Introduction on Fieldwork Introduction on Fieldwork Placements in Placements in

Community DevelopmentCommunity Development

YC Wong22 – 11 - 2014

The University of Hong Kong Department of Social Work and Social Administration

Fieldwork Placement 2014 -2015Fieldwork Placement 2014 -2015Placement Setting BriefingPlacement Setting Briefing

Outline• Your perceptions/imagination on CD• Why choose CD placement?• Types of Communities you will be working • Types of Learning Opportunity• Settings in Fieldwork Placements• Working Hours• Work Tasks in CD• Essential Knowledge and Skills • Special Requirements

• Recommended Readings

Why choose CD placement• Less workload

• Easy work task

• Doesn’t matter the type of placement

• Seem challenging

• A good trial in placement but will not do CD in future social work career

• CD work experience will help to CD employment

• Others?

Your perceptions/imagination Your perceptions/imagination on CDon CD

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Mostly Radical ?

Conflict-oriented ?

CDAbout CD.….

Types of CommunityTypes of Community

1. Geographical Community ( 地域性社區 ) – These relationships are formed on

geographical basis– Define by sets of relationships– Public housing areas, private housing areas,

remote villages, etc. to organize the residents in tackling community problems and common concerns.

– Target groups may include people living in deprived housings, low income families, elderly people, single parents, new arrivals.

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Tin Shui Wai Community Tin Shui Wai Community

Rooftop Huts in HKRooftop Huts in HK

Bedspace in HKBedspace in HK

Partitioned Room in HK

Street Sleepers (Homelessness)Street Sleepers (Homelessness)sleep under a Flyover in HK sleep under a Flyover in HK

Poor elderly collecting garbage Poor elderly collecting garbage

Types of CommunityTypes of Community2. Functional Community ( 功能性社區 )

Formed by those have same living style, religion, background, interest and function

They share similarities that connected themselves and divide them from non-members

Members have collective identity and belongingness

organizing and mobilizing service users to launch self help activities, policy advocacy and community education.

Target groups may include new arrivals, labour, patients, women, and ethnic minorities. 1313

Single mothers from China's mainland petition with their children at the Immigration Department

Community Work

Service Ideology

Job title

Others

Intervention Method

Political

Activities

Community Work

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• Community as a working target;• Structural orientation;• Wider intervention dimension: influencing

social institutions and/or social policies;• Emphasis on people’s collective participation &

action, empowerment and advocacy;• Task goal and process goal are both important;• Consciousness raising and mutual help; • Develop community leadership;• Community education;• Utilize resources in the community- strength-

base/ asset-base;• Political in nature 1616

Understanding on Community Development

Types of Learning Opportunity Types of Learning Opportunity

• Meet with people from different walks of life

• Have exposure to social problems and policy issues

• Analyze issues from a macro-perspective

• Work in partnership with client groups• Practice the macro and micro skills in

working with groups and organizations

• Conduct community liaison in meeting with different government structures and political groups

• Explore and make use of community resources in organizing programs and projects, and

• Reflect on value premises in social policies, social work and community development

Types of Learning Opportunity Types of Learning Opportunity

Working with Community Group

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• Form a new group or work on an existing group• Specific work tasks: - Recruitment (motivation) and - Facilitate residents participation - Develop leader - Handling Group Dynamics (group conflict, leadership, cliques, etc) - Maintaining relationship and group momentum - Work on specific tasks /action(s)

Assignments• In average: 1 Project + 1 Group + 1 Program• The amount of workload will be decided by

fieldwork supervisor• May have peer joint project /program.• Individual assessment and fair learning

opportunity• Each student should be in charge of at least 1

task

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Settings in Fieldwork Placement Settings in Fieldwork Placement • Community Centre

• Non-subvented CD Service Agency – SoCO, CSSA Alliance

• Residents’ Organization – Sham Shui Po Community Association; Land Justice League

• Policy advocacy – Hong Kong Council of Social Service

Working Hours• Jun 1 - Aug 7, 2015 (10 weeks) • Irregular hours (depending on target groups)• For Community Centers - 2 AM-PM & 3 PM-Evening per week in summer placement, and - 1-2 PM-Evening per week in concurrent placement. - May need to work on Sat – Sun.• For Settings of Functional Communities /

Resident Organizations - the working hours depending on the requirements of the agencies. - Attendance in evenings and weekends is expected.

• Home-visits

• Street Enquiry Counter

• Attend resident groups meeting

• Action / policy research

• Identifying problems areas / community needs

• Analyzing causes

• Formulating plans

• Developing strategies

• Mobilizing necessary resources

• Implementation of action plan

• Forming and working with resident groups

• Organize campaign

• Media work and Publication

• Solicit support from other parties: LC/DC, Alliance, other service units

• Meeting with government officials

• Identifying and recruiting community members and leaders

• Encouraging interrelationships between them to facilitate their efforts.2323

Work Tasks in CD

Can I Manage ?

Essential CD Knowledge and Skills Essential CD Knowledge and Skills 1. Firm belief on ‘Social Justice’ and ‘Empowerment’2. Knowledge in conducting community study / profile3. Analytical and Presentation Skill4. Skills in Mobilizing & Organizing people: Individuals Group Organization

forming Alliance 5. Negotiation and Lobbying Skills6. Skills in working with Media (Publicity & PR)7. Expert in seeking community resources8. A sound knowledge of social policy and welfare rights9. Knowledge on socioeconomic and political environment

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Special Requirements

• Students should be prepared to work in unstructured settings and irregular hours.

• Strong self-initiative is needed

• Having quick response and able to handle unforeseeable incidents

Recommended ReadingsRecommended Readings• Henderson Paul and David N. Thomas. 2013. Skills in

Neighourhood Work. (4th Ed.) London and New York: Routledge.

• Rubin, H.J. & Rubin, I.R. (2008). Community Organizing and Development (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allen & Bacon.

Chinese • 甘炳光等編 . (1998). 《社區工作 – 理論舆實踐》 , 第 3 版，香

港 : 中文大學出版社。• 甘炳光等編 . (1999). 《社區工作技巧》 , 香港 : 中文大學出版社

。• 姚瀛志 . (2011). 《社區組織理論與實務技巧》 , 新北市 : 揚智

文化。

Web-link• Community Tool Box: http://ctb.dept.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents

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甘炳光等編 . 1999. 《社區工作技巧》

甘炳光等編 . (1998). 《社區工作 – 理論舆實踐》 , 第 3 版

Questions & Answers