Learning About the Community

What is Community? 

A community has been referred as stable, small, autonomous and self-contained unit such as colonies of pioneer settlers, primitive tribes, villages and immigrant areas. The same term  has been used to refer large complex, interdependent urban areas like Colaba in Bombay, Safdarjung Enclave in Delhi and Park Circus in Calcutta. We also find towns called communities and also cities as communities. Sometimes wide, diverse, small,  temporary units like gypsy  camps are also referred to as communities on wheels. 

Every city  has its share of exclusive residential areas such as suburbs, ghettos, slums etc. These Clusters are called "Natural areas" as they have been the result of social forces and natural groupings rather than designed. Therefore, the terms community and natural areas are used interchangeably. 

In general, whatever, may  be the size of complexity of a community studied, it has certain characteristics. These include occupation of a territorial area, common interests, common pattern of social and economic relations, common bond of solidarity, network of social institutions and  some degree of group control. 

Most communities have many problems which members do not believe can be solved by them. For example, community.members often see infectious diseases, sickly children and a poor water supply as problems which  they cannot  solve. Before problems can  be solved, people in the  community must first understand all  the factors involved. This will help them to decide what are the best actions to take  to solve their problems. 

To help community members recognize, understand and deal with problems, you should work with them in the following situations: 

1. Identify food and nutrition problems in the  community. 
2. Decide on the chief problem. 
3. Suggest causes for the problem. 
4. Decide on what changes are needed to  solve the  problem. 
5. Discuss some solutions to the  problem. 
6. Decide on one  solution. 
7. Develop a plan of action. 
8. Carry out  the plan. 
9. Evaluate what has been done. 

Use this step-by-step approach  to deal with  each  problem that you find. 

Remember, the community must take part in all these steps. 

In order to achieve this,  there is a need for you to learn how to work  with individuals, groups and agencies in the community. The following discussion will help you do this.