Module 4, Community Concept Notes

MODULE 4
CONCEPT OF THE COMMUNITY

Nurses who practice community-based nursing need to understand the community within
which they practice. How health problems are assessed and solved within the community is the
first step in carrying out their unique responsibilities in the promotion and maintenance of health
of the population
A. Defining Community
 Community (WHO)
- is a social group determined by geographical boundaries and/or common values and
interest
- community members know and interact with one another
- the community functions within a particular social structure
- the community creates norms values and social institution
 Common Features of a Community

o Interest
- People with common interests or passions can together form a community. These
communities don’t have much strict code of rules, because they are limited to the
breadth & scope of the Interest.
Ex. a community of musicians, artists
o Actions
- A community can also be made up of people who are acting together to bring a change.
There can be various shades of such types of communities as well. Every culture &
philosophy interprets these actions differently.
Ex. - a community of feminists
an LGBT community
o Place
- Co-existence in a geographical area can also be shape up a community. This is a hybrid
form of both the interest &action types of communities. The geographical location
serves also in the concept of nationalism or ethnicity.
Ex. a community of Muslim in Quiapo
a community of Aeta in Mt. Pinatubo
UDM community
o Practice
Communities can be formed by people who are from the same profession or
undertake the same activities. These communities are both at national &
international level.
Ex. a community of nurses
a community of students
o Circumstance
- Some communities are brought together by external events or situations.
Ex. a community of street dwellers
B. Types of Communities
1. Rural Community
- can be characterized as a natural phenomenon.
- agriculture is a fundamental part of its identity
- people have a higher degree of homogeneity in their character and more face to face
interaction with each other.
- necessary facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations, etc. are mostly absent
- often perceived as ‘backward’ due to a lack of proper infrastructure.
- typically, inhabitants have to travel to the nearest city or town for access to necessary
facilities like medical care, etc.
- mostly made up of smaller populations that spread out to self-sustaining areas where
natural resources are readily available.
2. Sub-urban Types of Community
- often perceived as intermediate to rural and urban communities, that is why it is
known as “suburban.”
- they are more abundant in population as compared to the rural community and less
in number relative to an urban community.
- such communities are often out-lying a larger city.
- have limited resources and little political autonomy.
- Living spaces are often referred to as single-family homes or housing divisions that
are closer to each other.
3. Urban community
- An urban community is often perceived as the opposite of a rural community.
- highly impersonal, complex, and heterogenous in their identities and lifestyle.
- there is a complex division of labor with specialization in professions and jobs, which
shapes up the identity of an urban community.
- modern facilities and infrastructure are also central to urban communities.
- state officials and diplomatic activities are also fundamental to urban communities
- are based on a larger population, and most often, urban areas are overcrowded
C. Characteristics of a Healthy Community
A healthy community is considered a caring community. The connections between

individuals, families and the environment are essential vitality. A healthy community is one
which:
 Prompts its members to have a high degree of awareness that “WE ARE A COMMUNITY”.
 Uses its natural resources while taking steps to conserve them for future generations.
 Openly recognizes the existence of sub-groups and welcomes their participation in
community affairs.
 Is prepared to meet problems.
 Is a problem solving community, it identifies, analyzes and organizes to meet its
problems.
 Has open channels of communication that allows information to flow among all its’ citizen
in all directions.
 Seeks to make each of its systems resources available to all members of the community.
 Has legitimate and effective ways to settle disputes and meet needs that arises within the
community
 Encourages maximum citizen participation in decision making
 Promotes high level of wellness among its members.
D. Components of a Sustainable Community
1. Governance – a community should have effective and inclusive representation and

leadership
2. Social and Cultural – there is active, inclusive and safe, fair, tolerant and cohesive with a
strong local culture and other shared community activities
3. Housing and Built Environment – well designed and quality built natural environment
4. Transport and Connectivity – with good transport service and communication linking
people to jobs, health and other services.
5. Services – with public, private, community and voluntary services that are appropriate to
people’s needs and accessible to all
6. Environmental – providing places for people to live that are considerate of the
environment
7. Equity – fair for everyone, including those in other communities, nowand in the future
8. Economy – with flourishing and diverse local economy
E. Factors Affecting Health of the Community
1. People: Families, Culture and Community

 The variety of individuals, families and cultural groups comprising a community
contributes to the over-all complexion of the community
 simple way to understand the people in the community is through vital statistics and
demographics
Family – is the first social institution established by man
- it is a primary group that satisfies his needs; material, emotional and spiritual
- its functions ranges from the care and education of children to economic production
and leadership roles
- a strong family structure is the basic foundation of a strong community
Culture - is the sum total of man’s experiences as he interacts with his environment and
fellowmen
- it is learned, shared and transmitted to succeeding generations through the use of
tools and language
- according to Leininger (1970) “health and illness states are strongly influenced and
often primarily determined by the cultural background of an individual”
- the culture of individual and family has an impact on the community’s definition of
health and on the service needs of that community
2. Location: Community Boundaries

 Boundaries regulate the exchange of energies between the community and its external
environment
 Determine what services are available to families living within a particular geographic
area
Concrete boundaries – definite or spatial, more absolute and easier to see and to
define
Geographical boundaries– mountains, valleys, rivers
Political boundaries – cities, towns, barrios, countries, states
Conceptual boundaries – elusive, nonspatial, situational boundaries like home,
school,
Work or combinations of these
3. Social system
- community members fulfill the essential functions of community by interacting in
groups
- these functions provide socialization, role fulfillment, goal achievement and member
support
- a community is a complex social system and its interacting members comprise
various subsystems within the community
- it includes the economy, education, religion, welfare, politics, recreations, legal
system,healthcare, safety and transportation and communication systems

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MODULE 4

CONCEPT OF THE COMMUNITY

 Common Features of a Community

C. Characteristics of a Healthy Community

A healthy community is considered a caring community. The connections between

D. Components of a Sustainable Community

1. Governance – a community should have effective and inclusive representation and

E. Factors Affecting Health of the Community

1. People: Families, Culture and Community

2. Location: Community Boundaries

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