Community Immersion

Ask 15 different people for their definition of community and you will probably get 15 different answers. When people think about communities that are important to them, they usually think on a smaller scale – remembering where they grew up, identifying with where they live today, or focusing on relationships based on affiliations or interest rather than geographic proximity (Netting, Kettner, McMurtry, & Thomas, 2012, p. 131). For example, an individual may choose to live in a particular community because it provides them with excellent employment opportunities and social activities. A family may be drawn to a particular community because it has an outstanding reputation for safety, education, and mutual support.

Immersion into the community allows the social worker an opportunity to observe the community from an insider’s perspective; in addition to observing it’s boundaries, government structure, and demographics, it is an opportunity to learn about the community leadership and its history. To effectively assist their client, it is imperative that social workers not only understand the different communities, they should also understand the communities politics, and the collective role that the community has in effecting positive change for clients (Netting et al., 2012, p. 165). Furthermore, the social worker must understand alternative perspectives, recognize the assumptions and values that undergird these views, and understand how differing perspectives influence change opportunities. For example, it is not unusual within the boundaries of a community for one ethnic or cultural group to believe that schools are relevant and city services inadequate to meet local needs, whereas another ethnic or cultural group believes they are irrelevant and inadequate (Netting et al., 2012, p. 132).