This document discusses the importance of studying communities and community engagement. It begins by defining key terms like community, community action, community dynamics, and empowerment. It then discusses the need to study communities in order to understand how they function and how social interactions within communities can empower citizens and drive positive change. The document emphasizes that community dynamics, or the changes within communities, are shaped by social, cultural, and environmental factors and can impact people's lives. It provides examples of community activities and encourages learning how communities have changed over time.

1. COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT,
SOLIDARITY AND
CITIZENSHIP
COMMUNITY DYNAMICS
AND

2. AT THE END OF THE CLASS THE STUDENTS MUST
HAVE:
1. UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF THE
COMMUNITY ACTION AND COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
2. APPRECIATED THE ORIGIN OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, CURRENT METHODS AND
IMPLEMENTATION
3. APPLIED THE KEY CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT.

4. ACTIVITY
• FROM THE GIVEN ACTIVITY:
• LEARNERS WILL BE ASKED ABOUT THEIR OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROUP DYNAMICS
AS THEY PERFORMED THE GIVEN TASK. PARTICULARLY, THE FOLLOWING FOCUS
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED:
• HOW WOULD YOU REACT IF ONE OF YOU FAIL TO TRANSFER THE PING PONG BALL
SUCCESSFULLY?
• WERE THERE ANY CONFLICTS THAT EMERGED?
• HOW WAS THE GROUP ABLE TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICTS?

5. THINK ABOUT THIS…

6. THE FOLLOWING ARE ARE SOME WORDS THAT SHALL BE USED IN THIS DISCUSSION. READ
AND UNDERSTAND THE WORD CAREFULLY.
1. COMMUNITY- The word community was derived from the Latin word communis,
which means “common” or Community or Shared”
2. COMMUNITY ACTION- ANY ACTIVITY THAT AIMS TO INCREASE THE
UNDERSTANDING, ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF COMMUNITIES FOR THE
INTENTION OF GIVING SERVICES TO PEOPLE.
3. COMMUNITY DYNAMICS- THE CHANGES IN THE COMMUNITY BROUGHT ABOUT
BY SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES WHETHER IT IS POSITIVE OR
NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT IMPACTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
4. EMPOWERMENT- ENABLE THE PEOPLE TO INDEPENDENTLY DECIDE, PLAN-OUT AND
TAKE ACTION TO CONTROL THE SITUATION THEY HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
5. NON-GEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITY- IT IS A COMMUNITY FORMED BASED ON
NEEDS, IDEAS, COMMUNITY INTERESTS, IDENTITY, PRACTICES, AND ROLES IN SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.

7. • GEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITY- IT IS A COMMUNITY
WHERE MEMBERS SHARE THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL
VICINITY SUCH AS A VILLAGE, PROVINCE OR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
• MICRO-LEVEL COMMUNITY- A COMMUNITY WHEREIN A
GROUP IS FORMED BASED ON PERSONAL TIES.
• SOCIAL CAPITAL -SOCIAL CAPITAL IS A POSITIVE
PRODUCT OF HUMAN INTERACTION. THE NETWORK OF
RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN PARTICULAR SOCIETY, TO
FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY.

8. PRE-TEST: CAN YOU REMEMBER DIFFERENT
ACTIVITIES IN YOUR LOCALE? IN EACH BOX, NAME
AT LEAST 2 ACTIVITIES RELATED TO EACH
STRUCTURE.
Community
Economic:
1.
2.
Social :
1.
2.
Politics:
1.
2.
Religious :
1.
2.
Education :
1.
2.

9. Let’s ponder on and write:
1. Was there some difficulty in writing down activities in different
structures?
Why do you think so?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.
2. Were the activities diverse in each structure? Why? Why not?
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________3.
3. Can you describe your community based on the answers you have provided above?
____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.

10. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
• WHAT IS COMMUNITY AND WHY IS THERE A NEED IN STUDYING THIS?
• INDIVIDUALS HAVING SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION WITHIN A SPECIFIED AREA BECOMES ONE
OF THE CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS IN FORMING COMMUNITY. THE WORD COMMUNITY WAS
DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORD COMMUNIS WHICH MEANS “COMMON” OR “SHARED”. 1
• IT MAY SHARE A CERTAIN SENSE OF PLACE WHETHER IT IS GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OR
THROUGH A VIRTUAL SPACE. GEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY WHERE
MEMBERS SHARE THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL VICINITY SUCH AS A VILLAGE, PROVINCE OR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
• NONGEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY FORMED BASED ON NEEDS, IDEAS,
INTERESTS, IDENTITY, PRACTICES, AND ROLES IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS AT HOME,
ALL WORK, IN GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY, OR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.2

11. • COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPERATIVE IN BUILDING COMMUNITY. AS
PEOPLE COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT, RELATIONSHIPS FOSTER. IT DEVELOPS PATTERN
BY WHICH ADOPTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
• COMMUNITIES MAY ALSO BE IN TWO LEVELS:
• MICRO-LEVEL COMMUNITY, A GROUP IS FORMED BASED ON PERSONAL TIES. THIS MAY
INCLUDE GROUPS FORMED FOR PURSUING COMMON INTERESTS OR GOALS LIKE FORMING
A SMALL ORGANIZATION TO HOLD A FUND-RAISING ACTIVITY SUCH AS CONCERTS.
• AT MACRO-LEVEL, LARGE GROUP AFFILIATION IS FORMED SUCH AS NATIONAL
COMMUNITIES, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES, AND VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES. COMPANIES
AND CORPORATIONS MAY DEVELOP VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WOULD INCLUDE
DIFFERENT MEMBERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY WILL WORK ON MEETING CERTAIN
OBJECTIVES AND EXPAND ON THE ASPECT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.3
• MORES, VALUES, AND IDENTITY IS A COMMONALITY THAT FORM CULTURE. HENCE, THE
• INTEREST OF SOCIAL SCIENCES FOCUSED IN THE STUDY OF COMMUNITIES

12. “THE FOLLOWING ARE THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING COMMUNITY: “
1. IT MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER – PEOPLE FEEL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND
RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT. 4(EC.EUROPA.EU)
2. IT ENCOURAGES SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS, OR TRADITIONAL OBLIGATIONS FOR MUTUAL HELP.5
(EC.EUROPA.EU)
3. PEOPLE SEE A GENUINE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER THEIR OWN LIVES AND FOR THE
COMMUNITY.6
(EC.EUROPA.EU)
4. IT UNDERSTANDS POLICIES PROMOTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION THAT VALUES
SOCIAL CAPITAL.7 (DSPACE.NWU.AC.ZA)
5. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION COULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS THE DIRECT INVOLVEMENT OF
CITIZENRY IN THE AFFAIRS OF PLANNING, GOVERNANCE, AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS AT LOCAL OR GRASSROOT LEVELS. 8(DSPACE.NWU.AC.ZA)
• UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY LIFE MAKES US VALUE THE THINGS WE HAVE ON A DAILY
BASIS, SOCIAL ENCOUNTER CONSTRUCTS REALITY AND AFFECTS SOME CHANGES WITHIN –
THIS IS COMMUNITY DYNAMICS.

13. •HAVE YOU NOTICED SOME RECENT CHANGES IN
YOUR COMMUNITY?
THE CHANGES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE BROUGHT ABOUT BY
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES WHETHER
IT IS POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT IMPACTS WITHIN
THE COMMUNITY. PEOPLE ADOPT THE CHANGES AND IT HAS
SHAPED THEIR WAY OF LIFE.

14. • PRACTICE TASK 1
• CAN YOU REMEMBER DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY? DO THESE ACTIVITIES
HAVE CHANGED OVERTIME? POST A PICTURE IN DIFFERENT STRUCTURES THAT SHOWED
CHANGES.
Community
Econom y
Social
Education
Religious
Politics

15. 1. AS SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENT, DO YOU THINK IT IS
NECESSARY TO STUDY COMMUNITY? WHY DO YOU THINK
SO?
2. . CAN THE DYNAMICS IN THE COMMUNITY AFFECT THE
LIVES OF THE PEOPLE? IF YES, WHY?
HOW?
IF NOT, WHY NOT?