 |
See 'Glossary' for more detail, especially about 'Aboriginal communities' |
Working with a community has the potential to address some of the structural and environmental issues which lead to poor health. A key challenge for health staff is to encourage and support community-led and community controlled activities (Wass1994:127). Although community development projects are focused on the community, we can use community development skills and approaches when working with individuals and groups as well.
The word 'community' can have several different meanings. The definition we are using is from the World Health Organisation.
| Community A specific group of people, often living in a defined geographical area, who share a common culture, values and norms, are arranged in a social structure according to relationships which the community has developed over a period of time. Members of a community gain their personal and social identity by sharing common beliefs, values and norms which have been developed by the community in the past and may be modified in the future. They exhibit some awareness of their identity as a group, and share common needs and a commitment to meeting them WHO 1998:5 |
|
See 'Glossary' for more detail, especially about 'Aboriginal communities' |
Community development is based on the idea that local people already know what the issues and problems are and how to solve them. The community development approach can assist communities to undertake projects in planned and structured ways, recognising the strengths and knowledge of local people.
| Community development refers to the process of facilitating the community's awareness
of the factors and forces which affect their health and quality of life, and ultimately
helping to empower them with the skills needed for taking control over and improving those
conditions in their community which affect their health and way of life. It often involves
helping them to identify issues of concern and facilitating their efforts to bring about
change in these areas. Hawe et al 1990:203 |
| Health Promotion Officers collectively defined community
development… When a community uses a process through which people get together; communicate; identify priority needs; plan; and take action to resolve problems and achieve outcomes which are desired by the community. Workshop Report National Better Health Program: Orientation and Planning |
Below is a basic cycle for a community development project. It also describes the stages that a health promotion project is likely to go through.
|
Also see the chapter 'Planning and Evaluating a Health Promotion Project' |