Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office IX, Zamboanga Peninsula

12 Zest for Progress

Community Engagement, SolidZaealrof
iPtayrtners&hip Citizenship
First Quarter- Module 1:
The Importance of Studying Community
Dynamics and Community Action in
Relation to Applied Social Sciences

Name of Learner:
Grade & Section:
Name of School:
 Development Team of the Module

Mariejane
Writer/s:G. Editor:
Revil Evaluators:
Florence S. Gallemit, Marirose Breto Perga A. Cadiente
Florence S. Gallemit Dr. JephoneYorong
Illustrator:
Name Layout Artist:
of illustrator/Photographer Peter Alavanza, Name of layout artist Dr. Isabelita M. Borres, CESO III
Management Team:
Dr. Eugenio B. Penales Sonia D. Gonzales
Dr. Ella Grace M. Tagupa
Dr. Jephone P. Yorong Florence S. Gallemit
 Target
The concepts of the community stand for something useful and desirable, and
therefore, students should imbibe with the desire to help established a just and humane
society / community.

This module explains the importance of studying community dynamics and

community action in relation to applied social sciences and the learners’ future career
options.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

 Explain the importance of studying community dynamics and community action in
relation to applied social sciences.

Review
Instructions:
Kindly read the story entitled “The Elephant and the Blind Men,” after reading there
were some questions below. Use your answer sheet.

The Elephant and the Blind Men

(from http://www.jainworld.com/literature/story25.htm).

Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them,
“Hey, there is an elephant in the village today”.
They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, “Even though we would not be able
to see it, let us go and feel it anyway.” All of them went were the elephant was.Everyone
of them touched the elephant.
“Hey, the elephant is a pillar,” said the first man who touched his leg.
“Oh, no! it is like a rope,” said the second man who touched the tail.
“Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree,” said the third man who touched the trunk of
the elephant.
“It is like a big hand fan,” said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.
“It is like a huge wall,” said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.
“It is like a solid pipe,” said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.
They began to argue about the elephant, and everyone of them insisted that he be right.
It looked like they were getting agitated. A wise man was passing by, and he saw this. He
stopped and asked them, “What is the matter?” They said, “We cannot agree to what the
elephant is like.” Each one of them told what he thought the elephant was. The wise
man calmly explained to them, “All of you are right. The reason everyone of you is telling
it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, the
elephant has all those features what you all said.”
“Oh!” everyone said. There was no more fight. They felt happy that they were all right.

Questions:
1. Whose description of the elephant was correct?
 2. What is the moral story of “The Elephant and the Blind Men?”
2. Please provide your own understanding about community.
3. What significance can this story have on the study of the community?

mportance of Studying Community Dynamics and Community Action in Relation to Applied Social Scien
Lesson 1

Discover
To “see” is to get to know and understand the community. It is prerequisite for judgment
and action. To “judge” is to analyze and assess the community based on one’s knowledge. To
“act” is to push for community action. The Community assessment will be the basis of the
community engagement or action.
Community situations vary. Each community has its own context and realities. Those
interested in working with a community must first have a clear picture and a good grasp of the
entity they are trying to address. It is in appreciating the features and elements of a community
that engagement processes and actions become relevant, acceptable, and appropriate. Without a
deep and wide knowledge of a target community, interventions may emerge as exclusive,
inappropriate, or totally insensitive to the members of the community.
What are the other gains you can derive from understanding a community?
Gains from Understanding Community Dynamics

Provides Before the undertaking of any community action or

benchmarking data development intervention like a community project,
it is important to establish benchmark data. The
data illustrate the preliminary picture or image of
the community. It serves as the initial community
situationer or briefer.

Provides preliminary It is necessary to secure community information

project planning and feedback needed for the conceptualization of a
information project design or plan. Understanding community
dynamics is the key to a sound and relevant
community development plan. A community
development action plan includes strategies and
actions meant to enhance the quality of life in a
community.

Provides an idea of An in-depth understanding of the community’s

the community’s strengths and challenges guides the community-
strengths and based project development team to identify the
challenges strengths and possible loopholes of the project
design. Thus, it will make the design more feasible
and realistic. The project development team involves
the key stakeholders in the community, such as the
community leaders and the representatives of the
people who will be directly or indirectly affected by
 the project implementation, as well as external
members like community development agency
representatives and external consultants.

Provides an The success or failure of a community project more

opportunity to often than not is strongly affected by the prevailing
understand the rules and norms in the community. The intensity or
community’s degree or reactions or sensitivities of the community
dominant rules and members is affected by those rules and norms. A
norms. successful community development project requires
a consideration of those rules and norms.

Provides an occasion An understanding of the community members’

to gauge the attitude attitude and behavior will give the project
and behavior of the development team an idea whether the project will
community be supported or rejected or whether it can be
negotiated with the people.

Provides a way for a If one is an outsider in a target community for

more directed and project development, a crucial activity one should
well-informed undertake is dialogue with the community. The
dialogue with the quality of the dialogue depends on how well-
community informed or how knowledgeable the outsiders are on
the community situation and issues. Project
development is a process of creating or innovating
ideas, interventions, and technologies that would
respond to a particular need or problem in the
community.

Makes networking By having an idea of the different advocacy and

and partnership interest groups in the community, it is easier for
building more people from schools, institutions, or groups to
favorable partner with local networks or associations.

Gets project Without a good grasp of the community they are

implementation less aimed at, project development and implementation
complicated become complicated and stressful. The project
implementation plan includes the steps and
processes that must be taken into consideration. An
understanding of the community will tell the project
development and implementation team what not to
do or what to be more concerned of.

There are many ways to understand and appreciate a community but there is no
substitute to immersing and living with that community. Social development workers,
social workers, social action people, and community organizers cannot escape what we
call in Tagalog as “paglubog” or “pagbabad.” It is more than exposure; it means
immersion. It is a process of living with people in order to feel, smell, and think like
them.
Communities are generally defined by their common cultural heritage, language,
beliefs, and shared interests. They may be classified as small such as the small place-
based community of a barangay or coastal village, or large such as a region, state, or
nation. According to Murphy and Cunningham (2003), small communities have “defined
territories and are given life by three interacting people processes: (a) an underlying web
of human relationships called as social fabric, (b) a unique community power structure,
and (c) a set of resource flows that constitute a local economy.” Small communities are
powerful producers of relationships which include kinship, friendship, neighbours, local
institutions, and communication mechanisms that connect people to people (Murphy
and Cunningham, 2003).
In sociology, we define community is a social group who follow a social structure
within a society (culture, norms, values, status). They may work together to organize
social life within a particular place, or they may be bound by a sense of belonging
sustained across time and space.
The dynamics of a community are determined by its nature and structure and how
it reacts with external or internal forces. It is thus important to recognize the
characteristics and features of a community to understand why it acts and reacts in a
certain way.
A community can be considered like an organism because it can function even if
people come and go. It transcends the individual persons that make it up. Bartle (2010)
further pointed out that “a community is a super-organic organism or system” made up
of the thoughts, outlook, and conduct of individual human beings full of divisions and
conflicts brought about by differences in religion, ethnicity, gender, access to resources,
class, personality, opportunities, and a lot more. This reality indicates that to work in a
community or to undertake community interventions is a challenging task. One must
get to know first and foremost the community system. One must observe how the
community acts and reacts to forces that are external and internal to its system.
Development work requires understanding community dynamics and processes.
Having a sense of community unites us. Being a part of a community can make us
feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves. It can give us
opportunities to connect with people, to reach for our goals, and make us feel safe and
secure. It’s important for every person to have a sense of community.
Involvement with your community helps prepare people to become responsible and
active citizens, who understand the challenges local people face and work to improve the
quality of life through political and non-political processes.

Analyze

“Lakbay-Utak” (Mental Tour)

Instructions:

1. Take a mental tour of a community, preferably a poor community that is familiar to you.
2. Imagine that you are investigating the community. Be quiet and let your mind travel
slowly and be aware of what the exercise reveals.
3. Identify the power actors/players in the community. Who are the influential members of the
community? What are the characteristics of these people? How do they influence the members of
the community?
4. Your explanation will be evaluated based on the following:
 CRITERIA DETAILS POINTS /
PERCENTAGE

Clarity of How relevant are the content. 40%

Content

Communication How viable are the skills / 40%

Styles styles or usage of grammar.

Value of the How much impact can it be to 20%

Activity the reader/s.

TOTAL 100%

NOTE :This RUBRIC may apply all activities in this module.

Enrichment Activity
Activity 1:
Write your essay in your answer sheet.
Photo Essay
1. Does the scene below qualify as a form of community engagement? Why or why not?
2. Say something about the pictures below, cite the community dynamics.
Picture A Picture B

Activity
Instructions:

1. Each one of you will come up with a definition and description of community.
2. Write the definition and illustrate the description on a piece of bond paper.
3. Explain your definition and illustration.

Remember
The community is one of the sociology’s oldest and most enduring objects of study
and research. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Max Weber (1864-1920) defined and
shaped the concept of community from the scientific point of view. For most of us,
“community is synonymous with belongingness, togetherness, camaraderie and similar
state of peaceful social relations.
 Pramila Aggarwal (2006) describes the community as a social organization that is
considered fundamental to society such as, village or religious sect. Aggarwal (2006)
furnishes us with several definitions of community:
 Clusters of individual lives make-up communities, societies, and cultures. To
understand some of the complexities, complications, and confusions within the
life of just one member of a community are to gain insights into the collective
(Coles and Knowles, 2001);
 For Bill Lee (1992), community is simply a group of people who have something
in common;
 For the Greeks, it means “fellowship,” that is, a group of people who come
together for mutual support and to fulfil their basic needs.
 Boothroyd (1990) sees community as “a human system of more than two people
in which the members interact personally over time, in which behaviour and
activity are guided by collectively-evolved norms or collective decisions, and
from which members may freely secede.”
 It is a collection of people who have become aware of some problem or some
broad goals, who have gone through a process of learning about themselves
and their environment, and have formulated a group objective” (Roberts, 1979).

From the given definitions above, we can surmise that the concept of community
connotes a broad range of meanings. Forming a community depends on the individuals
living in a certain location. For some, it takes the time to belong to a community, for
some, it is easy and fast.
Sometimes, the word community is used to describe an organization or institution,
such as workplace, a school or college/university to imply a common spatial bond. There
are times that we use the term community to talk about people who have shared a
common characteristic such as religion, caste, or language.

Evaluation
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer among the given choices. Write
the chosen letter on your notebook as your answer sheet.

1. Why it is that a community can be considered like an organism?

A. It is a unique community power structure.

B. It can function even if people come and go.
C. It is a set of resource flows that constitute a local economy.
D. It is an underlying web of human relationships called as social
fabric.

2. How the dynamics of a community determined?

A. By its nature and structure and how it reacts with external or

internal forces.
B. By their behavior or reaction can break or make community
development interventions.
 C. By the characteristics of a community may be attributed to the
combination of the communities’ human resource.
D. By structures that have impact on local communities and also
linkages that form collaborative works.

3. What will be the basis of the community engagement or action?

A. Community briefer
B. Community Assessment
C. Community Case Analysis
D. Proposal for Youth Community Plan

4. According to Murphy and Cunningham (2003), small communities have “defined

territories and are given life by three interacting people processes, EXCEPT?

A. A unique community power structure.

B. A set of resource flows that constitute a local economy.
C. An underlying web of human relationships called as social fabric.
D. The capacity to influence the decision-making and distribution
processes.

5. Community situations vary. Communities are generally defined based on

following, EXCEPT?

A. Beliefs
B. Language
C. Personal Interest
D. Cultural Heritage

6. An understanding of the community members’ attitude and behaviour will give the
project development team an idea whether the project will be supported or rejected
or whether it can be negotiated with the people. What gains from community
dynamic is this?
A. Provide benchmarking data
B. Provides preliminary project planning information
C. Makes networking and partnership building more favorable
D. Provides an occasion to gauge the attitude and behaviour of the
community

7. The data illustrate the preliminary picture or image of the community. It serves as
the initial community situationer or briefer. What gains from community dynamic
is this?
A. Provide benchmarking data
B. Provides preliminary project planning information
C. Makes networking and partnership building more favorable
D. Provides an occasion to gauge the attitude and behaviour of the
community
8. It is necessary to secure community information and feedback needed for the
conceptualization of a project design or plan. Understanding community dynamics
is the key to sound and relevant community development plan. What gains from
community dynamic is this?
 A. Provide benchmarking data
B. Provides preliminary project planning information
C. Makes networking and partnership building more favorable
D. Provides an occasion to gauge the attitude and behaviour of the
community

9. By having an idea of the different advocacy and interest groups in the community,
it is easier for people from schools, institutions, or groups to partner with local
networks and associations. What gains from community dynamic is this?
A. Provide benchmarking data
B. Provides preliminary project planning information
C. Makes networking and partnership building more favorable
D. Provides an occasion to gauge the attitude and behaviour of the
community

10. An in-depth understanding of the community’s strengths and challenges guides the
community-based project development team to identify the strengths and possible
loopholes of the project design. What gains from community dynamic is this?
A. Gets project implementation less complicated
B. Provides an idea of the community’s strengths and challenges
C. Provides a way for a more directed and well-informed dialogue with the
community
D. Provides an opportunity to understand the community’s dominant
rules and norms.

11. The project implementation plan includes the steps and processes that must be
taken into consideration. An understanding of the community will tell the project
development and implementation team what not to do or what to be more
concerned of. What gains from community dynamic is this?
A. Gets project implementation less complicated
B. Provides an idea of the community’s strengths and challenges
C. Provides a way for a more directed and well-informed dialogue with the
community
D. Provides an opportunity to understand the community’s dominant
rules and norms.

12. The quality of the dialogue depends on how well-informed or how knowledgeable
the outsiders are on the community situation and issues. What gains from
community dynamic is this?
A. Gets project implementation less complicated
B. Provides an idea of the community’s strengths and challenges
C. Provides a way for a more directed and well-informed dialogue with the
community
D. Provides an opportunity to understand the community’s dominant rules and
norms.
 13. The success and failure or failure of a community project more often than not is
strongly affected by the prevailing rules and norms in the community. What gains
from community dynamic is this?
A. Gets project implementation less complicated
B. Provides an idea of the community’s strengths and challenges
C. Provides a way for a more directed and well-informed dialogue with the
community
D. Provides an opportunity to understand the community’s dominant rules and
norms.

14. There are several definitions of community, but according to Bill Lee (1992),
community is?
A. A human system of more than two people in which the members interact
personally over time.
B. A group of people who come together for mutual support and to fulfil their
basic needs.
C. A collection of people who have become aware of some problem or some broad
goal.
D. Simply a group of people who have something in common.

15. How Pramila Aggarwal (2006) describes community?

A. A social group with a common territorial base.
B. Share interests and have a sense of belonging to the group.
C. A social organization that is considered fundamental to society such as, village
or religious sect.
D. An organization or institution, such as the workplace, a school or
college/university to imply a common spatial bond.

Additional Activity
Description of My Community
Instructions:
Describe your community/village/town/barrio. Using the pattern provided by a “classy”
village cum resorts being developed in the Southern part of Manila, describe your
community (not all elements may present in your community).
1. Lifestyle:
(It offers the best of both worlds for its residents – it only gives luxury; it also gives
comfort. It has a pleasantly quiet, community-like feel with wide streets, swaying palm
trees, and stroll-able sidewalks). My community
2. Amenities: What is a community without top-of-the-line shopping right on the
doorstep? Residents will get to fuel their passion for fashion when a 2- kilometer
commercial and retail row would soon to thrive near the residential area. The street will
showcase an array of top local and global luxury boutiques; it will also house various
high-end restaurants to satiate food craving. Within the community, you can find a one-
hectare space for its exciting lifestyle amenities in its 2-storey clubhouse. This will also
include basketball, badminton and volleyball courts. My community

3. Accessibility (Churches, schools, markets, recreation center, city/municipal hall,

hospitals):
4. Security:

RUBRICS

CRITERIA DETAILS POINTS /

PERCENTAGE

Clarity of How relevant are the content/s. 40%

Content

Communication How viable are the skills / styles 40%

Styles or usage of grammar.

Value of the How much impact can it be to 20%

Activity the reader/s.

TOTAL 100%

NOTE: This RUBRIC may apply all activities in this module.

Mele Padi Evaluation
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 Region IX: Zamboanga Peninsula Hymn – Our Eden Land

Here the trees and flowers bloom Gallant men And Ladies fair
Here the breezes gently Blow, Linger with love and care
Here the birds sing Merrily, Golden beams of sunrise and sunset
The liberty forever Stays, Are visions you’ll never forget
Oh! That’s Region IX
Here the Badjaos roam the seas Hardworking people Abound,
Here the Samals live in peace Every valleys and Dale
Here the Tausogs thrive so free Zamboangueños, Tagalogs, Bicolanos,
With the Yakans in unity Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Subanons, Boholanos,
Ilongos,
All of them are proud and true
Region IX our Eden Land
Region IX
Our..
Eden...
Land...

The Footprints Prayer Trees by Joyce Kilmer

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I think that I shall never see
that I was walking along the beach A poem lovely as a tree.
with the LORD.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
In the beach, there were two (2) sets Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
of footprints – one belong to me and
the other to the LORD. A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
Then, later, after a long walk, I
noticed only one set of footprints.
A tree that may in Summer wear
“And I ask the LORD. Why? Why? Why A nest of robins in her hair;
did you leave me when I am sad and
helpless?” Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who
intimately lives with rain.
And the LORD replied “My son, My son,
I have never left you. There was only one Poems are made by fools like me,
(1) set of footprints in the sand, because it But only God can make a tree.
was then that I CARRIED YOU!