Learning Objectives

  1. Compare one’s own emotional and cognitive reactions to two case studies.
  2. Define community, territorial community, rela­tional community, and sense of community.
  3. Summarize key points in the history of social work and communities.
  4. Critique five theoretical approaches to the study of communities (contrasting types, spatial arrangements, social systems, social capital, and conflict).
  5. Analyze the major tensions in social work’s approach to communities, including com­munity as context or target of practice,  agency orientation versus social action,  conflict model of practice versus collaborative model, and expert versus partner in the change process.
  6. Apply knowledge of communities to recommend guidelines for social work engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation.