Community Work Assignment - Semester 1 - Oriental College of Education - Mumbai University

1. Oriental Education Society
ORIENTAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, SANPADA
F.Y.B.Ed
COURSE : Project Based Course 1 (PBC 1)
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC : Community Work
Submitted for the fulfilment of Two Year
Bachelor’s degree of Education
For the year
2021
(SEM-I)
Submitted to: Submitted by:
Prof. Shireen Patel Name: Divakar Shaligram Jha
Roll No. 10
Date: 10th
May, 2021

2. Community Work
Index
Meaning and Definition of Community Work
Scope of Community Work
Characteristics of Community Work
Objectives of Community Work
Principles of Community Work
Components of Community Work
Advantage of Community Work
Types of Community Work
Educational Implication
Theme
Conclusion

3. Meaning: -
The word community has been derived from two words of Latin
namely ‘com’ and ‘munis’. In English ‘com’ means together and ‘munis’ means to serve.
Thus, Community means to serve together.
The term community has both social and spatial dimensions. A
community could involve interaction among people with common interests who live in a
particular area. Or it could involve a collection of people with common social, economic,
political, or other interests regardless of residency. Place and non-place communities
represent two forms of we-ness and identity.
Definition: -
Bellah and his colleagues define a community as “a group of
people who are socially interdependent, who participate together in discussion and
decision making, and who share certain practices that both define the community and
are nurtured by it.”
Scope of Community Work :-
Community development is the process where
community members come together to strengthen the civil society by prioritizing the
actions of communities, and their perspectives in the development of social, economic
and environmental policy.
Community development workers help communities to
bring about social change and improve the quality of life in their local area. Community
development leads members to become more responsible, develop healthy lifestyles,
empower, and reduce poverty and economic opportunities.
Community work takes place in particular geographical
areas, focusing on identifying their needs, issues and strategies. It can also be
concentrated on a particular area in identifying the problems of the human being or
region.
Characteristics of Community Work
1. A group of people:
A group of people is the most fundamental or essential
characteristic or element of community. This group may be small or large but community

4. always refers to a group of people. Because without a group of people we can’t think of a
community, when a group of people live together and share a common life and binded by a
strong sense of community consciousness at that moment a community is formed. Hence a
group of people is the first pre-requisites of community.
2. A definite locality:
It is the next important characteristic of a community. Because
community is a territorial group. A group of people alone can’t form a community. A group of
people forms a community only when they reside in a definite territory. The territory need not
be fixed forever. A group of people like nomadic people may change their habitations. But
majority community are settled and a strong bond of unity and solidarity is derived from their
living in a definite locality.
3. Community Sentiment:
It is another important characteristic or element of community.
Because without community sentiment a community can’tbe formed only with a group of people
and a definite locality. Community sentiment refers to a strong sense of awe feeling among the
members or a feeling of belonging together. It refers to a sentiment of common living that
exists among the members of a locality.
4. Naturality:
Communities are naturally organised. It is neither a product of
human will nor created by an act of government. It grows spontaneously. Individuals became
the member by birth.
5. Permanence:
Community is always a permanent group. It refers to a
permanent living of individuals within a definite territory. It is not temporary like that of a
crowd or association.
6. Similarity:
The members of a community are similar in a number of ways. As
they live within a definite locality they lead a common life and share some common ends. Among
the members similarity in language, culture, customs, and traditions and in many other things is
observed. Similarities in these respects are responsible for the development of community
sentiment.
7. Wider Ends:
A community has wider ends. Members of a community associate not for
the fulfillment of a particular end but for a variety of ends. These are natural for a community.

5. 8. Total organised social life:
A community is marked by total organised social life. It means a
community includes all aspects of social life. Hence a community is a society in miniature.
9. A Particular Name:
Every community has a particular name by which it is known to the
world. Members of a community are also identified by that name. For example people living in
Odisha is known as odia.
10. No Legal Status:
A community has no legal status because it is not a legal person. It has
no rights and duties in the eyes of law. It is not created by the law of the land.
11. Size of Community:
A community is classified on the basis of its size. It may be big or small.
Village is an example of a small community whereas a nation or even the world is an example of
a big community. Both the type of community are essential for human life.
Objectives of Community Work
The main aim and objective of community organization is to bring
adjustment between the resources available and felt needs of the people. Special objectives of
community organization are following:
 To get information about the resources and needs
 To arouse the people to work for the welfare of the community
 To create sounds ground for planningand action
 To create a sense of cooperation integration and unity among the people
 To motivate the people to take better participation in the developing community
programs
 To highlight the causes of various problems affecting the community and hinder the way
of progress and development
 To implement programs required for the fulfillment of people basic needs
 To develop better understanding among the people about the issues and needs.

6.  To mobilize the resources to create a suitable ground for the basic needs completion
and eradication of problems.
 To bring coordination between the individuals, groups and organization to focus their
point and challenge their objectives for fulfillment
 To launch necessary reforms in the community for eradication of community evils.
 To develop democratic leadership among people through their participation in
community programs
 To develop the idea of ability and better thinking to work for the betterment of
community.
 The basic aim and objective of community organization is to abolish the differences
among individuals, develop spirit of common interest and sacrifice and also participate
collectively in community programs.
 To organize the people for the promotion and progress of community.
Principles of Community Work
It is very significantfor a professional social worker to understand some
of the underlying principles in community organization before looking at the specific processes
involved. McNeil, in a pioneering effort, observes that there are certain principles that seem
universally applicable:
 Community organization for social welfare is concerned with people and their needs.
Its objective is to enrich human life by bringing about and maintaining a progressively
more effective adjustment between social welfare resources and social welfare needs.
 The community is the primary client in community organization for social welfare. The
community may be a neighborhood, city, country, state or nation.
 It is an axiom in community organization that the community is to be understood and
accepted as it is and where it is.
 All the people of the community are concerned in its health and welfare services.
Representation of all interests and elements in the population and their full and
meaningful participation are essential objectives in community organization.

7.  The fact of ever changing human needs and the reality of relationships between and
among people and groups are the dynamics in the community organization process.
 Interdependence of all threads in the social welfare fabric of organization is a
fundamental truth. No single agency can usefully live unto itself alone but is constantly
performing its functions in relation to others.
Components of Community Work
There are five significant components of community work in community organization:
A. The Community:
The term in social work terminology is used to denote a targeted
population within a defined geographical locale. However, the nature of the community
varies with the perplexing variety of settings for social life in villages, towns, cities and
metropolitan regions in modern societies.
B. The Groups:
In India, it is common to see groups living in a particular locality on the
basis of caste, occupation, religion and place of migration which may also mean linguistic
affiliations. These particular divisions structure relationships in the community. The
hold of tradition on different groups is another vital point of analysis for the
professional social worker.
C. The Individual:
One of the basic values of social work practice is a belief in the inherent
worth and dignity of human beings. Therefore, no matter whether the ultimate purpose
is to introduce welfare services for the entire community or to work with a group, the
worker is always conscious of the importance of each member of the community. The
participation of each member in the benefits of development is a prominent objective in
any type of social work intervention.
D. The Social Worker:
The social worker is an important component of community
organization. He is required to possess scientific temper and skills to work with
communities. He has to learn several things such as language, new customs, unfamiliar
behavior patterns, and so on.

8. E. The Agency:
The nature of the agency, the people who make policy decisions, the
way in which these decisions are made, the sources of funding and the political
affiliation of the organization, all have a significant bearing on community work in India
and other third-world countries. Community work through an agency means that the
method of determining needs and priorities, the beneficiary and the range of activities,
will be substantially influenced by the agency manifest to. In governmental agencies, the
worker has very little freedom to deviate from the norms set by the agency.
Types of Community Work
1. Individuals
As you may have guessed already, an individual is not a community but
rather its subject and agent. In terms of its focus, this is the narrowest level for
analysis. The main consideration for this level is examining how an individual interacts
with his or her community and vice versa.
2. Microsystems
Just beyond the level of the individual are microsystems. Microsystems
are the most intimate groups with which an individual participates, engages, and grows.
These groups may consist of the following:
 Families
 Friends
 Classmates and teachers
 Coworkers
 Activity or team members
3. Organizations
Beyond the level of microsystems is organizations. This level is
comprised of the institutions that often contain an individual’s microsystems. These
institutions can, depending on their own processes, influence either microsystems or
the individual through various linkages. Examples of these types of communities may
include the following:
 Schools
 Workplaces
 Neighborhood associations
 Religious centers

9. 4. Localities
For many of us, where we live is foundational to our sense of community.
Locality, meaning the numerous spaces in which an individual resides, orients identity
through the cultural, political, and economic events and activities that occur within
them. Localities can be as small as neighborhood blocks or as large as entire towns,
cities, and regions.
5. Macro systems
All these levels of analysis, macro systems are the broadest and, to a
degree, the most intangible. Macro systems encompass a wide range of behaviors and
ideas characterizing community systems that are more universal in their scope, such as:
 Cultures
 Societies
 Governments
 Belief systems
 Social movements
Educational Implication :
While completing community service projects, students develop real-world
skills that will help them succeed in middle school, high school and beyond. They practice:
 Leadership
 Problem-solving
 Collaboration with others
 Time management
 Communication
Most importantly, students learn that the work they do can make a real impact
in the world. By getting involved in community service at a young age, children also:
Theme: -
The corona disease (Covid-19) has affected everyone, everywhere, in
one way or another, but not equally: it has hit those living in conflict-affected countries
particularly hard.
 Tree Plantation –
Oxygen is produced and released by the tree and Tree plantation is one
of the effective remedial measures to control the air pollution. In second wave of
Coronavirus in India has seen shortages of oxygen and medicine in hospitals.
 Food Distribution – Food Distribution to poor and hungry in rural areas.

10.  Mask Distribution – MaskDistribution to public to protect against Covid-19.
Pictures of Activities
Conclusion
Social work is a form of professional service comprising a composite of
scientific knowledge and skills. There are six methods of social work profession which come
under two broad methods named primary method and secondary method.
In primary method, the first three methods are: (i) Social Case Work,
(ii) Social Group Work, and (iii) Social Work with Community Organization.
While in secondary method, the next three methods are: (i) Social
Welfare Administration, (ii) Social Action, and (iii)Social Research Work. In the present paper,
it is an attempt to present a linear understanding about the practicing process of community
organization by community organizer who is none but a professional social worker who
associates him/herself with established agency to intervene the problems and needs of
community members and plays a prominent role for community development.