Objectives

(Differentiate the Typologies of Communities) (HUMSS_CSC12IIIa-c-6)

Your Targets

In this module you will learn about how to:

1. distinguish between formal and informal types of communities;
2. make a community map of a rural and urban community; and
3. explain local and global communities and their relationship.

Vocabulary List

Formal Community- characterized by institutionally structured hierarchies, which define the relationship
between authoritative and subordinate actors and groups.

Global Community- characterized by integration and interaction between individuals and groups away
from each other in time or space or both.

Informal Community- seen to typically operate through socio-cultural mechanisms within the
community structures.

Local Community- characterized by close social integration and physical proximity. Moreover, it is
defined as a group of people sharing the same environment and conditions such as intent, belief,
resources, preferences, needs and risks.

Rural Community- characterized as pastoral, agricultural, and located along the periphery of urban
centers or in the countryside.

Typology- a classification according to general type. In this module, this refers to the types of
community.

Urban Community- described as industrialized and commercial centers where population density is
relatively high compared to rural communities.

TOPIC 1: Formal and Informal Communities

The table below details the differences between formal and informal community. An example of
a formal community is a business firm, where people are assigned positions based on their job
descriptions and functions. One example of an informal organization is a group of jogging enthusiasts
who meet once a week at the city park.
 Social Space is defined as a physical or virtual space which members of the community visit or
where they stay. Some examples of social space include the social center, online social media, or other
gathering spaces where people gather or interact.
Some social spaces are owned by the government, such as town squares, parks, and beaches.
These are spaces generally open and accessible to people. Private social spaces, on the other hand, are
owned and regulated regularly, such as shopping malls. These social spaces may be used by community
residents for their gatherings or simple recreation activities.

Task 1. Got to know the existing Leadership/ Power Relation!

Can you give me the existing power relation and social space of the following community? Write
FC- if it is a formal community and IFC-for informal community. Make sure also to identify if it is
occupying a public space or private space by writing your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
TOPIC 2: Rural-Urban Communities
Communities may be located in either rural or urban areas. These areas have distinct characteristics.

The following are the three general characteristics of rural areas:

a. Population density is found to be low, meaning few people populate the entire community, and they
tend to live far apart from each other.

b. The area is situated geographically distant from larger urban areas.

c. Each area typically specializes in a particular form of livelihood, such as farming.

Characteristics of urban areas are as follows:

a. There is higher population density, with more diverse subgroups (ethnic, racial cultural, age, sexual
orientation)
b. Various industries and businesses are found in the areas.
c. A large portion of people lived in rented apartments or homes.
d. Transportation is readily available although this may be costly
e. Urban areas are highly developed with many buildings and structures
f. Traffic and noise levels are high in these areas
g. The large population gives rise to close interactions among many people as well as more intense
political involvement among citizens.

There are also various sectors in different communities. Community sectors are various groups
or subdivisions of the larger community divided based on characteristics such as political, economic,
cultural, and religious beliefs. The various sectors that exist in all communities may be categorized
according to the following sectors with their inclusions:

1. Health -medical and mental health professionals; pharmacists and pharmacies; hospitals and other in-
patient facilities, clinics, non-traditional health practitioners; public health agencies and systems

2. Education - public and private preschools, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, school committees,
school administrators, teachers, other educational institution employees; parents, students, state board
of education; adult basic education (ABE) and English as Second or Other Language (ESOL) programs

3. Law Enforcement -the local and state police, the court system- judges, probation officers,
prosecutors, courtappointed defense lawyers, court-mandated program for offenders.

4. Government- regional, provincial, state, local, and tribal government bureaucracies, agencies, and
officials, both elected and appointed.

5. Business - from the self-employed carpenter to the multinational corporation with a local facility.

6. Youth - youth themselves (generally viewed as ages 18 and younger) and those who work directly
with them (youth violence prevention and outreach programs, Big Brother/Big Sister, Boys’ and Girls’
Clubs, scouting, etc.) parents, human service, culture, and sports/recreation sectors.

7. The Media - newspapers and magazines, radio, and TV, vast array of blogs, videos, online news, and
other materials available on the internet.
8. Human Services - non-profit professional and volunteer organizations that provide free and affordable
services such as job training, food, shelter, elder services, services for individuals with physical or mental
disabilities, support and advocacy for immigrants, among others.

9. Religion - places of worship and their members, religious organizations (e.g. Knights of Columbus,
CBCP) of all faiths, may include the hierarchy of a national church as well (a Roman Catholic archbishop,
for instance)

10. Service/Fraternal Organization - the Lions, Masons, Rotary, Kiwanis, and other local and national or
international service organizations, college fraternities/sororities or other local and national social clubs,
as well veterans’ organizations and the like.

11. Community Activist Volunteer Groups - individuals for or against political issue, supportive of existing
institutions (“Friends of” the local park, a school playground volunteer corps), oriented toward economics
(groups that volunteer to help non-profit and small business owners with financial and business plans), or
more generally concerned with the quality of community life (e.g. organizers of community festivals)

12. Culture - artists such as musicians, dancers and choreographers, writer, actors and directors,
designers and visual artists, as well as arts organizations, theaters, orchestras, museums, galleries, and
those who work as support staff in the arts- stagehands, cameramen, electricians, set builders, etc. ;
regular consumers and supporters of the arts.

13. Housing Development - both public and private non-profit housing agencies and organizations that
provide rent subsidies and/or affordable housing, as well as developers who build market-rate and
upscale residential and commercial properties. -may include everyone from fair housing advocates to
those who own and/ or manage urban real estate worth millions of pesos.

14. Sports and Recreation - sports clubs, town or county recreation departments, amateur and
professional athletic associations, public and private sports and recreation facilities, gyms, coaches,
personal trainers, recreation leaders, and camp directors, as well those who participate in these groups
as athletes, spectators, or supporters.

15. The Environment - individual environmentalists, international, national, and local environmental
organizations, conservation land trusts, recreational hunters and fishermen, rock climbers and
mountaineers, wildlife biologists and botanists, ecologists, hikers, canoers/kayakers, and other outdoor
people, hydrologists (water specialists), those who make a living from a pristine or carefully-managed
environment.

16. Agriculture - confined to rural areas, may also include dairy farmers, cheesemakers, winemakers and
vineyards, and food processors and packers, including all consumers of the food produced.

Task 2. A blast from my past visits!

Let us be specific in describing a rural and urban community that you had visited by illustrating that
specific community and by emphasizing in your illustration at least three (3) prominent sectors that you
remembered in your visit. Make use of a symbol e.g. cross at the roof of a church refers to Catholic
Church. Then, briefly explain the characteristics of each community and the roles played by each sector
in the community that you have drawn.
Topic 3: Local and Global Communities

A local community is characterized by close social integration and physical proximity. Moreover,
a local community is defined as a group of people sharing the same environment and conditions intent,
belief, resources, preferences, and needs and risks. These factors may affect the identities of the
individuals as well as the community’s degree of cohesiveness.

In addition, a local community may consist of business operators, public agency staff, residents
with interactions that may include sharing of resources, information, and assistance. Commercial
relationships may also be present between local businesses and consumers.

The global community, on the other hand, is a system characterized by integration and
interaction between individuals and groups away from each other in time or space or both. The word
“global” refers to the nation of the world considered closely connected by modern telecommunication,
though they are economically, socially and politically independent (Sebastian, 2009, and dictionary.com)
 The domains and certain aspects of the local and global communities intertwine.
Establishments, programs, and other events that started in the local setup may eventually grow to have
a global presence, such as the Jollibee fast food chain.

Proposed plans and programs in the local community, when implemented successfully, may
reach the global community, and gain traction there as well such as outreach activities, programs during
calamities etc.

Task 3. What I want to share to the World!

What program do you plan to propose in your local community and in what ways can you promote this
globally? This could be part of our culture, beliefs, innovations, people etc. These could also be part of
practices that we can do as outreach programs or to eliminate damages from any state of calamity-
poverty, natural/typhoons etc. Think of how the program you are about to propose may benefit people
nationally and internationally (This activity is adopted from the same topic of the book entitled
Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship for Senior High School of Ava Ann P. Semorlan, Ph.D.
and Adrian P. Semorlan, MPA, MHSS, Ed. D.)

Use the template in answering the activity. A sample is already written for you.

Local Community Program

Ex. Veggie Indoor Gardening - this is a projected program to be proposed in the community where the
main goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle through planting as well maintaining vegetable plants in
every home.
Benefit to the Local Community Benefit to the Global Community
 Promotes healthy lifestyle by exercising the  Promotes healthy lifestyle by exercising the
body while gardening and consuming the veggies body while gardening and consuming the veggies
they grow. they grow.
 It could be a hobby for the entire family.  They can make this as a hobby, according to
 Some could also earn a living by selling Kim Hayes, AARP on her article about gardening it
vegetables. It shall help in eliminating poverty in helps fight dementia and cure loneliness.
our community, making the family work together  Some could also earn a living by selling
for them to maintain indoor vegetables. vegetables. It shall help in eliminating poverty in
 Makes the family more self-sufficient especially our community.
during trying times.  Making the family work together for them to
maintain indoor vegetables.
 Makes the family more self-sufficient especially
during trying times
Promoting to Global Perspective
 Modelling/ behavior and action to start at home and then seeks the help of local community leaders
to do the same.
 Submitting a letter/proposal to the local community leaders so that they could make a resolution for
it.
 Promotion thru internet, encouraging friends and their social networks to do the same
 Making others in the global community see the benefits of indoor gardening thru the help of social
media