david chavis at the virtual community summit - 'the science of community
DESCRIPTION
David Chavis gave a talk entitled 'The Science of Community' at the Virtual Community Summit 2014 in London.TRANSCRIPT
The Science of CommunityThere is a lot to C
David M. ChavisVirtual Community Summit 2014
20 February 2014
Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls
as well as a
quantitative change in our lives.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Peter Kropotkin Charles Darwin
Mutual AidSurvival of the Gene
Social Darwinism Survival of the
Fittest
Just because you call it a “community” doesn’t
make it one.
We Live in Multiple Real World and Virtual Communities:
FamilyNeighborhoodNationFaithCultural/EthnicInterest
Profession or vocation
Workplace or school
Political and social causes
Community Development is Very Important
A sense of Community;Individual and collective Control and efficacy;
andCash-adequate economic and other resources.
Factors that have the most effect on human psychological, social, and physical well-being include:
Research shows that developing a sense of community:
Develops a sense of individual and collective efficacy and Control, and
Increases access to resources including Cash.
Elements of a Sense of Community(McMillan & Chavis, 1983)
Meeting needs based on common values;Membership;Influence; andA shared emotional connection.
Identify common priorities and needs;Support collective action on priorities
and needs (e.g. ,small grants, community organizing);
Improve systems of care and other services; and
Improve community environment.
Meeting Needs
Tactics for Strengthening a Sense of Community Framework
MembershipIncrease community identification and
identifying other members;Increase sense of safety and trust;Clear, but inclusive, boundaries; andRecognize and reward member
success.
InfluenceProvide and support opportunities for
collective action on priority issues and needs;
Communicate power or influence of similar people or communities;
Develop leaders who are responsive and accountable to members; and
Build collective leadership capacity.
Shared Emotional ConnectionPromote sense of common history and
experiences;Conduct social events to promote interaction;Support small wins, nothing builds
community like success;Communicate successes; andBuild pride.
The Basic Questions for Evaluating Community Development
Are you meeting the priority needs of members?
Do members have a sense of membership?Do your members influence each other, the
community itself and larger systems?Is there a shared emotional connection?What are you doing to promote each of these
elements?
Connections
Bonding (within community, such as neighborhood)
Bridging (across communities)Linking (with larger systems)
Community Science
Collective Action
Leads to collective power, resources, and hope
through organized citizen lead efforts.Community leaders are people who
represent their constituency and are accountable to their constituency.
Influencing larger systems.
Five C’s Strategy ForCommunity Development
CommunityConnections Control Cash Collective Action
The greatest challenge and opportunity for community development is to create caring within and among communities.
When there is caring within and among communities , there is more equity and justice.
Community Science
The greatest challenge we face on this planet is to
develop the sense of community and therefore
caring for all other communities.
I am, and always will be, the optimist. The hoper of far-flung
hopes, and the dreamer of improbable dreams.
~Eleventh Doctor