Week 2

Defining Community

Note that Royce (2008) referred to Susan Kenny’s text book on
community development.

1. How would you define “community” in one or two sentences?

In order to develop your definition of “community”, read “The concept of community” pp 40- 48, Kenny (2007).

2. What qualifications would you need to add to this sentence (or two) in order to complete your definition, based on what you have read in Kenny?
3. When you are ready, post your ideas on these readings and questions to the Learnline discussion board for Week 1.
   

 

• Kenny S. (2007) Developing Communities for the Future, pp 40-48.
  Nelson Australia/Thomson Learning Australia, Melbourne.

Community Capitals

The article by American researcher Cornelia Flora, introduces the useful concepts of natural, cultural human social, political and other forms of community capital (Flora 2008).

1. Are you able to apply any of these concepts or terms to your readings in this topic so far? Are any relevant/not relevant?

• Flora C. (2008). Social capital and community problem solving: combining
  local and scientific knowledge to fight invasive species. Learning Communities:
  International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts June: 41-54.
  

Community Structure

Helen Ross is a respected social scientist, and currently the Professor of Rural Community at University of Queensland. She has focussed on the sociology of natural resources management.

Ross (2001) reports on the social impact assessment of a proposed mine (subsequently not approved) in the Conservation Zone of Kakadu National Park.

Read Ross (2001) while considering the following questions (make notes as you go).

1. What community attributes did the researchers consider to be essential to know in order to predict potential impacts of the proposed mines?

2. What did they believe had been inadequately done in the previous study and what were the consequences? What additional information or perspectives did the new study uncover?

3. What lessons are there to learn from this case study, for a facilitator of community engagement for biosecurity?

 

 

• Ross H (2001) Social Impact Assessment: Coronation Hill. In: Baker R, Davies J
  and Young E (eds) Working on Country: contemporary Indigenous management
  of Australia's lands and coastal regions, pp 320-336,
  Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
  
  Further reading:
• Lane M.B., Ross H. and Dale A.P. (1997). Social Impact Research: Integrating the Technical, Political and Planning Paradigm, Human Organization 56 (3): 302-310

 

Down to Practicalities and Guidelines

Now for something completely different! The Australian Government Bureau of Rural Sciences has commissioned guidelines for engaging communities in biodiversity management (Kruger et al. 2010).

Read section 3, “Starting the biosecurity engagement engine” of that report.

Based on your reading and reflections this week, do you think there is there anything these authors have missed?

 

• Kruger H., Stenekes N., Clarke R. and Carr A. (2010). Biosecurity engagement
  guidelines: practical advice for involving communities, pp 6-13. Bureau of Rural
  Sciences, Canberra.
  
  

Online Tutorial

Use the online tutorial discussion to share your preliminary ideas about community capacity and structure and how these have, or may in the future, interact with your practice.

Post your thoughts on the key points raised by each author that you find interesting, new or helpful, if you haven’t already done so.

• ENV401 Learnline materials