in social work practise is crisis intervention.

Family Therapy

The goal of family therapy is to help everyone in the family find more enjoyable ways of life. A maladjusted person receives treatment inside the family system, which is viewed as a system. It is assumed that a family member's condition is a result of how he interacts with other family members as well as how others connect with him. As instances, problems such as alcoholism, marital collapse, and familial violence might be cited. It is vital to cooperate with the entire family or those who are immediately affected by the problem in this situation. One strategy that is commonly utilised in social work practise is family therapy.

Marital Counselling

Marital counselling is a technique for resolving disputes between a husband and his wife. Any number of issues might cause marital strife. Financial issues, child rearing techniques, failure to fulfil in-law obligations, inability to meet work expectations, extramarital affairs, and sexual difficulties are just a few of the issues that can cause serious problems. The main causes of marital conflict are the couple's unrealistic expectations and personality qualities. In this situation, it is vital to work with both the husband and the wife to restore the relationship's stability and harmony. One such strategy is marital counselling, which is extensively utilised in social work practise.