Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education- Region X

Division of Valencia City
CENTRAL BUKIDNON INSTITUTE, INC.
S.Y. 2022-2023
Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship 11

FACT SHEETS #1 and #2

Teacher: Feb Zheenia L. Resultan

Lesson 1: Concepts and Perspective of Community

What is a Community?
Community- derived from Latin communitas which means “fellowship”
Latin root communis- “common”
Com translates to “with” or “together”
Munire translates to “to strengthen”; “to fortify”; or “to defend”

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a community is:

 A group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood)
 A group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
 A group of nations

4 Perspectives of Community:
Communities can be viewed in four different perspectives. These are: Social sciences perspective, Institutional
perspective, Civil society perspective, and the Organic perspective.
1. Social Science Perspective- A social science perspective toward understanding communities is
premised on the social dimension of individual life– the interaction, relationships, and bonds formed by
individuals with other individuals and how these are manifested in the formation of organizations within
communities.
- We get ideas and concepts from fields of knowledge such anthropology, social psychology,
sociology, political science, etc.
- More general definitions from the book:
a. An informally organized social entity, characterized by a sense of identity;
b. A group of people living in the same defined area, sharing common basic values, organization,
and interest;
c. A population which is geographically focused existing as a unique social entity with a collective
identity and purpose; and
d. A group of people with diverse characteristics, linked social ties, formed and consolidated by
their collective aspirations, sharing and exchanging perspectives, and are collectively engaged to
do some concerted action in a geographical location or setting
2. Institutional Perspective- Communities have a mechanism for coordinating values, goals, and actions
of its individual members. This function is performed by social institutions.
- Social institutions arise from voluntary shared agreements among individuals that generally also
shape behavior as a collective.
- Institutions- are established rules that ensure the regular and predictable behavior of actors within a
community.
 - Douglas North describes institutions as “rules of the game” that shape the community and society in
general.
- Institutions both constrain & enable behavior:
The existence of rules implies constraints. However, such a constraint can open possibilities: it may
enable choices and actions that otherwise would not exist. For example: the rules of language allow
us to communicate; traffic rules help traffic to flow more easily and safely; the rules of law can
increase personal safety. Regulation is not always the antithesis of freedom; it can be its ally
(Hodgson, 2006).
- Institutions structure incentives and sanctions to regulate human action and interaction.
- 2 Categories of Institutions:
a. Formal Institution- explicitly communicated
-embodied in legally codified documents or artifacts
-examples include laws and policies implemented by government agencies or offices, as well as
codes of conduct or ethics
b. Informal Institution- Not codified or written
- Embedded in communities
- Examples include practices, norms, traditions, culture, conduct, and belief systems
- Communities are both sources and recipients of institutions. This means that individuals in the
community take part in creating and formulating institutions. In turn, these institutions are applied to
them (or a subset of their community)
3. Civil Society Perspective
- A civil society is a political community of organized groups operating within the authoritative
parameters of the state, but are distinguished from the State and are Autonomous from the
government.
- private organizations
- In pursuit of advocacies, causes, and goals
- -referred to as the third sector
- Aggregate (cluster) of active groups and associations, businesses, interest groups, clubs
- Distinct from the State (govt.) and the market (business)
- common examples are Non-government organizations (NGO) and people’s organizations
- fundamental characteristic of civil societies– voluntary nature of membership
- NGOs and POs are presumed to work in partnership with the state in a cooperative mode
- different from social movement
- Social movement- a form of collective behavior which springs largely from the attitudes and
aspirations of its participants.
- results when Civil society organizations and non-affiliated individuals share common sentiments,
views, approaches, etc.
- different from mass action
- Mass Action- happens when a large number of people behave similarly and spontaneously without
coordination between themselves
4. Organic Perspective- refers to local or grassroots groups within a particular locale that are driven and
organized because of community issues and concerns.
- referred to as ‘grassroots’ because of their local and capacity-building characteristics
typically composed of volunteers from the local/community level
Lesson 2: Individual and Structural Dimentsions of Society
In order to further enhance our understanding of communities and how they operate, it is necessary to
know its individual and structural dimensions. In this module, we will discuss the dynamics and interaction
across and between these dimensions.
As individuals, we create situations and opportunities that allow us to interact with one another and form
social relationships and groups within a community. Our relations and human connections are shaped by the
places and meaningful spaces where we exist. The knowledge, interests, identities, and meanings we share with
one another also affect our interactions. Interrelationships and organizations are mediating elements that
connect an individual with the community.

Individual Dimensions of a Community:

Interrelationships- an individual’s association with other individuals through their commonalities in
attributes, sentiments, histories, and experiences
- can be facilitated through familial relations, affinities, or feelings of kinship, and social networks.
- Filipino communities are dominated by family and family networks
- Typically evolved from blood relations and affinities, known as Filipino “extended family”
- Alfred McCoy’s An Anarchy of Families: State and Families in the Philippines emphasizes the
essential role of Filipino families in the development of Philippine society, culture, and politics.
- He articulated that community relations are essentially defined by the relations between and among
families.
Organizations- interconnected individuals strengthen their bonds and form organizations. Examples are
associations, clubs, and local govt. agencies
- serve as initiators of community action
- also considered instrumental in operationalizing the goals, objectives, and interests of the community.
Structural Dimensions of a Community:
Understanding communities require that we examine its structure and dynamics. By structure, we refer to the
attributes and characteristics of the relationships of the component parts of a community. A community has four
structural dimentions, namely: geographic, socio-political, economic, and cultural.
1. Geographic Dimension (Area)
- focuses on how a community is shaped by the physical space it uses and the location of its human,
natural, and technological resources
- regulated by its institutions
2. Socio-Political Dimension (Governance)
- refers to the relationships of power and control between individuals and groups in a community
3. Economic Dimension (Resources)
- refers to the means by which community members allocate, produce, and distribute scarce
resources to address their wants and needs
4. Cultural Dimension (Culture & Tradition)
- focuses on the community’s culture (culture being the people’s way of life)
- values and beliefs passed on from one generation to another
Community issues and problems are typically multidimensional and are made up of a combination of
interrelated dimensions.
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education- Region X
Division of Valencia City
CENTRAL BUKIDNON INSTITUTE, INC.
S.Y. 2022-2023
Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences 11

FACT SHEETS #1 and #2

Teacher: Feb Zheenia L. Resultan

Lesson 1: The Applied Social Sciences

Have you asked yourself how a particular society unites its people despite the differences in traditions and
beliefs? The answer to this type of question lies in the area under social sciences and its related field – applied
social sciences.

Larsson and Wieselgen see the social sciences as a kind of “oxygen” in today’s globalized society. As we need
oxygen to breathe, we also need social sciences to understand and make sense of the world we are living in that
goes beyond what the natural sciences can offer to us.
While oxygen is important, we also need other elements to keep us alive. As social sciences is associated more
with facts and theories, we also need to put them into practice in a field we call applied social science.

Social science is, in its broadest sense, the study of society and the manner in which people behave and
influence the world around us.
Social science tells us about the world beyond our immediate experience, and can help explain how our own
society works - from the causes of unemployment or what helps economic growth, to how and why people vote,
or what makes people happy. It provides vital information for governments and policymakers, local authorities,
non-governmental organizations and others.
THE FIELDS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Is broadly defined as the study of humans. It includes four fundamental
subdisciplines, namely:
Archaeology - Archaeologists study human culture by analyzing the objects people
have made.
Physical or Biological Anthropology - Biological anthropologists seek to
Anthropology understand how humans adapt to different environments, what causes disease and
early death, and how humans evolved from other animals.
Sociocultural anthropology - Sociocultural anthropologists explore how people in
different places live and understand the world around them.
Linguistic Anthropology - Linguistic anthropologists study the many ways people
communicate across the globe.
Economics Is the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of resources, goods, and
services.
History Is the study of the human past.
Psychology Is the study of human mind and behavior
 Political Science Is the study of the theories and practice of politics. It involves an analysis of political
systems and patterns.
Geography Is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, the phenomena of the Earth
Linguistics Is the scientific study of human languages. It focuses on three aspects of language:
form, meaning, and context.
Sociology Is the systematic study of human social behavior, relationships, institutions, and
societies.

With the growth of universities in Western Europe in the 20th century that helped boost the popularity of
the social sciences as an academic discipline, there came a time when the resulting knowledge produced by each
field became compartmentalized. For example, geography used to be limited only to the study of the physical
and natural features of a place; it overlooked the fact that human beings do not operate in a vacuum but instead
create spaces for themselves and imbue it with meanings.
According to scholars, the only way that they can provide a balanced discourse is if theories resonate and
connect with real-life issues and then put into practice. They should be seen as unique cases, taking into
consideration an individual or a group’s own disparate backgrounds and experiences. Hence, applied sciences
was born.
Simply put, applied social sciences can be defined as the practical application do social science knowledge.
According to Aristotle, we can locate the distinction between social science and applied social science in
episteme and techne. Episteme refers to the production of knowledge, which pertains to the field of social
sciences. Meanwhile, techne is loosely translated into “art” or “craft,” which in this case pertains to applied
social sciences with its emphasis on putting theories into practice.
Gouldner (1989) provided a more detailed explanation of applied social science:
 It makes us of the loose concepts rather than generalized propositions and theories.
 Not all concepts or theoretical models of social science are equally useful to applied social science.
 It is more likely to borrow from their basic disciplines those concepts and theoretical models which can
aid applied social scientists in understanding or producing changes.
 When the basic discipline does not provide theoretical systems or concepts to aid the applied scientist to
deal with change, the latter will develop these himself.
 These new concepts will, in turn, exert pressure to produce modifications in the theories of the basic
disciplines.
THE FIELDS OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE
FIELDS DEFINITION
Provides business principles and other applied skills in the area of accounting. It
Accounting provides understanding of an individual, group, or institutional finances, including
budget and cost analysis, payroll, auditing, and taxes, among others.
Business This specializes in the operations and management of business institutions.
Administration
This field focuses on how humans use verbal and nonverbal messages to create meaning
Communication in various contexts (from two individuals to mass audiences) across cultures using a
variety of channels and media.
The skilled and principled use of relationship to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional
Counseling acceptance, and growth for the optimal development of personal resources. The overall
aim is to provide an opportunity to work towards a more satisfying and resourceful life.
Criminology This focuses on the study of crime, criminal behavior, and the legal system.
Healthcare This field provides professionals in clinics, hospitals, private practices, nursing homes,
Management research facilities, and the like with the focused training required to handle the unique
management challenges of healthcare industry.
 Human This field provides a background in personnel management, staff training and
Resources and development, and the crafting and institution of an organization’s policies and
Organizational procedures.
Development
Information This field specializes in the administrative knowledge needed to meet the demands of
Technology corporate technology systems including problem solving, resource allocation,
Management networking, and security.
This field includes promotion, creative services, public relations, research, consulting,
Marketing communication, advertisement, strategy, branding, and much more.
This field is the combination of policy analysis and program evaluation; it involves the
systematic study of the nature, causes, and effects of alternatives public policies, with
Policy Studies particular emphasis on determining the policies that will achieve given goals. It also
examines the conflicts and the conflict resolution that arise from the making of policies
in civil society, the private sector, or more commonly, in the public sector.
Public This field is concerned with the implementation of government policy. It is also an
Administration academic discipline that studies policy implementation and prepares civil servants for
working in the public service.
This field is both professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality
of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through
Social Work research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those
afflicted with poverty or any real or perceived social injustices and violations of their
human rights.
Currently, social work is known for its critical and holistic approach to understanding
and intervening in social problems.
This field is concerned with the use of land, protection and use of the environment,
Urban Planning public welfare, and the design of the urban environment – this includes air, water, and
the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation,
communications, and distribution networks.

Lesson 1: What is Counseling?

Counseling can be defined in various ways. According to Stephen F. Austine State Universtity, “counseling is
defined as, ‘a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish
mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.’” Furthermore, other counselors approach counseling as a
talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with
emotional issues.
Counseling as a Process
Counseling is a “learning process in which individuals learn about themselves and their interpersonal
relationships, and enact behaviors that advance their personal development” (Schertzer and Stone 1981, 168). It
includes a sequence of steps that will lead toward a particular goal. These activities can lead the clients to self-
exploration, self-discovery and attitude and behavioral changes. The knowledge and awareness that clients gain
from these sessions would help them make a better choice. Some clients would only have one session while
others, it may take several sessions. It would vary.
Counseling as a Relationship
According to the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004 (R.A. No. 9258), counseling “is a face-to-face
helping relationship. It is a mission of service.” It is clear that counseling is a personal relationship between the
counselor and the client. The first important characteristic of a counseling relationship is being egalitarian
(having equality and respect) in nature. It must also be remembered that the clients are solely responsible for
their lives and that they alone must be able to navigate through it. Counselors are there to only assist as they
make their life’s choices. Counselors continue to assist the clients until such time that the client is ready to be
on his/her own. However, it is important that the counselor should never control the life of the client.
The second characteristic of the counseling relationship is that it is built on trust and confidentiality.
Clients put their trust on their counselors and get to share personal information about themselves that they are
not even comfortable sharing with others. Counselors would then have to make sure that this trust is not broken.
Confidentiality means that what has been shared in the counseling sessions will be kept secret. Violation of
confidentiality may have unfavorable repercussions on the counseling relationship.

Counseling as an Art

Nystul (1999, 3) described counseling as “a flexible and creative process whereby the counselor adjusts
the approach to the unique and ermerging needs of the clients.” No counseling sessions is alike and is
approached in the same manner by the counselors.
In counseling, there is also the concept of giving of oneself. Nystul (1999, 3-4) explains that the giving
of oneself can be manifested by providing concern and support as they “put their selves in the client’s shoes”
and by “going beyond the self and feels at one with the client.”
In the process where counselors become flexible, creative, and are able to give of themselves, the
subjective realm of counseling is then explored.
Counseling as a Science
As a science, counseling looks into the objective realm of the counseling process. Counselors are
encouraged to be “counselor-scientists” where they are “required to have the skills to formulate objective
observations and inferences, test hypothesis, build theories, use psychological tests, and use research methods”
(Clairborn as quoted in Nystul 1999, 4-5).
Addressing client needs is done through careful study of the client’s world. Dimensions – such as
physical, emotional, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual – are taken into consideration by counselors.
To be able to do this, counselors should be knowledgeable about the different frameworks of human
development, personality, and counseling.
Counseling as an emerging profession
It is “an emerging profession sought by people in distress or in some degree of confusion who wish to
discuss and resolve these in a relationship which is more disciplined and confidential than friendship” (Feltman
and Dryden as quoted in McLeod 2003, 7).
As professionals, counselors have the opportunity to assist their clients in making choices and solving
their problems in various settings, such as schools, communities, offices, and clinical settings.

Goals of Counseling
Goals are very important in counseling. Establishing goals means that a positive outcome is expected
after the counseling relationship is terminated.
According to George and Cristani (1986), counseling has five major goals. These goals are the
following:
1. Facilitating behavior - For example, a teenage boy who spends most of his time playing video
change games and surfing the internet may undergo counseling to help him
learn how to manage his time better and improve his study habits.
2. Improving the client’s - For instance, an eleven year-old girl who feels isolated and has trouble
ability to establish and expressing herself to others may seek a counselor to help her be
maintain relationship confident in dealing with people.
3. Enhancing the client’s - For example, a transfer student who finds adjusting to a new
effectiveness and ability to environment difficult with its new set of rules, teachers, and classmates
cope may seek the help of the school counselor.
4. Promoting the decision- - A high school student from a poor family, for example, may consult
making process with a counselor to explore the possibility of supporting his family
without having to drop out of school.
 5. Facilitating client - For instance, a junior high school student who is intelligent but is not
potential and development performing well in class may undergo counseling to help him determine
reasons of his low performance and discover ways of overcoming
perceived obstacles.
McLeod (2003), on the other hand listed 15 specific goals of counseling:
GOAL EXPECTED OUTCOME
Insight Clients gain knowledge about people, processes, and events, which can
further heighten their understanding of themselves and their world.
Relating with others Clients learn how to establish “meaningful and satisfying relationships” with
the people around them.
Self-awareness Clients become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Self-acceptance Clients gain a positive view of themselves.
Self-actualization or Clients maximize their full potential and develop themselves as individuals
Individuation rather than just part of a group.
Enlightenment Clients reach a higher state of spirituality
Problem-solving Clients develop problem-solving skills
Psychological education Clients attain an understanding of people’s behaviors.
Acquisition of social skills Clients develop and enhance social and interpersonal skills.
Cognitive change Clients modify irrational beliefs or self-defeating thoughts that hinder their
development.
Behavior change Clients replace maladaptive behaviors that impede them from maximizing
their potentials and hinder them from building and maintaining interpersonal
relationships.
Systematic change Clients realize that problems are also rooted in social institutions and
processes; thus, initiating changes in these areas is also important.
Empowerment Clients develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can help them take better
control of their lives.
Restitution Clients make peace with themselves for their past mistakes.
Generativity and social Clients are to think and do something for others.
action.
Krumboltz (as quoted in Schertzer and Stone 1981, 173) maintained that a goal should meet the
following criteria:
a. it must be a goal shared by the client;
b. the counselor must be willing to help the client achieve his goal; and
c. it must be possible to assess the extent to which the client achieves the goal.

Therefore, the purposes and goals of counseling can be categorized into major and specific goals. The
crucial element in the establishment of goals in the counseling process is the party who sets these goals. The
client takes the lead while the counselor assists.