Models of Community

Organizing
What are the characteristics of a
community?
According to Arlene Johnson, it is a
group of people, may it be large
or small that are gathered together. Rolland
Warren defines community as a multitude of
systems and many of which were influenced
by vertical relationship than horizontal; may be
geographic or functional (Miclat, 1993 and 2009).
 Community Organizing : Definition in Social Work
context
Community intervention has been known by variety
of names in social work. Literatures on
community intervention uses the term “community organization”
interchangeably with concepts: community development, citizen participation,
citizen action, community planning, social action, and
advocacy at the same time (Weil, 2005).
Community Organizing : Definition in Social Work context
In Social Work context, it is a
process of identifying problem, formulating solutions, and
implementing them through cooperative and collaborative effort
which will capacitate the community’s problem solving
skills towards community integration and develop co-operative
attitudes and practices (Miclat, 1993 and 2009).
 Community Organizing : Definition in Social Work
context
The term "community organization covers series of
activities at the community level aimed at
bringing about desired improvement in the social
well-being of community people. It is also
about creating a democratic instrument in order
to bring about social change (Pathare, 2008).
Models of Community
Organizing
JACK ROTHMAN
Models of Community Organizing: LOCALITY/COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

According to Kramer and Specht, this

model mobilizes the people specially those who
are victims of deprivation, unaffiliated, unorganized, and
the passive member of the community whom
were affected with the community’s condition and
existing problem (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, p. 18).
 Models of Community Organizing: LOCALITY/COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

This model is firmly based on the

principle of “helping people to help themselves”,
thus, making this model people-oriented model.
It concentrates of building people’s capacity to
solve problems and establishing and maintaining partnerships
with social and ethnic groups (Gupta, n.d.).
 Models of Community Organizing: LOCALITY/COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
In Philippine setting, during the reconstruction period
(1950’s-1960’s) and leadership of the late President
Ramon Magsaysay, Presidential Assistant on Community Development
(PACD) was created following United Nations concept
of community development, towards national progress; economically
and socio-cultural (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, p. 18).
The model gives impetus on the concept
of “SELF-HELP” as underlying philosophy of rural
community development and this was facilitated by
the Social Welfare Administration’s Rural Welfare Division
through various projects such as animal and
vegetable-raising, handicrafts, adult education, barrio roads, community
centers, and even cooperatives (Mendoza, 2008, p. 29).
Models of Community Organizing: SOCIAL PLANNING
MODEL
This model refers to the initiative and
effort directed towards integrating different action systems
within the community and systems outside in
other to bring about reforms in the
internal aspect such as community’s attitude and
existing policies (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, p. 22).
Social planning model includes the following elements:
research, value analysis, policy formulation, programming, measurement
or evaluation. Thus, the said model may
be sought as an outcome of new
policies, program innovation, service integration, and improve
administrative decisions. It also focuses on the
technical process of solving problem of people
and community (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, p. 22).
Models of Community Organizing: SOCIAL PLANNING
MODEL
The active participation of people is not
central in this model but it depends
upon on the nature of the existing
community problem. The autonomy of decision-making to
community problems are in the hands of
the technical experts (Parasuraman and Jha, n.d.).
Social welfare agencies assess their existing services
with community’s problems in order to establish
a more efficient manner of delivering services.
This includes deliberate process of evaluation, if
not this will result to ineffective assessment
of what should be done and needs
to be improved in the community (Article1000.com).
 Models of Community Organizing: SOCIAL ACTION MODEL

Popularly associated with activism, social protest, rallies

and other forms of group dissent or
Dissatisfaction; use when there is deprivation and
oppression of bigger population that needs to
be organized through tapping alliances for bigger
community effect (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, pp. 23-24).
 Models of Community Organizing: SOCIAL ACTION MODEL

It is often practice traditionally by those

who have little power in the society.
People on this group can exercise power
collectively. This might arrange divisive events to
draw attention and to focus to their
concerns by those in power (Kansas, 1994-2021).
This model majorly aims at redistribution of
power, resources or the authority to make
decisions in the community. In Philippine setting,
it was used during the 1970’s when
ZOTO was organized to contend with the
problem of demolition of squatter in Tondo
foreshore (Miclat, 1993 and 2009, pp. 23-24).
The ZONE ONE TONDO ORGANIZATION was the
first to use the strategy of human
barricade to stop the said mass demolition.
Thus, it was considered then the first
people’s organization formed since Community Organization has
been formalized. Moreover, ZOTO was a sponsored
organization of the PECCO (Manalili, 1990, p. 13).
Wherein, Philippine Ecumenical Committee for Community Organization
is a church-based organization whose main concern
and goal is to develop local organizers
through training and education. Hence, one of
the organizations taught by PECCO was ZOTO.
Their teaching derived from combination of Marxist
and thinking of Saul Alinsky and Paolo Freire.
Article1000.com. (n.d.). Jack Rothman- Models of Community Organization.
Retrieved from Article 1000: https://article1000.com/jack-rothman-models-community-organization/ [Accessed 15 August 2021].
Gupta, A. (n.d.). Models of Community Organisation. Retrieved from Grassroots Collective: https://www.patnauniversity.ac.in/e-
content/social_sciences/sociology/MASocialWork1.pdf [Accessed 15 August 2021].
Kansas, U. O. (1994-2021). Some Lessons Learned on Community Organization and Change. Community Tool Box
Manalili, A. G. (1990). Community Organizing and Participatory Development. Kapatiran Kaunlaran Foundation.
Mendoza, T. L. (2008). Social Welfare and Social Work (Third Edition ed.). Quezon City: Central Book Supply Inc.
Miclat, A. N. (1993 and 2009). The Fundamentals of Community Organization and People Empowerment. Mary Jo Educational Supply.
Multiversity, C. O. (n.d.). History of Community Organizing in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.hartford-
hwp.com/archives/54a/063.html?fbclid=IwAR1TuAByAfGZtHvZd2gY3tAbx8WfE_J8OWrHvAsYbOF22_91
Fy-iPN2ATCQ [Accessed 15 August 2021].
Parasuman, S., & Jha, M. (n.d.). Module 32: Jack Rothman's Models of Community Practice. Retrieved from http://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/
epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/S000032SW/P001726/M021468/ET/15015
63244Module32-JackRothmanGsModelsofCommunityPractice-Text.pdf [Accessed 15 August 2021]
Pathare, Suresh March 27, 2008 Christ College, Bangalore, India
http://www.ignou.ac.in/upload/bswe-03-block1-unit-1-small-size [Accessed 16 August 2021].
Weil, M. (2005). Social planning with communities: Theory and practice, in M. Weil, et al (Eds.), The handbook of
community practice (pp. 215-243), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
ANNALYN C. CRUZ
GENICA T. GALICIA
LEE MECRIS BERDOS
LEAH JANE L. REDOÑA
ZYRA DALE A. DATANAGAN
LYWELYN T. BIBERA
SARAH GRACE R. CAMINADE
RODRIGO O. ROBLE, JR.