Leadership in Community Action

1. Leadership in Community Action

2. Assignment 1: Beginning Community Action • About 2,000 words plus assignment cover sheet and list of references • In a short introduction, identify and briefly describe one community you are a member of. Identify the community boundary (who belongs and who is not a member of the community). State the main purposes or activities of the community (less than 500 words). Give a report on your participant observation of community life as you observed it on one occasion in this community. In your report, give a clear account of what you observed, distinguished from any judgment or emotion, and from any analysis, interpretation or conclusion drawn from what you observed.

3. Link your report to appropriate written material including the essential references.  Present this assignment as an academic report.

4. Essential reading • Tips • This assignment calls for reading, observation, listening and reflection. Practice skills of observing and listening. For this assignment do not engage in any action designed to change or improve the community. • Pay attention to the assessment criteria when writing your assignment. These criteria determine how marks are awarded. •  Community Action Proposal: Assessment Criteria

5. One community you belong to is clearly identified, and used as a focus throughout the assignment. • The assignment demonstrates basic understanding of the concepts of gesellschaft and gemeinschaft or community and corporation. • The assignment describes one short period of observation of community life in clear, descriptive terms. • The is a clear, objective report of what was observed. This is not confused with emotion, judgment, interpretation or conclusions. • The community description is an ‘insider’ view, giving the reader a rich picture of community life. • The report draws on and is related to appropriate literature. • Overall, this is an accurate and rich report of what you saw and heard on one occasion in your chosen community. • The assignment is well set out in report style, with a title, an introduction (or summary), a body and a conclusion. Sub-headings and numbered or dot-point lists may be used. • The assignment complies with Faculty guidelines for assignments and word limit (about 2,000 words not including cover page and list of references) • All sources if information are properly cited in-text, and in a proper list of references?

6. Assignment 2: • Write a 2,000 word essay giving a theoretical analysis of a community issue. • Details will be provided in lectures.  • Due: Week 10 • Assessment Criteria: To be advised

7. Assignment 3: Reflective Learning & Micro Skills • Assignment 3 is in two parts, totalling 40% of marks for the Unit. To do well in Assignment 3 you must do some work in each week throughout the semester. •  Hand in the parts together with an Assignment Cover. Follow Faculty Guidelines for presentation of assignments (except ad instructed below). Use APA 5th (author-date) citation system for references. •  Marks are awarded following the assessment criteria for each part.

8. 3.1 Workshop Participation • Due Each Week during semester; submit by Friday of Week 13; Individual; No set length; 10% •  You must attend and participate in micro skills learning activities in a workshop each week, as a member of a consistent learning group. •  You should keep a learning diary in which you make an entry each week with brief notes about: • Your micro skills learning each week: what you did in the Workshop, what you read, what you discussed, what you observed, or else you did this week to advance your learning about community action.   Your reflection on your learning: what you learned from these activities each week; what questions you are asking and what you would like to learn.  Make sure each entry is clearly identified with the date, the micro skill activities your reflection on learning each week. There should be a two-part entry for every week. There is no set length.

9. Assessment Criteria: • Your learning diary has dated entries for Weeks 1 to 13. Your entries have two parts each week: ‘Learning Activities’ and ‘Reflection on Learning’ One mark is deducted for each week you do not attend, or you do not make a two-part entry. • 3.2 Integrating Community Action • Due week 15; Individual; not more than 2,000 words; 30% •  Write a report in academic report style which includes the following content: • Community Action Theory, including some attention to psychological, sociological and other scientific findings; • Community Action Principles, including ethical principles and guidelines for practice; • Community Action Practice, including an account of some community action (however small) you have engaged in during the semester, mentioning the purpose, the plan, the action you took, what you observed, and your reflection on what you learned from this experience. • Integration, a conclusion which draws together the main threads of your report, and may include some comment on how you may use community action in your professional life.

10. Integrating Community Action: Assessment Criteria • The report has a well written introduction and four relating to community action theory, principles, practice and integration. • Community action theory is presented in a concise, well-argued review of relevant literature. • Community action principles are presented in a clear, well argued exposition. • Discussion of community action practice is grounded in the student’s own  learning and practical experience • The conclusion integrates elements previously discussed into a personal statement based on evidence and experience. • Follow Faculty guidelines for assignments. Use report style, with a title, an introduction (or summary), a body and a conclusion. Sub-headings and numbered or dot-point lists may be used. All sources must be properly cited in-text, with a proper list of references in Faculty style..

11. Reading for Assignment 3 • This assignment is asking you to draw together your learning through the semester, integrating material from lectures and workshop sessions. For readings, refer first to books, articles and other sources handed out during the semester, and referred to in lectures and handouts.A keyword search for 'community action' on the library catalogue will produce more than 100 references, including many that will be useful for this assignment (only 13 of these are in Health Sciences Library, most are in Fisher Library). Good books includeIfe, J. & Resoriero F (2006). Community Development (2rd edn). Sydney: Longman, or 2nd edition or any community development text Sheilds, K. (1991). In the Tiger's Mouth: An Empowerment Guide for social Action. Sydney: Millenium (if you can locate a copy) McMurray, A. (2003) Community Health and Wellness: A Socioecological Approach, Sydney: Elsevier

12. Reading for Assignment 3 • This assignment is asking you to draw together your learning through the semester, integrating material from lectures and workshop sessions. For readings, refer first to books, articles and other sources handed out during the semester, and referred to in lectures and handouts.A keyword search for 'community action' on the library catalogue will produce more than 100 references, including many that will be useful for this assignment (only 13 of these are in Health Sciences Library, most are in Fisher Library).