Community Development

Community Development



Participation and Empowerment in Community Work

Introduction

The world in which we live today is moving at a fast pace. In this fast moving world the only thing that is constant is change. In order to deal with this change and to manage the life at the same time becomes difficult for people. This situation in turn creates and gives rise to many problems in society. People in society live in small communities. The members of these communities and community leaders also make an attempt to solve their problems. With this changing world the concept and practice of social working and community working is also changing. There are now a number of theories and methodologies to undertake various tasks and management of the community work. The aim and objective of this paper is also to talk about the different approaches and theories of the community work and management.

Concepts of Empowerment and Community Development

Community development and the concept of empowerment are closely interlinked. To empower the people and to make them enable to bring improvement in their lives is one of the ambitions of the community work and community development.

The idea of the power is the core concept of the main ideology of the empowerment. Practicing empowerment is dependent on two things. In order to practice it is indispensible that there should be power. In practicing empowerment a power is needed through which change can be brought. If there is the existence of the power but it does not have the capability to bring changes then it is not possible to practice empowerment. Most of the people recognize power in terms of position. If this sort of power exists and it cannot bring change then there are no chances to practice empowerment.

The second that is the prerequisite of the practice of empowerment is the idea that power should be such that it can be expanded (Staples 1990, 24). The concept of empowerment is a process. In this process of empowerment, different individuals, groups and communities make an attempt to circumstances, their actions so that they can accomplish goals. This is how they work towards the improving the quality of their lives (Staples 1990, 42).

Empowerment is the procedure through which people makes an attempt to get the control over them in a social, psychological, economical and political way. People make an attempt to get this control through the following procedure (Rappaport 1987, 121 and Rappaport 1988, 148):

They make an attempt to access to information and knowledge so that they can control different factors

They make their decisions

They achieve self-efficacy; they participate in the community work

With the help of this process of empowerment people who have less control and who are less influential get the control over their lives and they learn to make choices and decisions so that they can improve the quality of the life.

Concept of Participation and Involvement in Community Development

Within the spheres of the community work and community development the phenomenon of the participation ...