PowerPoint Presentation

Being in Communities. Presented By: Leslie-Ann Nurse Kiara Saunders Vedesh Seenath.

Introduction.

Introduction. Communities bring together individuals with a common interest, and support a positive change. W ith solidarity among its members, communities are geared toward a successful outcome. Through community, members support the continuous growth of each other, and by extension, their environment . As individuals, being part of a healthy, active community, gives us a sense of belonging..

The Importance of Community. Who are we and what matters?.

The Importance of Community. Having the wisdom of what it takes to make a community cohesive, believing in its value, and having the skills, to not only create but also to maintain community, is an essential aspect of the relational leader . Individuals belong to many communities that involve different aspects of their lives. B eing part of these communities, support individual growth, which leads to the growth of the group, and by extension, the environment to which these individuals belong..

Elements of Community. The 8 elements of community identified by Gardner (1990).

Elements of Community. A community is a social group of individuals bonded by a common interest, goal, or identity. It is not just a place where interaction occurs, but where connection and commitment, sustain relationships and purpose. This commitment is the essence of Relational Leadership . Effective communities are not narrow-minded, but are in a constant, dynamic interaction with their broader environment . Everyone within a community works cohesively together towards their goals, through trust, teamwork , commitment , decision making, and communication methods..

Eight Elements of Effective Communities by Dr. John Gardner (1990).

Traditional vs Modern-day Communities. Traditionally, communities were defined as homogeneous groupings of people, who were similar to each other by race, ideology, or class. While this can still be considered a community, it is a very specific and specialized community. A true community however, cannot exist without diversity . Diversification within communities serves as an advantage, as it helps the community’s ability to handle and manage external, and internal changes in the environment. Furthermore, t he diversity of ideas, skills , experiences and worldviews, enhance a group’s shared goals and the many talents of people gathered as a community ..

Communities and Technology. Traditionally, communities needed face-to-face interaction that was only possible through close geographic proximity. However, with electronic networks like blogs, social media sites and online chat services, people across the globe are linking into selective communities. These online platforms help communities to share information and stay connected with each other. However, there are times where this online communication results in persons feeling isolated, especially if it is not used responsibly..

Modern–day Communities. This commonality that people share, transcends geographic proximity. References to the ‘medical community’ or ‘spiritual community’, reflect their common perspective, and not their physical daily interactions. Even without socially interacting, you can feel a sense of community. For example, if you actively take part in the prevention of animal abuse, you may feel connected towards any similar communities, whether you see them on social media or a newspaper or hear about them on the radio / TV..

Effective Communities. An effective community needs to be inclusive and empowering, and purposeful change must be accomplished through ethical and collaborative processes. This is where relational leadership flourishes, in settings that value the elements of community..

A Common Center. Making a choice around a common center.

A Common Center. Communities are not just simply a group of people with like-mindedness, but rather persons with different thoughts and ideas around a common center . A successful community welcomes and encourages the inclusion of all members, regardless of their differences. M embers can enjoy the dynamics of working together, as they share their ideas and strategies. Through sharing openly, their desired outcome progresses and becomes sharper. The sense of eagerness and accomplishment becomes evident, as they work towards that common goal..

Communities of Practice. Engaging with others who are working towards an action.

Communities of Practice. Many people are involved in more than one community, however it is difficult to actively participate in each. This is because of limited time, disinterest, or shifting priorities. For these reasons, a person can be affiliated with one community more than the others. Communities of practice defines working together to reach a common goal. I n most cases however, a person can be less essential in one community, and more essential in another. Within a larger community of practice, persons form smaller communities, these are known as urban villages . These social networks that are formed, are important for obtaining shared goals, and for personal identification and satisfaction..

Communities of Practice. In a community of practice, it is important that each member participates, and the community practices the distributive justice of caring for it's members, and ensuring that no one is left unheard, feels excluded, disadvantaged, or hurt . A person who does not uphold their responsibilities or the community’s shared values, can cause havoc, so they are sometimes removed by other members. Communities thrive on serial reciprocity which exists when people reciprocate for what they have received. This responsibility each member feels towards others in the community, creates a civic culture . This builds and regenerates the sense of community. It is therefore vital for our human connection, to learn to feel responsible for others, in our communities of practice..

The Development of Community. The 4 stages to achieving true community by Scott Peck (1987).

Once individual differences surface, the group almost immediately moves into chaos. It is a time when people in the community realize that differences cannot simply be ignored. “It is important to find meaning in the idea that even “fighting is better than pretending you are not divided” ( Peck, 1987, p. 94).

In a true , authentic community, conflict still arises, but there are ways to be heard, and community members know they cannot reach a consensus or any level of agreement without disagreements to create truly better decisions. “Building community is creating a feel of “we” out of lots of “I’s.”.

The Development of Community. Many groups never get past pseudocommunity, and find ways to courteously interact and get their work done. That may be sufficient for their purposes, but ongoing groups should work towards an authentic community . A community is a process, not an end state. It constantly changes; new members join, external crises cause new levels of conflict, and key members, who had been instrumental in nurturing the community, leave. Communities must recognize when they need to attend to the cycle of rebuilding a genuine community..

7 Community Building Principles for Participants - William Gudykunst (1991).

7 Community Building Principles for Participants - William Gudykunst (1991).

Relational Leadership & Community Building. If participants think of their organization as a community, and practice community-building skills, the group will be enriched. Participants must listen more keenly, respect each other even when there are disagreements, and seek resolution of differences. This highlights that Relational leadership is directly linked with building communities. The following slide, illustrates the connections of relational leadership, with the understandings of the elements of community from Gardner (1990) and community-building principles from Gudykunst (1991 )..

Relational Leadership & Community Building.

College Communities. Forming a healthy college community.

College Communities. College communities are considered schooling communities. In a college community, not everyone gets a true feeling of belonging . This happens because some members do not get along with each other and this can be caused by unsociable behaviours and differences. In creating a healthier college community, there must be the acceptance of diversity, where everyone can feel a sense of belonging, instead of older community models, where everyone is demographically the same..

College Communities. The large college community is assembled by smaller communities. These smaller communities consist of; staff, students, faculty, administrators, and previous members. These communities can be further broken down by departments or programs, for example, the business department, science department, accounting students, seniors, etc. In each community, everyone has the same objectives and goals. For example, in the business department all students share the same objective of learning and expanding their knowledge of business processes..

College Communities. Each community inside the larger college community however, has different goals and objectives. F or example, accounting students focus on becoming accountants, while engineering students focus on becoming engineers. Each small diverse community combined, forms the larger community, which is the college community . Despite their differences, if you regularly exercise openness, cohesiveness, interdependence, and welcome diversity, you will contribute towards forming a healthier college community..

References. Ill O.

( n.d. ). Retrieved from https:// www.ikedacenter.org/thinkers-themes/themes/community/what-is-community-responses aTLC . ( n.d. ) Four Stages of Community . Retrieved November 20, 2021, from http:// atlc.org/members/resources/four_stages_community.html Duran, A. ( n.d. ). The # IlliniLeader's Digest. Retrieved from The Importance of Community to Leadership Practice: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/8605/634046808 Komives , S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2007). Understanding Complex Organizations, In John Wiley & Sons, Exploring Leadership (2nd ed.) [E-book] (pp 282-299). Jossey -Bass..

Lowe, T. ( n.d. ). What is "community" and why is it important? Retrieved from What is "community" and why is it important?: https:// medium.com/centre-for-public-impact/what-is-community-2e895219a205.