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Analyze functions of communities in terms of structures, dynamics and processes
Delos Santos, Danilo Lorenzo S., (2017).Community Engagement Solidarity, and Citizenship, Quezon City Rex Printing Company Inc. Padilla Reynaldo A., (2016). Community Engagement Solidarity, and Citizenship, Pasay City, JFS Publishing Services. Phillips, R., & Pittman, R.H. (2009). An Introduction to Community Development. London: Routledge Communities are composed of multiple layers of people, groups, and structures. They create a network of parallel, intersecting, overlapping, and diverging interactions that, in its totality, create the social milieu we have at present. This, maybe, is too complex to fathom when we group communities into generic lumps. But if we were to closely study the existing structures, we can see a more nuanced relationship across actors in these communities. It calls into perspectives the need to carefully analyse the intricacies of structures relative to the complexity of their functions and relationships.
Social Status and Roles
Social Status is all about the dynamic of individual identity relative to its social environment. This interaction between the self and the community equates to the individual’s stature in said setting. A role is a set of defined and expected behaviour or norms that is ascribed to a certain social status. We all have our roles in our communities. We are perceived by others around us as more than just another pile of flesh and bone but as an individual that has his or her own unique social persona. This perceived notion of identity is carried about and reinforced or even altered by how we play our roles. One individual may have several statuses depending on the community or location he or she is in; thus, the individual has the constant choice to reinforce his or her role to suit or break the pattern as he or she pleases. However, this choice whether to pursue, reinforce, or completely alters one’s status defines the individual in that community. If a person acts against the will or laws of a collective, he or she risks losing the benefits, rights, and networks that the community grants to its members.
Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalism According to French sociologist Emile Durkheim, there is a glaring difference how we look at individuals and collectives. There is also conceptual difference between looking into individuals and studying groups of people or communities. Durkheim establishes that what is true to an individual may not be used as a generalization in describing the society he or she is in, one cannot generalize that the characteristics of the society as a whole will also be true to its member. Instead, there is what he calls a collective consciousness that exists within these groups of people. This can be seen in customs and beliefs that emanate with each member. These recognized patterns of behaviour are an indication of social integration among members of the group. The communal behaviour that exists within these groups compounds and works together as a harmonized entity that embodies the perspective of functionalism. For a functionalis, society is like a machine that has individual parts where each part has functions and roles that then contribute to the bigger picture picture of society.
LESSON I Societal Structures
CHAPTER III: FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF STRUCTURES,
DYNAMICS AND PROCESSES
Most Essential Learning Competency
References
Conflict Theory It was created by Karl Marx, one of the fathers of communism. He sees almost everything in society starts with economics. He proposes that there is a class conflict in society. Marx points out several arguments that emphasize his view of the class struggle through various aspects of alienation against the workers. There is alienation when the workers are taken out from their ownership and the means of production. In other words the workers are taken away from the value of their work, the purpose of their toil, and their selves and the society around them. Examples:
- Alienation from production – A worker simply does not directly gain from the good or service produced
- Alienation from process – A worker does not control his or her time nor his or her way of doing things
- Alienation from others- A worker is judged based on the performance of others which creates unwarranted competition from his or her peers
- Alienation from the self – A worker is seen as just another worker in the factory line This type of relation between the upper and the lower class creates an antagonistic relationship. This ongoing conflict results in either sweeping change throughout the organization or community, that may no longer be mended until such time a new model rises. Symbolic Interactionism A society and its core characteristics are, in itself, a product of the ongoing consensus held by the members of the commune. It does not look into primary social institutions as the main variable of study but rather looks into individuals, their histories and their perspectives. According to twentieth- century American philosopher George Herbert Mead. individuals see things differently and their view depends on their own meaning derived from their experiences, interaction from people, and the learnings they gain from the amalgamated experiences through a course of time. Mead’s theory of symbolic interactionism can be summed up in three main points:
- Meaning can be different from each person depending on his or her history, knowledge, and ongoing experience.
- The meaning, in itself, can change and will in inevitably change.
- Action or reaction maybe different depending on how the person sees the meaning. Symbolic interactionism concentrates on the individual and the interactions that create the meanings that are shared, reinforced, and debunked constantly by people. A word may actually be different from one person to the next since each person has a different set of beliefs and world views that contribute to his or her current understanding of the various meanings around him or her. It is through shared meanings and agreed-upon conventions that people can interact and agree on basic concepts and significances. Interaction and communication are the basic premises of symbolic interactionism, giving us a better understanding of the role of critical people in the grand design of our society. This perspective also explains that power is defined by one’s roles and status in society which, in itself, are also determined by the interactions that are created by people. Social Structures Society is composed of various combined structures that continually make interactions, thus creating meanings that center on people. The structures created make up a set of values that stem from the collective consciousness of individuals. This goes to show that society in itself is a social construction or an idea that we have conjured up as a community and believe to be true, thus creating a pattern which we agree upon and reinforce daily. A social structure therefore pertains to the interrelation of behaviors, roles, and statuses which constitute a stable network of social interrelations and relations. Collective consciousness - is the set of shared beliefs, ideas, and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. Examples : Gender norms concerning people how they dress and act Laws that socialize people into what is “right and wrong” in their society Social construction – states that meaning and knowledge are socially created. It believes that things that are generally viewed as natural or normal in society, such as understandings of gender, race, class, and disability, are socially constructed, and consequently aren’t an accurate reflection of reality.
Sociocultural Structures
Sociocultural structures are composed of various institutions, assemblies, and actors. The interactions generated in between these social variables provide syntheses from multitudes of discources that create the patterns of social norms.
Technological Structures
In the current fast-paced society, we need to advance critical thought and innovation as one of the most important governance initiatives. Research has been undervalued in the Philippines for too long to a point that many of our latest discoveries and innovations were overlooked and ended up underdeveloped or underutilized. This is largely because the support for our inventors and scientists are relatively hard to come by. Even the incentives for the development of local technologies are mostly given by private companies and are not state –sponsored. Because research is not in the priority of our government, the development of local products has left local industries to survive on their own.
Environmental Structures
Our communities have been risk due to the most recent calamities brought about by climate change and atrocious urban management. Various institutions should spearhead concerted effort to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of natural calamities and disasters. People make dynamic exchanges and interactions that give life and vibrancy to our communities, Processes operationalize these exchanges into new ideas and solutions to be applied in satisfying our pressing needs and wants. Knowing how these exchanges manifest and the types of social mechanisms inherent in exchanges is vital in understanding how norms are formed and the various functions of communities in terms of its structures.
Social Exchange
Society cannot exists without interaction among its members. People, by nature, are social beings that are interdependent with each other. Individuals seek to exchange ideas and socialize with their kin or members of the community. Establishing social networks is one of the most important activities that are necessary for communities to grow. All social beings, while unique to each other, are influenced by one particular motivation and this is self-interest. Self-interest is driven by our evolutionary tendencies to survive. Individuals, as a rational beings, go through a cost –benefit review to see which choice will be best suited for their goals or interests. While perceptions of benefit and value may vary among individuals, at the end of the day, each person will always choose what best serves his or her interest.
Cooperation and Accomodation
Cooperation and accommodation have different effects on a community. Cooperation, on one hand, provides the necessary communal spirit that motivates people to contribute and volunteer. The support coming from individuals enhances the community’s chances of survival. Accomodation, on the other hand, may cause the community to be complacent regarding stands on issues and concerns. The lack of participation may result in more social maladies, such as despondency or apathy, which will render the community inefficient in the long run.
Community Structure, Process, and Dynamics
Community structure is represented by the social hierarchies that are inherent to each collective. The various social statuses and roles all are part of the social system we are all in. All members of the community, from, from doctors , lawyers, firemen to the students, live by these statuses and roles. We evaluate our choices and actions relative to others around us or by weighing the consequences or rewards that such actions may bring once done. Our individual choices will have direct and indirect effects to the overall community narrative The community process in itself is never linear but a complex web of interactions that both correlate and cause variable change to the status quo. LESSON 2 Societal Dynamics and Processes
For community dynamics, the actors are the individuals, civil society groups, pressure groups, and movements who all contribute to the communities in the creation of meaning. In the interface of these actors, we create networks that provide cohesion and order to our social environment. Different kinds of interactions, however, can either help or jeopardize the harmony in the society through cooperation, conflict, or by simply accommodating current norms. Communities exists primarily on the wills of its members. We are the ones that create the value and meaning. The way we see our communities will determine its effect not only to us, but also to many others. Our own personal perspectives and surroundings are interrelated and never isolated, and they come together to form a world view that we believe is true. In order to classify communities, we need to go back to the basics, such as demography, geography, and social paradigms. In this lesson, we will sink deeper into our analysis as we compare and contrasts the types of the communities.
Rural, Suburban, and Urban Communities
The area we live is another classification of communities. Scholars see the value of looking into the different geographic locations of where human settlements are, to categorize communities by virtue of population, space, and accessibility. Urban Suburban Rural Settlements that are highly congested because of the dense population that can reach millions within a limited space. Areas that tread between urban and rural communities. These settlements are located in the outskirts of urban areas and are less dense than urban areas or are composed of medium-sized population. Rural communities are located in the countryside. The houses are far from each other and the density of people living here is the least from the three. Due to the volume of people, buildings and other structures are near each other and economic centers, schools, and leisure areas are very near factories, office spaces, and markets Areas are mostly filled with houses, subdivisions, and private estates rather than factories and shops. Because there are less people, access to markets and schools are far and requires along drive or different forms of transport. Some people are living in high- rise buildings because of the limited available space in the area Access to schools and markets are farther than in urban areas. The buildings are low to mid-rise and people live in houses with large living spaces and usually with yards Livelihoods are mostly from farming and livestock raising. For an area to be classified as urban, it has to first fulfil the requirements such as a high number of inhabitants, the type of industry, and use of land. There are different positive and negative aspects for each type. The problems and challenges are also unique for each community type as seen in some examples below Urban Suburban Rural Pollution High cost of living High crime rate Limited economic activity Lack of access to basic services Underdeveloped markets LESSON 3 Societal Typologies
