psychology of community development

8/9/2019 psychology of community development

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Globalization is a difficult term to define because it has come to mean so many things. In

general, globalization refers to the trend toward countries joining together economically, through

education, society and politics, and viewing themselves not only through their national identity

but also as part of the world as a whole. Globalization is said to bring people of all nations closer

together, especially through a common medium like the economy or the Internet. Globalization

means different things to different people. Some say it is the movement of people, language,

ideas, and products around the world. Others see it as the dominance of multinational

corporations and the destruction of cultural identities.

This current wave of globalization has been driven by policies that have opened economies

domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during

the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, vastlyincreasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international

trade and investment. Governments also have negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to

commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and

investment. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built

foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners.

A defining feature of globalization, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business

structure.

Technology has been the other principal driver of globalization. Advances in information

technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies

have given all sorts of individual economic actorsconsumers, investors, businessesvaluable

new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more

informed analyses of economic trends around the world, easy transfers of assets, and

collaboration with far-flung partners.

However, globalization is deeply controversial according to Proponents of globalization argue

that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards

of living, while opponents of globalization claim that the creation of an unfettered international

free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local

enterprises, local cultures, and common people. Resistance to globalization has therefore taken


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shape both at a popular and at a governmental level as people and governments try to manage the

flow of capital, labor, goods, and ideas that constitute the current wave of globalization. To find

the right balance between benefits and costs associated with globalization, citizens of all nations

need to understand how globalization works and the policy choices facing them and their

societies.

Advantage of globalization in the developing world, it is claimed that globalization increases the

economic prosperity and opportunity in the developing world. The civil liberties are enhanced

and there is a more efficient use of resources. All the countries involved in the free trade are at a

profit. As a result, there are lower prices, more employment and better standards of living in

these developing nations. It is feared that some developing regions progress at the expense of

other developed regions. However, such doubts are futile as globalization is a positive-sumchance in which the skills and technologies enable to increase Globalization has spread its

tentacles from the banquet tables of UN technocrats in New York to the remotest women folks in

Africa; from the drawing board of World Bank experts to the village teacher in Uganda; from the

busy stock market of Tokyo and London to the lonely oases in the Sahara Desert; indeed from

the furthest point in the North to the thickest tropical rainforest in the South.

Education, World forces of globalization on issues such as the shifting emphasis in education

policy, administration and funding alleged increased in the alienation of youths, educational

reforms and migration. Globalization on education policy in developing countries, it is essential

that l once more consider what globalization is. While there is a notably divergent view as to the

impacts of globalization (some seeing it as a necessary evil while others see it as the scourge of

our modern times!), there is a lot of commonality in the way development commentators have

defined it. Graham Gibson (2000) for instance, writes that globalization is a set of processes by

which the world is rapidly being integrated into one economic space via increased international

trade, the internationalization of production and financial markets, and the internationalization

of a commodity culture promoted by an increasingly networked global communication system

thus, globalization is the process of internationalization of practices, ideas, values and

technology; their departure point being the West. It comprises multiple and drastic changes in all

areas of social, economic and cultural lives of a people. As such, globalization is not a thing;

rather, it is a phenomenon with many processes and ramifications.


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It encompasses both global processes and global outcomes. And the outcomes of globalization

have profound effects on education policy as well as educational provisions and practices.

It is somehow baffling how globalization processes have had such a swift influence across the

world at such a short period. But looking at the dominant capitalist dogmas which have silenced

alternative views of progress, and the world system theories that propel globalization to glory

(for example , economic liberalization, decentralisation, , unfettered individual and institutional

liberties), it seems rather fatalistic that the influences of globalization will obstinately increase.

It is no surprise now that the tolerated concept of development is one in which non-western

societies are theoretically and shrewdly being incorporated into the progress development

paradigm defined by the West.

Globalization comes in many shapes and forms, each sweeping across the world with

overwhelming speed and having profound effects on education policy and practice. With the

World Bank, IMF, UNESCO and other international agencies serving as the guardians of

educational policies, no longer can educational prescriptions and practices be said to be purely

locally construed. These agencies, coming with money and instructions, have heralded the

homogenization of education systems. Can any country afford to resist the desire to be the same

in a globalised world? Will any country allow itself to be left behind by the space of

technological and communication advancements that come with globalization? If the answer is in

the affirmative, then what type of world will such a country prepare its children for? These

searching questions among others compel every nation-state to accept the driving tendencies

towards homogeneity in education policy.

In most parts of the world especially in developing countries, policy borrowing is necessitated by

the massive failure of post-independence education policies. With poverty on the rise as a result

of poor economic policies, interventions mainly from the World Bank and IMF came with

Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) in the early 1980s to mitigate the chronic problems of

underdevelopment. The multilateral agencies did not only give aids and grants to boost upeconomic growth, but they also entreated on member-states to make wholesome changes in their

education systems as a basis for the general overhaul of the economy.


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By the mid 1990s, barely a decade after the introduction of structural adjustment programs

(SAP) in most Sub-Saharan African countries, the actual number of people living in poverty

increased by almost 100 million worldwide (most of them from Africa!) as the prescriptions

exacerbated the ailing economies and indeed the bedridden education sectors of many

developing countries. Long after SAP, stunning statistical revelations on access to quality

education, success rates, disparities in provisions, gender enrolment and quality of provisions

became commonplace thus necessitating further sweeping changes in education policies and

practices.

Nonetheless, every country is more than enthusiastic to fulfill the global pledge of education for

all for their people. However, the perennial lack of adequate funds for education and the

continuous shrinking of many economies as well as the unrealistic reliance on foreign expatriate

knowledge at the expense of local knowledge, combined with the unabated brain drain are

increasingly prompting skeptics to further wonder how the Dakar Declaration (2000) for

Education for All target by 2015 could be attained in most of African countries.

Therefore, for quality education to be accessible to all, lot of resources (human and material)

have to be invested in education, not to talk of the enormous amount of sacrifice on the part of

everybody for the realisation of the said targets. Henceforth, the provision of quality and critical

education must be the concern of all, not only teachers and officials of ministries of education

and their related agencies. When the people take over education, collective responsibility will

make it thrive for the good of all and for posterity.

But what are the impacts of globalization on education? Let me assert that the market forces of

globalization have not only changed the way education policies are formulated and implemented,

they have also transformed the way educational institutions are run. Market responsiveness and

competition in education, privatization and liberation of the education sector have all combined

to change the pedagogical discourse of education to a more business discourse with profit-orientation as the focus.

The economic concept is gradually changing education organisations to markets even to the

extent of changing the terminology in education provision and administration. Terms like

Manager or Director (for Head teacher), Board of Governors (for School Governors), School


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Accountant (Pay Master) and many other economic terminologies have irresistibly permeated the

education nomenclature. Implications of Globalization for Knowledge, Education and Learning

Its true that globalization has helped many countries of the world especially in the areas of

education to produce graduates who are creative and innovative for example telecommunication

systems, transportation and above all improved standards of living.

However, despite the fact that globalization is in place; there are many countries in the world that

are under developed. The best way to explain these phenomena is by analysing the intervention

processes applied to make them develop. Many projects have been implemented in developing

countries for example structural adjustment programs in education and many others but the most

unfortunate part of it is that they did not carry out research diagnosis to find out what is real

required, not only that but they failed to intervene so that they can make needs assessment to the

phenomena , additionally, they did not have clear objectives for their structural adjustment

programs, its also reported that their implementation lacked local support and finally, when they

were evaluated on time taken plus work done the suitable answer is zero .

To answer the question on how to create social change in under developed countries so that they

can make progress and improve their standards of living, its better to focus on the different

approaches of development from a psychological point of view. These approaches are many and

complex in nature depending on their applicability, they include;

(1)Ecological sustainable development.(2)Community capacity building.(3)Political participatory development.(4)Community capacity building.(5)Community empowerment.(6)Community participation.


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There is no a single approach that can be taken as absolute in isolation of others, but they move

together to ensure meaningful results, in explaining development process that can be taken to

rejuvenate underdeveloped countries, but its a combination of all approaches that came into play

to explain the phenomena .The following are some of the ways of how to create social change in

under developed countries if they are to achieve progress.;

Sustainability is an essential component of social change in underdeveloped countries. Its

essential that any development activity occurs within the framework of sustainability; otherwise

it would simply reinforce the existing unsustainable order, and will not be viable in the long

term. If social change is to be part of establishment of new social economic and political order,

its structures and processes mast be sustainable.

Sustainability also requires that output to environment, such as pollution, be minimized. And that

the materials be conserved and recycled where possible. This too can become a focus of social

change, both in terms of minimizing pollution turning west products into fertilizers and in a

positive sense. Such as establishing community based recycling, which is an important initiative

in many countries with or without support. Recycling projects can also have added benefits of

being ideal mechanism for establishing strong community level contacts, and for encouraging

broad based participation.

Communication is a critical component of social change. As one cannot be a good animator

unless one can communicate clearly and appropriately. This applies not only to workers ability to

communicate but also ideas and opinions. While much successful social change may be un

conscious, its results from the communities understanding and analysis as part of the reflexive

practice approach.

Needs assessment is yet another important factor if social change is to take place in

underdeveloped countries. Its important to emphasize the critical importance of needs definition

in social change. There are two key community development principles relating to needs

assessment.


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First is that social change should seek to bring about agreement between the various needs

identified? Where there different perception, its likely that peoples needs will not be effectively

met. Community worker should therefore, seek to bring about an effective dialogue between

these needs defined. Each of which, has legitimate and important role to play. To develop

consensus about the communitys needs. In reality, many of these needs seldom communicate

effectively with each other about the issues

Second principle is that, despite the importance of various other needs, its the needs assessment

of the people themselves (community members) that should take precedence, as long as ecology

and social justice human rights principles are not compromised. The important focus of social

practice is to engage people in a dialogue that will lead them to be better able to articulate their

true needs and not to have those needs defined for them by others. This is essential if socialchange is to be liberating and empowering other than the reverse.

Education, if people are to participate in decision making, they can be expected to do so

successfully if they are well informed about the issue at stake and the likely consequences of

particular decisions. Making informed decisions requires high levels of awareness and education

in its broadest sense, including conscious rising. Without this awareness, attempts to bring about

social change in under developed countries are impossible to implement as collective prejudice,

scapegoating, and stereotyping and ignorance. To embark on programs of social change, without

effective education process recipe for failure, and would serve only to the support of those who

see education as unworkable.

Community capacity building, this involves building social capital, strengthening the social

interaction with the community, bringing people together, and helping them to communicate

with each other in a way that can lead to dialogue, understanding and social action. Loss of

community capacity building has always resulted into fragmentation, isolation and individuation,

and social change seeks to reverse these effects. Community building is necessary if the

establishment of viable and sustainable community-level structures and processes is to be

achieved.


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Psychologically, while social change may in some circumstances be the primary objective of

community process, it is more often a consequence of some other activities Indeed people may

feel uncomfortable about being brought together simply in order to interact with each other ; they

are generally much more comfortable about being brought together for a specific purpose . The

establishment of a community school, road construction and many other examples are projects

that can bring people together around a common activity but where social bonds are strengthened

in the process, making further developments possible. Infact, when asked why they participate in

social projects people will often say that it is meeting and getting to know other people is the

most important.

Thus good social change will bring people together and will ensure that all community activities

can enhance community nation development, by seeking to involve people as much as possible,to increase their mutual dependence for the accomplishment of tasks and to provide opportunities

for both formal and informal interaction. Often its the informal that is most important ensuring

that there is time, space, and opportunity for people to have a cap of tea or a glass of water

together.

But social change is more than simply bringing people together , it involves encouraging people

to work together with each other , developing structures that mean people become more

dependent on each other to get things done, and seeking ways in which every person can

contribute and be genuinely valued by others as a result. Group process, inclusiveness, building

trust and developing a common sense of purpose are all critically important in social change, and

hence the idea of community building can and should pervade all community development

approaches.

Ecological sustainable development, the principle of sustainability means that the system mast be

able to maintained in the long term, that resources should be used only at the rate at which they

can be replenished, that renewable energy sources should be utilized, that output to the

environment should be limited to the level at which it can be adequately absorbed, and that

consumption should be minimized rather than maximized inevitably this would require no-

growth approach to economic and social organisations , as well as obvious environmental

controls and conservation strategies . It would require radical reformulation of economic policy


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and social organisation, as it would involve a system where getting bigger is discouraged rather

than valued.

Given the environmental crisis facing the world at the down of 21st

century; such perspective is

necessary in any model of social change. But while it is necessary, its not there by sufficient.

The ecological position does not specifically tackle a number of issues that are fundamental to

social change, including human rights, structural oppression, equity or disadvantage and

discourse of power. An ecological position may imply some degree of social equity, but this is

not necessary so. Indeed, a society based on authoritarian control and social economic inequality

could well be regarded as ecologically acceptable and as meeting the criteria of green political

agenda.

Political participatory development, this refers to empowerment of the community in its

interaction with the wider social and political environment. This is more commonly referred to as

social action. Which is seen as a major ingredient of community development? However, from a

development perspective, the empowering of the community to take such action is as important

as the action its self. The main political development focus is on organizing and action.

Organisation means organizing for social action. it involves the community in establishing

structures that will not only enable it to operate in an inclusive , democratic manner ensuringmaximum participation but will also assist in increasing its effective power in a wider arena.

These two aims sometimes can be in conflict. An important principle of organizing for social

action is discipline. People mast not be allowed to do their own things, but mast act in

accordance to the agreed plan of action. This can conflict with maximum participation and self

determination which is important in internal political development. When a community

delegation is meeting a political leader, its important that there be selected spokespersons that

should be the most articulate and forceful people available and the people most likely to

influence the politician: issues of gender, race, will take second place to political objectives in

the selection of people to speak. Even if the politician is sensitive to such issues, and gender and

race balance is included among the spokespersons, this done as tactical decision is not one done

based on principle. In an internal community meeting, one might want to encourage every to


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speak when they feel like it, but in delegation of public meeting where discipline is essential, this

could be disastrous.

Because of such potential conflicts, the development of political strategy for use in external

arena is a critical process. Ideally, one would seek to use a more inclusive development

structures that have been established with in community to determine external strategy and

tactics. Thus the decision that only certain people will speak in delegation, certain people will

speak to the media is one that is taken and owned by the community .but to remain true to

principles of non violence .consensuses and cooperation in a wider arena ,as this its self can be

powerful statement . It may be that particular incidents, such as delegation meeting, are as

effective as one would like, but overall impact may be greater.

Organizing for external action is essentially a practical matter of getting things done and helping

the community to get its self organised to implement effective action plans. Small task centered

groups are usually the most effective form of organisation for example one for media relation,

one for legal issues, one for publicity materials, one for latter writing and partitions, one for

lobbying politicians, one for logistical support and one for recruiting members; these groups

would report to a coordinating group or collective, which may be the community as a whole orsome small group directly responsible to the community in some way.

Social action, the goal of this sort of community organizing is the achievement of some form of

change in the external environment: for example, stopping freeway of high rise development,

gaining representation on a particular authority, achieving better public transport, reducing

violence in television programs preserving environment these involve some form of social

action.

Social action campaigns, however, remain an important part of community development, and can

be seen as an expression of broader social and political aspiration and social movements .to be

successful, the selection and development of campaign strategies mast rise from careful analysis

of the social, cultural and political context, and must develop from development process within

the community concerned rather than imposed from outside .the no war campaign against the


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war in Iraq and the so called war on terror is a prime example of mobilization from with

communities in response to broader political issues of imperialism and conflict. At times no war

has been part of enormous protest marches that have occurred simultaneously throught many

cities of the world. The success of these events, in terms numbers that have been mobilized, is

reflective of thoughtful planning and a statue of reading political barometer at the times of

organizing. although the united states and its coalition of the willing persisted despite the protest

, and although the governments of three main nations were re elected , the protest marches in

themselves were effective products of planning and community based mobilization which need

to done in underdeveloped countries if they are to achieve political participatory development.

Community economic development, for the underdeveloped countries to develop, there is need

to create income generating projects. The globalization of the economy under the influence ofneoclassical economics and the power of transitional capital has resulted in increasing number of

people feeling that the main stream economy is no longer meeting their needs. This is seen in the

high levels of unemployment in many underdeveloped countries, its also seen in growing

numbers of people in poverty, reflected not merely in official poverty line statistics but in the

number of dependants on emergency relief in one form or another.

Whole community can become economically disadvantaged, as industries relocates following the

psychology of global market and free trade. Leaving behind closed factories, lost jobs, diver

stated communities and personal despair. Conversational economics does not normally measure

these personal and social costs; but even if it does, industry is not required to take them into

account. Even when industry does not relocate and there is still local employment, much of the

profit is immediately taken out of the local community and may be moved halfway in all under

developed countries. Maintaining low living standards of local communities and their families.

Increasing competitiveness, free trade, wealth creation and so on. The problem with this

perspective is that the needs of individuals, families and communities are effectively affected in

interest of international transnational capital.

From economic development perspective, the response to this crisis is to develop an alternative

approach which seeks to relocate economic activity within the country, to work towards the

communities benefit, to revitalize the local community and to improve the quality of life. The


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current economic crisis has forced increasing numbers of people and communities to seek such

alternatives in the realisation that the mainstream economy is no longer doing very effective job

of meeting their needs hence, the high heightened interests in community economic

development.

Initiating local industries, there are more potential in using local resources, initiative and

expertise to develop new locally based industries which will be owned, operated by people in the

local community. Many local community economic development programs take these form and

they can be successful in regenerating economic activities and pride in local achievements. This

involves taking an inventory of local resources, talents, interest and expertise, together with an

assessment of natural advantage of the particular locality and then deciding what kind of new

industries might succeed, local people who have ideas for new businesses can be helped to turntheir vision into reality with some financial assistance.

There are many successful business economic development especially in rural areas where

dynamic leadership from local government , locals can be encouraged to engage in furniture

restoring , wildflower growing , wine making and tourism, giving the community both an

economic lift and a sense of achievement and solidarity . This can be achieved with relatively

little expenditure, by assessing the resources available in the country and acting as catalyst to

turn ideas into actions.

Tourism, at this point its important to consider the place of tourism in community economic

development. Countries faced with economic crisis, the closure of local industry and high

unemployment will often look to the potential of tourism, especially if they happen to be located

in regions like attract tourists by reasons of its landscape, history of proximity to potential

attractions. Promoting can be attractive alternative; its a potential source of income (to which it

seems there is no limit), its a clean industry which does not pollute, it can support a variety of

occupations, it can bring many local job opportunities and it can put the country on map.Many

countries have tried to solve their economic problems by creating tourist councils and seeking to

create tourist markets or to expand an already existing community; the aims of such strategies

are;


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(1)To attract more tourists to the country either as primary destination or as route tosomewhere else.

(2)To encourage to stay long in the locality ( the longer they stay, the more money they willspend).and

(3)To persuade them to spend as much money as possible while they are there.Tourism might sound like an alternative option, but countries considering such strategy should

do so with caution, because from international perspective it presents major problems .tourism

may not be as secure as an economic future as it might seem. With so many countries courting

the tourist dollar, there could easily develop a problem of insufficient demand there are after all

so many tourist areas to go to, and hard economic times may mean that in future there may befew tourists and those tourist are more likely to have less money to spend.

More significantly, tourism can have disastrous effects on the fabric of the country its self, and

rather than being the savior may turn out to be the monster that destroys it. The tourist industry

will have an exploitative relationship with tourists as the aim is to relieve them as much money

as possible. Being friendly and helpful to tourists is done for economic benefit rather than

because of intrinsic value of such interaction.

The most positive features of tourism to community become commodified and packaged for

tourist consumption which strikes at the very heart of what made these things special in the first

place. Local culture is transformed into museum with such phenomenon as period costume

restored pioneer villages carefully gradated paths to where seenic wonders can be seen from

behind, safety fences and old churches turned into tourist centers. Indeed any local culture mast

be carefully separately from real world from which tourist live, as tourists require standards of

hospitality , that effectively mean that tourist must be able to stay in holiday inn environment

wherever they are in the world , if a community does not provide this homogenized cultural

experience for the main stream tourist who presumably wants to see exotic sights but to eat and

sleep in familiar surroundings .unfortunately, the sort of tourists who might appreciate visiting

and experiencing a real community and un spoiled natural environment are likely to be the ones


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who do not intend to spend much money , and so from an economic point of view are not as

useful .

The economic benefits of tourism , there for may be achievable only at enormous social cost ,

this is especially true in countries involved in big league tourism , where large scale private

investments is attracted from outside but where services to the actual local community are

meager in comparison with the services provided to the tourists . indeed it is an axiom of tourism

that communities needs mast take second place to the needs of the tourist and tourist industry ,

and this is a high price to pay for economic development . These factors need to be considered

by countries considering a tourist led recovery and by any community involved in community

social change

Community development and capacity building are processes that increase the ability of people,

as individuals and groups, to prepare for and respond to opportunities and challenges in their

communities. Community development should belong to the community and be from the

community. It should not be imposed from the outside. Whether it is a multifaceted process or a

fairly straight-forward and simple undertaking, it should lead to improved or enhanced

community living.

In Conclusion, its important to draw inference based on facts and possible solutions based onscholars of which am one of them. To have underdeveloped countries achieve better standards of

living the development approaches discussed above mast be taken seriously. Yet on the side of

African Education and Globalization provide a contextualized view of educations relationship

with globalization in its various forms and its numerous proxies in Sub-Saharan Africa, where l

that the effects of globalization have been most pernicious. These authors do not believe that the

future will result in fewer interrelationships between the African education systems and the

global forces prodding and jolting them, and they decry this continued relationship.

Globalization is a very real phenomenon that is transforming the world economic system

including nearly all aspects of production, distribution and other business processes. With the

emergence of a new development model, particularly in the highly industrialized economies,

knowledge and information take on increasing importance. Thus, the era of globalization has


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tremendous concomitant implications for knowledge, education and learning. This presentation

has argued that one implication of this transformation is that a new system of knowledge,

education and learning will include many components that do not exist in the current educational

model. The new system of knowledge, education and learning should include many components

if education system in developing countries is to match with global trends.


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2. Hovland, C. I. and W. Weiss (1951). "The influence of source credibility oncommunication effectiveness." Public Opinion Quarterly.

3. Eisenstadt, SN (1973). Tradition, Change, and Modernity. Krieger PublishingCompany.

4. Giddens, A (2006). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.5. Haralambos, M and Holborn, M (2004). Sociology: themes and perspectives.

London: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.

6. Harper, CL (1993). Exploring social change. Engelwood Cliffs: New Jersey.7. Irwin, S (2005). Reshaping social life. Oxon: Routledge.8. Popenoe, D (1995). Sociology. Engelwood Cliffs: New Jersey.

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psychology of community development