People of Atlanta
The population of Atlanta city is unique and diversified as, at the end of the XX century, African Americans were two-thirds of the city’s population. Currently, they are only half as some African Americans moved to the suburbs in the last few years (World Population Review, 2022). The population of the city has a 20% poverty rate which means the individuals are in high demand for employment and increase of their income levels. At the same time, the median age of the population is 33.1 years for men and 33.5 for women. The latter means that the working capacity of the inhabitants is high as people are on average in their youth, capable of work, and less likely will suffer from weak health.
Demographics of the population in percentage are presented on the slide (Markley, 2018).
- Black or African American: 50.95%
- White: 40.90%
- Asian: 4.44%
- Two or more races: 2.42%
- Other race: 0.96%
- Native American: 0.29%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%
Atlanta has also one of the highest LGBT populations per capita. The average education level in the community is presented in the table. Most adults have finished bachelor’s and graduate degrees (World Population Review, 2022). For an employer such as Ford Motor Company, it is essential to have workers of various educational levels as the factory needs professionals working with instruments and various items and perspective leaders.
People of Atlanta. Religion
People inhabiting the city have various religions: Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and other religious groups (Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Judaism, and others). The diversification in various characteristics does not mean the community is hard to work with. People of all orientations, religions, and ethnicities are united by one society, and manage to intersect in it successfully. For such a giant corporation as Ford, it is not a unique situation to cooperate with people from various locations, countries, and beliefs. As an internationally successful firm, Ford knows and implements the issues of corporate social responsibility approaches that respect the rights and choices of every member of the community.
The Strengths of the Community
The strength of the community is majorly in its diversity, as humans of various backgrounds, motivations, talents, ad skills are ready to work and perform. The unemployment rate signalizes that people are in search of work and in need of earning and provide for their families. The rapidly growing population increases the competitiveness of the average resident and allows the employer to choose and implement healthy competition practices to motivate the workers. The fact of an increased LGBT community group in Atlanta highlights the importance of a significant part of the population of human rights consideration. Then, the employees will motivate the leadership representatives not only to focus on the revenue and outcomes of the corporation but also to constantly develop strategies for a safe and comfortable working environment.
The Challenges of the Community
Some minor groups of the population might meet obstacles in employment for Ford Motor Company as their religion does not allow them to work with IT, machinery, and steel. However, these groups are minor and still can be considered as working in the human resource department, with papers and other sections. Another obstacle is that some of the city residents experience extreme levels of poverty due to the state’s private of their property for public use (Isaac, Bernstein & Behar-Horenstein, 2020). Eminent domain has a long history and is currently still allowed by the U.S. Constitution under some circumstances (Yoon et al., 2020). The latter means some people reach a hardly manageable level of poverty and remain without homes, limiting their access to job employment and lowering the state’s economic indicators. Still, the media is not silent about the issue, and many individuals managed to save their homes from privatization for public needs. Moreover, the issue is not only affecting Atlanta’s residents, and similar obstacles can be met by he employers in other states.
Why Members Belong to the Community
People of Atlanta vary in ethnicity, culture, religion, and orientation, and this location gathers individuals that are free-minded, young, and confident. One can be a suburban type or a city-dweller; Atlanta is comfortable and appropriate for every person. Another factor that makes the location unique is nature with its colorful flora and green foliage. The place is full of various possibilities to do sports, go to theaters, and have interesting nightlife and festivals if one is young. The city is also known for its film community and is called the Hollywood of the South. The location gathers humans of various interests and hobbies and allows them to spend their free time unforgettable and find friends on interests. At the same time, the rapidly increasing population of the location increases the work opportunities and gives more chances for career growth and development.
The Impact of Community Membership on Specific Community Members
Atlanta has the Community Resources Committee (CRC) that is responsible for leading plans, programs, and policies about essential topics referred to the region’s population, the Board, and/or ARC staff. The Community Resources Committee solves issues such as land use, water purification, the usage of natural resources, and energy. The committee also decides on local government services and realizes demographic and economic research. The committee provides guidance on ARC’s regional development plan, and issues of metropolitan and green communities questions. With such developed legislation regarding nature protection and care, the city is sometimes called “a city in a forest.” For an employer such as Ford Motor Company, it is essential to initiate environment-friendly strategies and manage waste recycling that does not impact the environment.
Buckhead Club is another community partner that has a substantial influence on society. Buckhead club provides leadership training, the networking possibilities, invests in local farms, and helps veterans with PSTD and other unnoticeable disabilities helping them to adapt to the family environment, society, and current economy. Being a member of this community develops sympathy and awareness of social problems of the city and the region and develops a person on various training. Buckhead is an example of a business-leading company providing aid and development to local businesses. By investing in local farms and firms, the community helps the economic state of Atlanta to grow and flourish
Leaders of Community
The leaders of the community shape the major goals and priorities of the area. It is evident that the leaders in Atlanta represent human rights and democratic approaches. For instance, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia solves a variety of issues regarding capital punishment, criminal law reform, disability rights, the questions of free speech, HIV treatment and ethics, human rights, and immigrant rights. ACLU studies the law in juvenile justice, racial justice, LGBT rights, questions of national security, prisoners’ rights, religious liberty, reproductive freedom, voting rights, and women’s rights. In the example of one union and leader of the community, it becomes clear how essential it is for the residents of the state to have equal rights and justice.
Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta is another leadership group that promotes belief in a common god, understanding, forgiveness, and respect for other members of the community. The group of leaders has intentions to bring a more engaged education to the religious diversity of the society. With the help of decision-based case studies, the leaders initiate discussions during class meetings and motivate the participants to reflect critically on the issue of religious diversity. Interfaith infrastructure is believed by the Faith Alliance of Metro representatives to be the key concept of successful intersection in the community, cooperation, reducing crime rates, and a number of daily conflicts between people. The leaders also provide studies on each of the religions and spread knowledge about religious theology among residents.
Engaging Members of the Community as a Social Worker
Community engagement is one of the most central issues for the social work practitioner as it is essential for the professional to identify and develop the social strengths of the social group and engage community members in the process of solving the issues actively by themselves. The social worker is a helper, not a decider, and to stay an effective helper one should study the demographics of the area, people’s interests, and motivations. In Atlanta city, it is evident that people are free-minded and diverse. They have various cultures, ethnicity, orientation, and financial status. The level of poverty and the increased flow of citizens in the area creates a proper competitive environment for employment and new career opportunities. To engage people in communities, I would put special attention to their ambitions, motivations, youth, and diversity as positive aspects. Then, each member of the community understands that he or she is unique and talented and is able to do anything.
References
Atlanta Regional Commission. (n.d.). About the Atlanta region.
Isaac, C., Bernstein, A., & Behar-Horenstein, L. (2020). From gentrification to regeneration: A grounded theory study of community leadership in Southwest Atlanta. The Qualitative Report, 25(9), 3369-3390.
Markley, S. N. (2018). New urbanism and race: An analysis of neighborhood racial change in suburban Atlanta. Journal of Urban Affairs, 40(8), 1115-1131.
World Population Review. (2022). Atlanta, Georgia Population, 2022.
Yoon, J. C. et al. (2020). COVID-19 prevalence among people experiencing homelessness and homelessness service staff during early community transmission in Atlanta, Georgia. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 73(9), 2948-2984.