Community Work: Intervention and Social Action
Intensity of Intervention and Community Workers
The social worker is a strategist in the use of their potential, and that also means adaptability. The roles and intensity of exercise will vary depending upon the group, the work phase, and the goals, according to the scenario, the constraints on moving, and even according to preferences.
A. Brown said that the most common scenario is that, in the initial moments of the group, the social worker is very active and directive, appearing as a central person in establishing the structure of the group. Thereafter, the group members assume increasing responsibilities and a decisive change towards the goal that members gradually take responsibility, to the autonomous position.
P. Henderson and D.N. Thomas state there are good reasons to be favorable to non-directivity (a flattering attitude that places responsibility and decision-making on the group), but that does not mean that the auditors should reject the highlights directors if it can be more efficient: the first moments of a group’s life may call for a good dose of directivity. However, when the community worker retains responsibility and does not work for the full autonomy of the group, they fail to perform community work.
The existence of what might be called captive groups has much to do with the increased power of the technicians or politicians: dependent groups increase their power. This is entirely contrary to the objectives of community work, which is, without doubt, to increase the power of the population, spread and defend democracy through participation.
It is precisely because of the temptation to become patrimonial that it is important that the community worker is aware that his speech is his retirement horizon, a lack of participation in the activities of professional groups, and giving way to full self-management of grassroots organizations. The time must be weighed carefully: a departure too early runs the risk of being lived as a surrender and compromising all acquisitions patiently accumulated. On the contrary, too late a withdrawal can reinforce the dependence of the groups and curb their progress towards autonomy and self-organization. After the withdrawal, the community worker will make his speech in a support role routine.
Part Input Business in the Area Social Intervention
Item 5. Immersion in Social Space in Which to Intervene
1. If You Want to Know About Something, Try Changing It
Social intervention in the construction of knowledge and the establishment of aid relations are acts which may dissociate but are solved synchronously within the same process. Simply put, the challenge of building better knowledge runs in parallel to building better relations, both on each other. It is understood that community work wins when understood and practiced as epistemology commitment. That involvement is useful for knowledge construction and the construction of the action.
A more credible action is accessed from a cooperative construction of knowledge with other agents. In turn, access to that knowledge useful for action is all the more possible the more committed to transforming the situation the community worker is, and as more credible than for others.