Class slides for SOCI 30, Day 3

1. Community Conditions & Assets
Nicole Branch, Librarian
Santa Clara University Library
Background image courtesy of Flickr user Marcin Ignac

2. Today we will…
• Explore community conditions
• Identify community assets
• Gain greater understanding of your
community context

3. Characteristics, Conditions & Assets
• School & Community Characteristics: Data and
information about schools and the community
• Community Conditions: Structural
components that may impact community
members
• Assets: Resources in the community that can
sustain or improve the quality of life for the
community

4. Asset vs. Deficit Based Approaches
Deficit-Based Approaches Asset-Based Approaches
Starts with deficiencies and needs Starts with strengths and assets
Responds to problems Identifies opportunities
Provides service Emphasizes partnership and mutual
benefit
Focuses on individuals Focuses on communities and structural
conditions
Focuses on “fixing” people Focused on addressing inequity and
developing potential
Focuses on expertise of service provider Recognizes community expertise

5. Community Conditions
• Physical Environment
• Demographics & Health
• Housing
• Income & Poverty
• Community Resources & Transportation
• Safety
• Early Childhood/Parenting
• Education
• Employment

6. Assets
• A person
• A physical structure or place
• Community service
• Business
• Cultural or community characteristic

7. Example- Community Service

8. Example- Place

9. Example- Community Characteristic

10. Example- Youth Culture as an Asset

11. Example- Asset to Innovation

12. Identifying Community Conditions
& Assets
• Break into assigned groups
• Select an issue area to explore
• Feel free to work in pairs, but divide the issue
areas to cover many different ones
• Using suggested resources or your own search
explore the issue area
• Identify at least one data point related to your
issue and one community asset
• Complete the form

13. Questions?
Nicole Branch
Librarian
X5436
nbranch@scu.edu