Models of Community work

Community Work, 2019

Community work for urban transformation is something that have very different perspectives according to the discipline that study it. From perspectives of the theories and the practices it is possible to describe different parts that allow us to a better understand of this practice in urban transformation. The following articles are trying to do that explaining 4 complementary understanding of community work, giving a general but useful description and framework of this field. Starting from the analysis of the theory it will ends in supposing something that for us is needed in today's communities and urban transformation. This work has been developed during my Erasmus in the autumn semester at Malmö Universitet in the course of "Community Work in Urban Transformation" and successively improved and enriched by my self in order to create some basis that can be helpful in community work studies. The work has been divided in 4 part: community work as a planning tool; community work in practice; acting in community work; a model for community work.

International journal of research in social sciences, 2017

The concept ‘community social work’ grew up in the 1970s and 1980s in Britain and gained common currency following the publication of the Barclay Report in 1982. Even though there is uncertainty in using terms to denote the community work approaches to social work practice, the term ‘community social work’ is used by several authors. This article attempted to explore the meaning of the concept ‘community social work’ in order to observe the aptness of the term to narrate the practice of professional social work with communities. It depicts a community social work perspective in terms of professional social work practice with communities.

Community Work, 2019

Community work for urban transformation is something that have very different perspectives according to the discipline that study it. From perspectives of the theories and the practices it is possible to describe different parts that allow us to a better understand of this practice in urban transformation. The following articles are trying to do that explaining 4 complementary understanding of community work, giving a general but useful description and framework of this field. Starting from the analysis of the theory it will ends in supposing something that for us is needed in today's communities and urban transformation. This work has been developed during my Erasmus in the autumn semester at Malmö Universitet in the course of "Community Work in Urban Transformation" and successively improved and enriched by my self in order to create some basis that can be helpful in community work studies. The work has been divided in 4 part: community work as a planning tool; community work in practice; acting in community work; a model for community work.

Human societies are not perfect. Social problems emerge and human needs arise that require for societal solutions. All citizens of a country should enjoy the full benefits of the state. In fact, community development is a process through which the efforts of people are united with governmental authorities for improving the economic, social and political conditions of communities as well as integrating these communities into the life of the nation and to enable them to contribute their best to nation's progress and development. In order to intervene human problems and meet their needs with resources, there is a social work profession which associates with community development through community organization. Social work is a profession based on scientific knowledge and skills. It adopts significantly two methods of practice named primary method and secondary method that are mean to intervene the human problems and providing solutions. Community organization is a part of primary method of professional social work which adheres by its methodology to work with communities. Thus, in the discourse of social work profession, this paper attempts to provide a linear understanding about professional practice of social work with community organization. The paper is divided into seven parts. The first part deals with the introduction. The second part discusses community organization and community development. The third part describes the historical context of social community work. The fourth part focuses upon the principles in community organization. The fifth part presents the skills in community organization. The sixth part deals with the components of community organization. Finally, the last part presents the roles of social worker in community organization along with conclusion.

Journal of Comparative Social Work

Community-oriented approaches in social work are highlighted in both social work literature and policy documents in post-financial crisis Europe, and in the Nordic welfare states where professionalized bureaucracy, universal benefits and institutionalized social work have been the norm. The aim of this article is to explore social workers’ experiences of role changes in the transition to a more community-oriented approach, characterized by ambulatory work, the facilitation of local resources, multi-disciplinary collaboration and user participation. The empirical data consists of qualitative data from two cases: a political reform in the Netherlands (The Social Support Act), and a user-initialized project in Norway. Ten social workers from nine different organizations were interviewed in the Netherlands, and four social workers from one community-based project in Norway. We analysed these as a multiple case study of a transformation towards community-based practice, but one in which ...

Journal of comparative social work, 2020

A number of tensions pertaining to social problems and human suffering become apparent when analysing community work. As a source for critical reflection, we discern some of these challenges, but also potentials. Three community work social enterprises serve to exemplify the objectives of addressing social problems by fostering participation and empowerment. To enhance and include the voice of service users, the programmes attempt to cultivate human resources as opposed to perceived formalism and a subsequent diminishment of the potentials of community inclusion. The formalistic governmental agendas are perceived to be unable to appreciate the diversity of service users’ individual needs and social challenges, which produces conflicting prospects. Such a dichotomy between formalistic welfare practices and the ideals represented in the three enterprises offers a podium for users, professionals, policymakers and researchers to consider alternative expressions of community work, and how these can address social problems. We maintain that rapidly changing welfare models require an increased sensitivity to human suffering as a position embedded in the habitus and sociological imagination of community work. It is a source for reflection on the role of welfare arenas perceived as spaces in which service users ideally, based on their own social situation, can improve their social circumstances. It is an invitation to reflect on the potentials of community work in a diversity of cultures and practices.

This article looks at the transformation of Finnish community work in the Nordic context. The two-phase analysis of an intensive case study first presents a summary of the interpretation of interview descriptions by Finn-ish practical community workers, and the observations are then reflected on by myself and Swedish academic experts against the current situation and development trends in community work in Sweden. The paradigm change in community work has an impact on the organisation, expertise, goals and discourse on the work. In Finland, community work has all but vanished from the structure of municipal social work; in Sweden its position is stronger, but the trends of change are also visible there. The article concludes with an examination of the changes in community work in the contexts of both professional practices in social work and societal policy.