Community Reflections Assignment (Essay Sample)

Instructions:

Respond to all parts of all questions. 1. How do you define your community? What are its boundaries? 2. Recall or look again at the “functions” of communities identified by Roland Warren. (They are described in the textbook and in the video lecture.) a. Describe how your community meets the function of mutual support. b. Are there formal mechanisms through which community members exhibit mutual support? c. What are examples of informal mechanisms through which community members demonstrate mutual support? d. How do you think your community compares to others in the degree to which community member exhibit mutual support? 3. As described in the article by Robert Sampson, “collective efficacy” refers to shared expectations and confidence among neighbors that neighbors can influence community life, and “mutual engagement by residents” to meet community goals. “Collective efficacy” is similar to the concept of “community social capital,” and both concepts are described in the video lecture and powerpoint slides. a. What is your perception of the level of collective efficacy and community social capital in your community? b. What evidence have you seen either of the exercise of collective efficacy or of failure to exercise collective efficacy? SW 442 2 4. As described in the video lecture, “bonding” social capital refers to bonds of social trust among neighbors. “Bridging” social capital refers to neighbors’ capacity to connect to resources outside the community. Let’s say you wanted to join with others to strengthen your community’s social capital and collective efficacy. a. What steps might you take to strengthen your community’s bonding social capital? b. What steps might you take to strengthen your community’s bridging social capital? source..

Content:

Community Reflections Assignment Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor’s Name Assignment Due Date Community Reflections Assignment A community can be defined as a group of individuals with similar characteristics. However, the definition is not only applicable to individuals with similar attitudes and interests, as it may also be used to define people from the same background or locality. There are various boundaries in a community. Specifically, these limits are determined by an individual's status, perceived physical and mental health, and income or socioeconomic status. Depending on one's perception of the term, multiple communities may exist within a locality as identified by their practices, circumstances, action, time, or interest, among others. Huntsville, Alabama, in the US, is one of the most renowned and famous communities. The people are identified by the locality. The region comprises a mixture of individuals from distinct backgrounds and identities, including Whites, African Americans, Asians, and American Indians, among others. Communities have different functions. As defined by Roland Warren, a community is a collection of various social units and systems that offer distinct parts to help meet the needs of the people (Holtz, n.d.). This function is completed by the Huntsville community, as evident from the characteristics of the people. Most of the population is interested in engineering, and much of the activities revolve around science, such as space and rockets. There are various formal mechanisms through which the community demonstrates mutual support. Some of them comprise policing, regulatory policies, and judicial sanctions. These mechanisms help keep the people together. For instance, while the violent and property crime rates are high in the country and Alabama, the ability of people to stick to the laws and standards set by the authorities makes such cases difficult to hear. Huntsville depends on the critical informal mechanism of assisting one another. People in the community talk openly with each other and take feedback seriously. Even though the benefit may be specific to an individual, there is a greater good; hence, it continues t...

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Community Reflections Assignment (Essay Sample)

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