COMMUNITY TYPOLOGIES

URBAN, RURAL, SUBURBAN AND

RURBAN COMMUNITIES
An urban area, or built-up area, is a human settlement
with a high population density and infrastructure of built
environment.
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic
area that is located outside towns and cities.
A suburb is a commercial, mixed-use or residential area.
It can exist either as part of a city/urban area and can
often have a large degree of employment.
Rurban
In this lesson, you will be able to:

 Discuss community dynamics and its elements – community

structures and community population composition
(enrichment); and
 Identify and explain factors resulting to community
dynamics (enrichment).
COMMUNITY DYNAMICS refers to the changes that occur
in the community power structures and community population
composition over time.
• Community power structures are hierarchical interrelationships that
govern the interaction of individuals among each other within a
localized group setting.
• Community population composition refers to common demographic
variables that describe the size, distribution, and characteristics of the
population such as age structure, sex composition, education level,
marital status, economic status, employment status, and ethnicity
classification, to name a few.
Factors affecting changes in community power
structures:
1. Authority- is a kind of power that one has over another by
virtue of an elected position or an office appointment that is
based on codified laws and regulations (USDA 2005; Weber
2015).
Factors affecting changes in community power
structures:

2. Influence- is a kind that a person possesses over another by virtue of other

people’s positive perception of the former’s competence and ability (USDA 2005).
This is often referred to as an informal power structure. The positivity perception of
people may come from a combination of two or more bases of influence such as the
following:
Factors affecting changes in community power
structures:
• Observed skills in leading people
• Above average income
• Moderate to high level of education
• Commendable past achievements
• Good public relation skills
• Wide internal and external linkages
• Trustworthiness and dependability in dealing with others
• Mature ages (usually 40-65 years old)
• Professional type of occupation or successful entrepreneur
• Good family background
• Long-term residence in the community (five years and above)
• Active involvement in community affairs
• Control and access to needed material resources, jobs, credit, and mass media
Routes to informal power:

• Status
• Wealth
• Expertise
• Charisma
Factors Affecting Changes In The Composition Of
People In The Community
1. Fertility refers to the actual reproductive performance (number of child births) that can
be expected of a person, couple, group, or population during a woman’s childbearing
years, normally defined as 15-49 years of age (population reference bureau 2015;
statistics mew Zealand 2015a).
a) Social preconditions of marriage refer to the norms that need to be followed before a
man and a woman are allowed to unite as a couple and produce an offspring.
b) Birth control methods refer either to the use of artificial contraception or natural means
to prevent, delay, or even terminate pregnancy.
c) Studies have shown that higher levels of education, especially for women, lead to lower
fertility rates.
d) It has been observed that increased levels of economic and social development are
accompanied by decreased levels of fertility rates.
2. Mortality refers to “the demographic process relating to deaths,
often summarized by death rates, survival rates, and life
expectancy”.

3. Migration refers to the process of moving from one place to

another. It could also be the movement across a specified boundary
for a considerable period of time and for various reasons (personal,
economic, sociocultural, political, environmental in nature) in
order to establish a temporary or even permanent abode.
TYPES OF COMMUNITY POWER
STRUCTURES
Types of community power structures:
1.Pluralist. In this type of community power structure,
power becomes an attribute of an individual and its
widely distributed within the members of the
community, hence making every member roughly equal
in influence.
Types of community power structures:
2. Elitist. In this type of community power structure, power generally conforms
to the system of hierarchical stratification and is associated with those who
possess corporate wealth and/or prestige due to traditional or religious authority.
a) Class-based theory of power. In this type, power belongs to those who control
the economic system of the community, or is distributed to those who are able
to accumulate capital.
b) The growth machine. This is a variation of class-based theory of power where
a coalition of group exists. They perceive community growth as economic
gain for themselves.
Types of community power structures:

3. Factional. In this type of community power structure, power

resides in numerous interest group that hold relatively equal
power, but they are struggling to control or dominate influence
in community affairs.
Types of community power structures:

4. Amorphous. This refers to a seeming absence of an

identifiable in some communities. Although power exist, they
are often satisfied with the status quo such that they are called
sleeping giants.
Self-Paced Learning
Read the classic journal article ”Power in the Philippines: How
Democratic is Asia's "First Democracy"?” BY Pat Duffy Hutcheon.
Answer the following questions afterward:
1. In 300 or less words, what is the article all about?
2. Viewing the community as an entire nation community, what
dominant type of community power structure does the Philippines
have based on the article’s argument. Why?
3. Does the analysis of the author regarding the Philippines Senate
from 1931 to 1967 remain true even in contemporary times? Justify
your answer.