Abstract
This paper dwells upon the way communities change and the way individual can affect the change. Such communities as church, work, soccer game are considered. The change involving implementation (or rather support of) of the program aimed at informing young people on STD is provided as an example.
Introduction
The modern world consists of numerous communities that include people sharing certain interests. Individuals affect communities that develop and evolve and, at the same time, communities have an impact on each member of the community (McAlister, Perry & Parcel, 2008). People share their ideas and develop values that are accepted in the community. Clearly, to have an influence on certain groups it is more effective to be a part of the community. It is possible to consider particular communities and the way the change can be created.
Communities and the Change
It is possible to note that community is a social network, which, in its turn, can be defined as “linkages” of people who provide (or may not provide) social support or simply share similar values (Heaney & Israel, 2008, p. 190). As has been mentioned, above all people usually belong to a community (or several communities).
For instance, church unites many people as individual get together and complete certain rituals. People share their ideas and emotions. Attending a church is a social occasion where people can get the necessary support from individuals (people going to the church, the priest) or the community on the whole (congregation). Work is another social network where support is not as expected as it is in the church since people get together to reach certain aims and goals of the company. Lots of people have hobbies that also make them join certain communities. Soccer can be one of such hobbies. People get together to have a good time and to practice sport. Clearly, individual share ideas and communicate in all the three communities.
However, when a change is needed, it is crucial to remember that each community is different and different communicative patterns have to be utilized (Resnik & Siegel, 2013). Health issues need special attention as these topics are often very serious and can be controversial (Nies & McEwen, 2014). For instance, to communicate the need to launch programs educating young people on STD, a person will need to use different approaches in the three communities mentioned above.
For instance, in the church, it is necessary to focus on spiritual aspects and such values as dignity, understanding and coaching. When communicating the need to educate young people on STD, it is important to make sure that feelings of people are not hurt and rules of decency are not violated. When it comes to work, it is possible to focus on such benefits as healthier communities, more money in the local budget as well as benefits of the company that will be involved in the program. Finally, in the community of soccer players, it is possible to focus on health issues and it can be appropriate to provide some examples of young people’s sad experiences. These different approaches will enable an individual to make the community change in a certain way.
Conclusion
On balance, it is possible to note that communities have an impact on individuals and people can affect communities as well. Clearly, all communities are different and it is crucial to choose the right approach when communicating this or that message to start creating the change.
Reference List
Heaney, C.A., & Israel, B.A. (2008). Social network and social support. In K. Glanz, B.K. Rimer & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 189-210). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons
McAlister, A.L., Perry, C.L., & Parcel, G.S. (2008). How individuals, environments, and health behaviors interact: Social cognitive theory. In K. Glanz, B.K. Rimer & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 167-188). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons
Nies, M.A., & McEwen, M. (2014). Community/public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Resnick, E.A., & Siegel, M. (2013). Marketing public health: Strategies to promote social change. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.