Community Development Work Research Articles

Collaborative decision-making and sustainable food security: Rethinking the role of indigenous knowledge and farming practices in Uganda

The paper examines the role of stakeholders' joint decision-making in exploiting indigenous knowledge and practices of local people to achieve sustainable food security. It assesses ways in which the collaboration of farmers and stakeholders in Uganda enhances knowledge sharing, which is vital for sustainable food security. Specifically, the study assesses the significance of indigenous knowledge in enhancing food security, the importance of joint decisions of stakeholders (farmers, community development workers, and extension workers) to food security enhancement, and the factors farmers consider when choosing indigenous/modern practices for enhancing food security. Qualitative methods of data collection were used to get views and experiences of the selected sixty-seven rural farmers in their efforts to enhance food security. Findings reveal that collaboration between farmers and stakeholders is vital for providing opportunities of sharing knowledge and experience and for determining the right combination of practices that enhance sustainable food security. The study recommends designing guidelines for routine monthly meetings between farmers and key stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences that are relevant to enhancing sustainable food security.

Complexities and Challenges Affecting the Progress of Community Development in South Africa’s Changing Sociopolitical Landscape

This article shows the strategic, institutional approach the South African government took in creating and professionalising an occupational group—community development workers (CDWs), later community development practitioners (CDPs)—as part of its human resource planning for the social development sector. It highlights the complexities and challenges affecting the progress of community development, not least adequate funding for CDPs employed in local municipalities that, in turn, had to budget and plan for the operation and delivery of services in partnership with the nongovernment sector. It begins with an examination of policy definitions of community development before discussing the ever-changing political landscape and community–government nexus. It highlights community development’s entanglement with government policy and service provision and the community development infrastructure that opened doors for CDPs. It then discusses the policy-led changes shaping community development as a recognised occupation, the legislative requirements for professionalisation and progress towards meeting these. Finally, it suggests that future progress rests on the development of a comprehensive practice framework that addresses not only individual practitioner standards but also the obligations of employers to create an environment conducive to empowering transformative community development programmes in partnership with communities, relevant stakeholders and local organisations.

KEPUASAN PELAKSAAAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INDONESIA POWER SURALAYA: BAGENDUNG ESENSI

PLN Indonesia Power Suralaya PGU is an example of a public organizational entity in the form of state representation in corporate form. As a corporation, this company is not only profit-oriented but also thinks about the benefits for society. In carrying out corporate actions, PT PLN Indonesia Suralaya PGU will definitely interact with community activities that have the potential for conflict if not maintained properly. These activities can be in harmony with community activities, but it is also undeniable that they are very likely to cause conflict with the community. The community development work program is structured based on opportunities and challenges, problems that exist in the area where problem empowerment is located. Bagendung Village, Cilegon City, was chosen because there is already a Final Waste Disposal Site (TPSA) in collaboration between the Cilegon City government and PT PLN Indonesia Power Suralaya PGU which is managed as Kampeng Energi because Bagendung TPSA is processed into electrical energy. TPSA Sampah Bagendung manages waste into fuel for the Suralaya Steam Power Plant (PLTU). In conclusion, the majority of the Bagendung Essence Program is able to have an impact on increasing welfare for beneficiaries and provides positive benefits for very capable beneficiaries as much as 90 percent, only 10 percent answered that they are able and none at all answered that they are less capable or unable to provide positive benefits for recipients. benefit.

Integrating reproductive health into community development and social work: Strategies for effective engagement and empowerment

The integration of reproductive health into community development and social work represents a critical endeavor in promoting holistic well-being and empowerment at the grassroots level. This review highlights strategies for effective engagement and empowerment within this framework. Firstly, a comprehensive understanding of the community's socio-cultural context is imperative. Cultural sensitivity and competence enable practitioners to navigate sensitive reproductive health issues within diverse communities. Utilizing ethnographic approaches and community-based participatory research facilitates the identification of local beliefs, practices, and barriers related to reproductive health. Secondly, building collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders is essential. Engaging local leaders, healthcare providers, educators, and religious institutions fosters buy-in and facilitates the development of culturally relevant interventions. These partnerships enhance the reach and sustainability of reproductive health initiatives by leveraging existing community resources and networks. Thirdly, incorporating a rights-based approach is fundamental for empowering individuals and communities. By promoting reproductive rights, including access to comprehensive sexuality education, contraception, and safe abortion services, practitioners empower individuals to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, advocating for gender equality and addressing harmful gender norms and practices are integral components of fostering reproductive autonomy and empowerment. Furthermore, capacity-building efforts play a pivotal role in enhancing community resilience and sustainability. Equipping community members with knowledge and skills in reproductive health education, advocacy, and service provision enables them to take ownership of their health and drive sustainable change within their communities. Finally, leveraging innovative technologies and communication channels enhances the accessibility and effectiveness of reproductive health interventions. Mobile health applications, telemedicine, and social media platforms provide avenues for disseminating information, delivering services, and promoting dialogue on reproductive health issues. Integrating reproductive health into community development and social work requires a multi-faceted approach that prioritizes cultural competence, collaboration, rights-based empowerment, capacity-building, and innovation. By employing these strategies, practitioners can effectively engage communities and empower individuals to achieve optimal reproductive health outcomes and overall well-being.

A History Of The Impacts Of Discriminatory Policies On Housing And Maternal And Infant Health In An Ohio Neighborhood.

Community-level disinvestment and de facto segregation rooted in decades of discriminatory race-based policies and racism have resulted in unacceptably large infant mortality rates in racial minority neighborhoods across the US. Most community development and housing work, implemented with the goal of addressing health and social inequities, is designed to tackle current challenges in the condition of neighborhoods without a race-conscious lens assessing structural racism and discrimination. Using one historically segregated neighborhood-Linden, in Columbus, Ohio-we detail how state and local policies have affected the neighborhood and shaped neighborhood-level demographics and resources during the past 100years. We explore how structural racism- and discrimination-informed strategic community reinvestment could provide a solution and yield lasting change.

Assessing the Impacts and Challenges of Deployed Community Development Workers: The Case of Bishoftu Community Development Workers Training College Graduates

Community development is about placing individuals at the centre of the development process and helping them realize their potential. Community Development Workers (CDWs) are community-based resource persons who collaborate with other community activists to help fellow community members. The objective of this study is to assess factors that challenge the roles of CDWs. The study used both quantitative and qualitative study designs. Data were gathered through questionnaires, in-depth interviews and personal observation. The collected data was analyzed using mixed method of analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. The study revealed that CDWs have proved to be key and important local actors and facilitators in bringing about attitudinal change among the communities they work with, are attracting the trust and confidence of the people they work with, have revitalized local social organizations as instruments of development, have tabled the agendas of the socially marginalized community groups, working on the principle of matching community inputs with resources, and their role approved to be well aligned with Development Policy as it fosters ‘community participation, promotes self-reliance, and is strategically fasten at the grass roots level. The study concludes that CDWs are facing challenges in contextualizing their role and institutional factors are discovered to be impeding the roles of CDWs. The study recommends a multi-disciplinary research involving educationalists, and social anthropologists could perhaps develop a more thorough of investigation and be more conclusive on the factors that influence CDWs performance initiated by this research.

Factors Influencing Community Development Professionals Performance at Workplace in Northern Tanzania

This paper focuses on factors influencing CD professionals’ performance in Tanzania with reference to selected local government councils. The role of community development (CD) professionals is basically to assist and facilitate the formulation and implementation of strategic policy interventions by the government to address challenges of service and goods deli23very to communities. However, their roles are not well known among the authorities, which causes their work performance and the factors affecting them to not be clearly known. A sample of 80 respondents, which included community development officers (CDOs) and district community development officers (DCDOs), was used. A key informant interview was used to elicit information from government administrators. CDOs and DCDOs were drawn from seven (7) selected district councils, namely Meru, Arusha, Arusha City, Monduli, Hai, Moshi DC, and Moshi MC. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and documentary review, then analyzed using a Likert scale, where statement(s) like most favorable, favorable, neutral, unfavorable, and most unfavorable were used to show the favoritism of the factor(s) influencing CD professionals work performance. With the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), descriptive statistics were produced and presented in tabular form. It was found that budget allocation, motivation package, leadership style, work climate, respect for professionalism, and experts positively or significantly influence CD professionals’ work performance. This paper recommends that improving factors such as budgetary allocation, favorable work climate, leadership style, motivation package, job autonomy, employee/employer relationships, strategic plans, and career development at work will enhance CD workers’ performance and hence improve community well-being.

Neighborhood-level Residential Isolation and Neighborhood Composition: Similar but Different.

Residential segregation has been considered as a potential cause of racial and/or ethnic disparities in health. Among the five dimensions of residential segregation, the isolation dimension has been conceived to play an essential role in disproportionately shaping the health of racial and ethnic minorities, particularly in urban or metropolitan areas. However, a noticeable amount of research studies has been using informal measures of neighborhood composition (i.e., proportions or percentages), which do not capture any of the five dimensions of residential segregation. Since the inappropriateness of measurement may obstruct a meaningful interpretation and an effective dissemination of research findings, a combination of graphical and non-graphical techniques was used to demonstrate the similarities and differences between formal measures of neighborhood-level residential isolation and informal measures of neighborhood composition. These were intended to provide intuitive and mutual understandings across academic disciples (e.g., city or urban planning, geography, public health, and sociology) and practitioners or professionals in multiple fields (e.g., community development workers, health service providers, policymakers, and social workers). Conceptual and methodological explanations with analytical discussions are also provided to differentiate and/or distinguish the two types of measures. While the concepts, methodologies, and research implications discussed herein are most relevant for research studies in urban or metropolitan areas of the United States, the general framework is also applicable to those of other industrialized counties.

(Re)making ‘third places’ in precarious times: Conceptual, empirical, and practical opportunities for occupational science

ABSTRACT Background: Occupational science scholarship has long recognized the relationship of person, occupation, and context, with less focus on the role of occupation in placemaking. Inquiries about ‘third places’ beyond home and work can develop knowledge about how occupations help (re)create and maintain places; such knowledge is especially relevant for understanding how people navigate precarious social and economic conditions. Methods: Through a 5-step scoping review, we surveyed the state of knowledge about ‘third places’ and the roles they play in the lives of precariously employed individuals. Our review covered English-language literature published between 2012 and 2022 that was indexed in eight academic journal databases. We descriptively and thematically analyzed 24 multidisciplinary articles. Findings: Included articles were concentrated among relatively few disciplinary, geographical, and methodological bases. Within these studies, situations of financial precarity and social exclusion prompted precarious workers to access and create alternative physical and virtual third places; these third places were characterized by having low barriers to entry, affording diverse forms of participation, and engendering few obligations or commitments. Occupations occurring through these places played a central role in placemaking and reflected the multifaceted purposes of third places and the diverse needs experienced within precarious lives. Implications: These findings support the need to reconceptualize ‘third places’ in ways that attend to occupation and foreground inclusionary and exclusionary potentials. Further research on third places can extend occupational science theorization of dynamic person-occupation-place relationships and advance interdisciplinary social transformation efforts through occupation-based community development work.

Does community development work? Stories and practice for reconstructed community development in South Africa

Does community development work? Stories and practice for reconstructed community development in South Africa

Tourism, social networks, and community development: a case study of a coastal Vietnamese village

Abstract This article examines how tourism becomes integrated into rural communities and how an isolated Vietnamese community explores and creates employment opportunities through social networks. The empirical investigation is based on a case study of local involvement in tourism employment in Viet Hai, a remote coastal commune. The results of forty in-depth, semi-structured interviews reveal that the involvement of locals in tourism employment is closely associated with the density of individual social networks. Particularly, villagers with dense networks with external tourism operators and stronger kinship relations are more likely to have better access and resources to participate in tourism employment. Our empirical findings also demonstrate that the popularity of social media in remote areas could bring more opportunities to establish and strengthen external relationships and generate more resources for tourism development. Interviews with local people also unveil that tourism can intensify the income gaps among villagers, causing increasing intra-village disparities in living standards. Based on these results, local governments should be more active in connecting local villagers and tour operators. Future research and policy work in tourism and community development would benefit from a more explicit focus on the relationships between social networks and new forms of inequality, kinship ties, agritourism, and more sustainable trajectories of local development.

The seven deadly sins of community development

ABSTRACT As a result of our experience and, at times, frustration with the field, we offer “seven deadly sins” of community development. We believe that community development work remains undervalued and underinvested across the world in part because of its own sins, and we maintain that unless we address them, it will remain so. We share our perspectives on the “darker side” of community development by exploring and critiquing the following issues: anti-expertism, localism, and self-help, an overemphasis upon social capital, an over-righteous non-governmental (NGO) sector, and an overemphasis upon collectivism, discipline capture, and self-effacement. Our aim is to challenge readers to reject lazy groupthink and encourage more critical thinking and reflection. We surmise that our field risks further marginalization unless we address these.

The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative: Community-Participatory Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative: Community-Participatory Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

Problematising ‘Fused Principles’ in Discourses of Preventative Social Care: Interpreting the Implementation of National Social Services Legislation in Wales, UK

Abstract Prevention is a core principle in social care legislation across the UK. However, history shows great variability in how a preventative social care agenda is conceptualised and implemented. We report findings from an independent evaluation of the implementation of the ‘2014 Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act’ incorporating a document analysis of reports and plans from Wales’ twenty-two local authorities (LAs) and eighty-eight qualitative interviews from social services strategic leaders and operational managers within four Welsh LAs. Analysis highlighted multiple interpretations of national policy, with notable overlapping agendas. In Gramscian terms, there is a constant process of negotiating prevention values and agendas, with consequences for whose interests are served. This was apparent through drives towards cost-saving, financial sustainability and reduced service demand operating alongside values-based principles rooted in well-being and mutualism. Following Kenny’s work in community development, we argue a ‘fusing’ of principles whilst espousing benefits for service users, potentially blurs the aims of the legislation, with implications for practice.

Causes for the Exclusion of Visually Impaired Individuals in Community Development Projects in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Social exclusion is a pervasive phenomenon in the lives of visually impaired individuals. This paper discusses the causes of exclusion as well as strategies for dealing with it. The qualitative in-depth interviewing design was used for the study. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were used in order to select the most relevant participants in the study. Thirty visually impaired individuals from Kwa-Nobuhle Township in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, together with twenty Community Development Workers from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), participated in the study, which took place from June to November 2020. The findings of the study revealed that the causes of exclusion were a lack of independence, a lack of adequate education and skills, a lack of reasonable accommodation, and a lack of community awareness. Potential empowerment strategies for minimising the exclusion of the visually impaired individuals were also presented. They included awareness campaigns, increasing platforms for information sharing, workshops and trainings, improved monitoring and evaluation, and the establishment of more rehabilitation centres for visually impaired individuals.

Strategies adopted by Not in Education, Employment, or Training Youth in dealing with the psychological and emotional stress caused by COVID-19

This study explores coping behavioural strategies adopted by Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET) youth in dealing with the psychological and emotional stress caused by the nationwide lockdown because of COVID-19. A qualitative approach was employed in this study. Data was collected from a sample of 50 NEET youth between the ages of 18-24 years old in the Western Cape Province and analysed through thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that the following strategies were adopted in dealing with the psychological and emotional stress, regular physical activities, family bonding, and youth service. The results of this study have implications for youth work practice in South Africa. For instance, the results of the study should prompt youth workers, social workers, community development workers and adult education practitioners to develop a youth development programme that will promote youth resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ethical issues in community development: setting the scene

AbstractThis article introduces a special issue of the Community Development Journal designed to explore aspects of community development through an explicitly ethical lens. Arguing for a broad understanding of ethics as inextricably linked to practice and politics, it introduces the concept of ‘ethics work’ to capture the cognitive and emotional efforts community development workers expend to identify and handle matters of responsibilities, rights, harms, and benefits. Drawing inspiration and illustrations from contributions to the special issue, the article identifies ethical questions and concerns at three inter-related levels: micro (everyday relationships and interactions), meso (strategies for community development engagement and action), and macro (distribution of power and resources). After examining case examples of micro- and meso-ethical encounters, the article moves to consideration of macro-ethical questions linked to the political context of community development as a movement or project. The importance of interrogating the contradictory ideologies underpinning community development is stressed, ensuring the ethical lens is broad and versatile enough for practitioners to view their work reflexively with reference to postcolonial, postmodern, and posthuman perspectives. The article concludes with a call for a situated ethics of eco-social justice, seeing ethics as embedded in everyday practice while located in political and ecological contexts.

Social Work Students Respond to Greening Social Work Curriculum: “It is Important to See a Change in the Narrative”

ABSTRACT The aim of this article was to present students’ responses to learning about community development and groupwork within the context of the natural world and human communities under threat, sometimes referred to as “greening the curriculum”. Students’ perceptions of such greening initiatives are currently underrepresented in the literature. The community development and group work unit under study was part of an Australian qualifying Masters of Social Work program. Students’ perceptions of greening the curriculum were examined using a case study methodology, with quantitative and qualitative data collected. Their responses provided insight into efficacy of the Unit. Results indicated that students’ awareness of the connections between social work, the natural environment, and ecological justice increased, and their confidence to carry this connection forward into their social work practice was strengthened. These results illustrate how students with no prior, or little, interest in “green social work” can achieve deep, meaningful, and even transformative progress towards ecological social work practice. IMPLICATIONS Embedding ecological justice content into community development and group work curriculum can provide a holistic context for learning. The inclusion of ecological justice in social work curricula can be transformative for students and future social work practice. The student “voice” adds to the growing impetus of ecological justice in social work curriculum.

44th ASM Message, NAST President

On behalf of the members of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), I am pleased to welcome you all to the 44th Annual Science Meeting (ASM) with the theme, “PAGTANAW 2050: Agham Tungo sa Mabuting Kinabukasan (FORESIGHT 2050: Science for a Sustainable Future)”. It is with great honor and pleasure to have Dr. John L. Anderson, president of the US National Academy of Engineering, to be our keynote speaker for this year’s ASM. His talk entitled, “Engineering for Inevitable Surprises: A Systems Perspective” aims to guide us on how we can create a robust system that can withstand black swans. We are also pleased to have Dr. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, vice chair of Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Dr. Reniel B. Cabral, member of the Expert Panel of UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, who will deliver talks on two topics that are prominent in PAGTANAW 2050. As a yearly tradition, the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) serves as a venue for the science community to convene, discuss, and formulate policies on important S&T issues that our country is facing. This year, we highlighted the first guiding document on science, technology, and innovation entitled, “PAGTANAW 2050: The Philippine Foresight on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI),” this document provides vital inputs and policy advice towards attaining a preferred future considering our natural endowments and national aspirations. With PAGTANAW 2050 as the primary focus, Regional Scientific Meetings (RSMs) were conducted with the DOST Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regional clusters to address the gaps in STI talent development and retention. This initiative is important towards building a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable society that we can endow to the next generation. I thank all of our colleagues and partners in the science community, our distinguished National Scientists and Academicians of NAST PHL, officials of the Department of Science and Technology, dedicated public servants, academic professionals, students, researchers, community development workers, the media, and all stakeholders for attending this event. Maraming salamat. Mabuhay!

Towards a community-based ethical contract

Abstract This article argues that to be effective, community development ethics need to be embedded in community development practice. In the professional experience of the authors, ethics are often said by community development practitioners to be important in theory but may seem abstract or have little impact on day-to-day work. We therefore argue that to bridge that gap between theory and practice the establishment of an ethical contract between community workers and the groups that they work with should be seen as an indispensable element of good practice. We suggest that for an ethical contract to be effective it should be established by workers and community groups working in inclusive and participative ways. This will increase the degree to which ethical practice is understood and owned by all participants and opens up opportunities for practice to be accountable to everyone involved in the community development process and not just professional workers. Drawing on human rights literature and insights from popular education, the article highlights the ways in which using a static ethics framework (such as a statement of ethical principles or code of ethics) may reinforce existing power imbalances and inadvertently disempower communities. It explores how establishing a dynamic ethical contract between practitioners and the groups they work with offers greater potential for embedding ethical practice in community development work.