COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,

SOLIDARITY AND CITIZENSHIP

First Quarter – Module 3:
FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNITY

RON J. DISCUTIDO
TEACHER
Think about this…
1. Have you wondered what makes your community
unique?
2. Are you familiar with the structures of your community?
3. How about the people who build your community?
4. Have you had the chance to get to know the people
who are the keepers of our community?
5. How about you as a Filipino youth, how are you going
to contribute to your community?
OBJECTIVES
In this module you will learn how to:
1. explain the dynamics of your community by recognizing
the people who build the community;
2. assess the structures of your community, and
3. analyze the processes existing in your community.
VOCABULARY LIST
Aspects of Community - these include the structure
existing in your community which includes natural
environment to the institutions made by man.
Community - group of people in a particular area who are
interacting to one another
Community Power - the capacity of the community to
exercise control over activities and seek ways to employ
available resources
Influencer - the person with the most influence, who can
lead others to achieve a goal or accomplish a certain task
Leader - the person who has the responsibility of
controlling or taking charge of a particular group
Leadership - the process and qualities of command and
decisiveness with regard to the necessary actions that
ensure the welfare of the community
Social change - the changes that occur in the social order
of a society. These are related to nature, social institutions,
social behavior or social relations, cultural, religious,
economics, scientific or technological forces.
LEARNING ACTIVITY:
LET’S READ
I am Alysha, and I’m seventeen years old. Just like you, I
am still a Senior High School student. I live in Kaytome,
Binangonan, Rizal. Lately, I have this goal of becoming a
community leader so that I may contribute more to my
community. To be more precise, I would like to be a
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman. But to be honest, I
am not familiar with my own community, its structure,
dynamics, and processes. There are a lots of things that I
would like to know because I would love to work with other
community leaders and builders. How about you, do you
like to be a community leader yourself? Together, let us
know first the dynamics of our community to become a
community leader.
TOPIC 1: Understanding
Community through its
Dynamics
Leaders are important figures that will guide
the members to carry out the plans in pursuit
of the group’s objectives. The guidance of a
good leader in a group ensures the coherence
of plans and better implementation of
programs.
In the Philippines, the government provides
several levels of leadership, from the president
and vice-president, including other government
officials at the national and in the local levels such
as mayors, congressmen, and governors. They
are appointed based on qualifications, attitude and
most often, through the votes of the residents. It is
otherwise known as Formal Power Structure
because they are individuals from whose authority
is based on formal rules appointed by the
government.
There are also people who are appointed because of
their ability to lead, direct or achieve without an official
leadership title. They are known as Informal Power
Structure. They are popular to others as influencers
who can lead others with the most influence. Informal
power comes, not from an official position, but from the
respect and appreciation one has earned from the
members of a group. This respect and appreciation
allow the individual to influence his or her peers in a
way that others within the group cannot. Examples are
managers, supervisors, philanthropists, businessmen,
producers and even employees who lead their group
as likable and charismatic leaders.
Legal authoritative decision-makers, on the other
hand, are individuals or bodies whose authority is based
on formal rules and institutions. They are appointed
because of their intelligence, reputations, decision-
making, dictation from laws and policies and
connections. Examples are the appointments made by
the president of the country through his/her Powers of
Appointment as stated in the constitution or with the
consent of the Commission on Appointments like the
heads of the executive departments, board of members
and its leaders from any national government-related
institutions, ambassadors, other public ministers and
consuls, etc.
The aforementioned (3) power dynamics are
part of individual dimensions of community
which could be:
1. Interrelationship - community leaders are
with direct relation with you through familial
relations, affinities or feeling of kinship, and
social network, and
2. Organization - they could be part of an
institution or an association, that has a
particular purpose in our community.
 Task 1. Community
Leaders, Community
Builders!
DIRECTION: Give the power dynamics of the
following community leaders as well as their
individual dimensions and a short description
of the kind of work they do in your community.
1. Barangay Captain
• Power Dynamics
-
• Individual Dimension
-
• Job Description
-
2. Social Workers
• Power Dynamics
-
• Individual Dimension
-
• Job Description
-
3. Local Farmers
• Power Dynamics
-
• Individual Dimension
-
• Job Description
-
LET’S CHECK!
1. Barangay Captain
• Power Dynamics
- Formal Power Structure
• Individual Dimension
- Interrelationship
• Job Description
- the highest elected official in a barangay,
the smallest level of administrative divisions of the
Philippines. He performs many official government
duties and executes minor judicial powers as part
of Barangay Justice System, such as settling
disputes between neighbors.
2. Social Workers
• Power Dynamics
- Informal Power Structure
• Individual Dimension
- Organization
• Job Description
-A social worker helps people cope with the challenges
they are facing in their lives. Some, called clinical social
workers, are therapists who diagnose and then treat
individuals who have mental, behavioral, and emotional
disorders. (answers of students may vary because of the
many roles of Social Workers)
3. Local Farmers
• Power Dynamics
- Informal Power Structure
• Individual Dimension
- Interrelationship
• Job Description
- person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for
food or raw materials. They are usually the people who do some
combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or
other livestock. A farmer might own the farmed land or might work
as a laborer on land owned by others, but in advanced economies,
a farmer is usually a farm owner, while employees of the farm are
known as farm workers, or farmhands.
TOPIC 2: Understanding
the Community through
its Structures
Awareness of the essential aspects of
the community is necessary in aiding the
residents to reflect on ways to be
positively involved in its improvement. The
poet John Donne famously said, “No man
is an island,” referring to humanity’s
interconnectedness and the belief that
humans are always social beings.
Being aware of the structure of the
community and exploring its aspects will
help you understand the necessary
measures that should be undertaken to
serve as an active member of a
community and as future leaders of the
community.
 The following are the
aspects of community and
the factors to explore
1. Local Politics
•Structure of government
•Decision-making power and control
•Major issues currently in debate
2. Demographics
• Population size (total number of people)
• Population density (ratio of people to the space they inhabit)
• Heterogeneity (the extent to which community members have
diverse characteristics)
• Ethnic groups
• Names given to various parts of the community
• Areas known for having their own characteristics (ex: industrial
area, blue collar
• families)
• Isolation from or closeness to other communities
• History of the area
• Changes and development of the area
3. Geography and environmental influence
• the community’s physical environment
• the community’s location and proximity to
highways, bodies of water or mountains
• existence of recreational areas concerns
regarding environment hazards such as
pollution, power shortages, among others
4. Beliefs and Attitudes
• cultural values, traditions and beliefs of
various segments of the population
• spiritual and political values of the residents
• available social agencies and the help they
can extend
• perceptions of residents as part of the
community.
5. Local economy and businesses
• businesses, factories and other sources of
employment that characterize the community
• nature of business (owned by local residents
or government)
6. Income distribution
• public assistance benefits available to
residents
• median income level of residents
• income levels and corresponding percentage
of population.
7. Housing
• housing conditions
• population density
• types of housing
• ownership and status of houses (rental, real
estate, etc)
8. Educational facilities and programs
• education system
• extent of community support
• existence of public and private schools
• adherence to intended curriculum of the Department of Education
• attention to special population (e.g., children with special needs)
and to cultural differences.
• extent to which education brings out the best in the children
(participation in competitions, profile of graduates, training
students holistically)
• adequate preparation for adults to enter the labor force
9. Health and Welfare Systems
• adequate numbers of health professionals and
specialists
• social service programs
• respect of service providers to the needs and
values of minority populations
• availability of fire and police protection
• safety of the environment
• the residents’ view on public safety and justice
system.
10. Sources of information and public opinion
• presence of TV and radio stations and
newspapers which provide the people information
and perspectives on current events
• community organizations’ capacity to update
residents on important information
• the capacity of the sources of information to
enhance the residents’ skills to promote positive
change
• the presence of community leaders who speak
for various marginalized subgroups.
11. Summary Assessment of Community Issues
• overall assessment of community’s functioning
• dealing with social problems (youth gangs, poverty,
abuse)
• gaps in social, health care, and other community
and educational services
Task 2. My Knowledge
on My Community
DIRECTION: Write a short information on the
following aspects of a community. Please
choose one factor to explore and write your
answer. The first one is done for you.
Aspects Factors to Explore (Write the name of
your community)
e.g. Brgy. Kinagatan,
Binangonan, Rizal

Demographics Names given to various Names given to various

parts of the community parts of the community-
Pritil, Libis, Bamboo
village are the names
given to the different
areas of Brgy.
Kinagatan, Binangonan,
Rizal. It is also divided
into 4 puroks.
TOPIC 3: Understanding
Community through its
Process
A leader is an important figure in
the community. Leaders must
possess important
characteristics such as:
1. Effective Communication
•An open communication is highly
recommended for leaders and their
constituents. There should be free access
to important information concerning social
issues and public matters.
 2. Development of Social Capital
Building
• developing a resilient capital is among
the most important contributors to
successful community leadership.
3. Community Engagement
•it is important to encourage young
leaders to participate so that they are
ready to take over when the time comes.
 4. Collaboration
•leaders should learn to “build bridges”
and develop networks among community
leaders within the diverse fields.
These major components of being a better
leader will help improve communities by
effecting positive social change, improve
the relationships of their residents as well
as build community power.
Community Power is the capacity of the
community to exercise control over
activities and seek ways to employ
available resources to establish a stronger
and successful community.
Community Power is the capacity of the
community to exercise control over
activities and seek ways to employ
available resources to establish a stronger
and successful community.
Task 3. This is It! The
Process of My
Community
DIRECTION: Conduct an interview with the
people in your community using social media
applications e.g. facebook, twitter or thru text
on the status of your community in its fight
against poverty.