Community Welfare and Development - Recently Updated Pages

Family Violence

MissLouLou — Mon, 19 May 2008 03:29:46 CDT

Family Violence is a serious social issue that affects everyone in a family - children, parents and other members of the extended family. The Family Law Act defines family violence as

"family violence" means conduct, whether actual or threatened, by a person towards, or towards the property of, a member of the person's family that causes that or any other member of the person's family reasonably to fear for, or reasonably to be apprehensive about, his or her personal wellbeing or safety.

Family violence covers a broad range of controlling behaviours, commonly of a physical, sexual, and/or psychological nature, which typically involve fear, harm, intimidation and emotional deprivation. It occurs within a variety of close interpersonal relationships, such as between spouses, partners, parents and children, siblings, andin other relationships where significant others are not part of the physical household but are part of the family and/or are fulfilling the function of family.

Common forms of violence in families include:

spouse/partner abuse (violence among adult partners and ex partners);
child abuse/neglect (abuse/neglect of children by an adult);
parental abuse (violence perpetrated by a child against their parent); and
sibling abuse (violence among siblings).

Children are affected by family violence in many ways, whether the violence is directed at them personally or they witness family violence directed at other members of their family. Considerable research has emerged over the past decade or more, confirming the devastating impact family violence can have on children's lives and their physical and emotional development.

WHAT IS FAMILY OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Family or domestic violence is any behaviour by one family member that causes physical, sexual and/or emotional harm to others in the family, or causes them to live in fear.
Most violence in the home is committed by men. Women and children are most often the victims. Violence can also occur in other types of relationships. For example, older people can be abused by their adult children. Mothers can abuse children. Violence can occur in same-sex relationships. Women with disabilities can be abused by their carers.
Family violence includes much more than physical violence:

Physical violence can include hitting, choking or throwing objects.
Sexual violence includes being forced to have sex or do sexual things against your will.
Emotional violence can include threats to take your children away, damaging property, humiliation, or threatening to hurt you or your children.
Verbal violence includes being called names or being put down.
Social violence can include keeping you isolated from family or friends, or trying to control where you go or who you see.
Financial violence includes not giving you enough money to meet your own or your children's basic needs, for example, money for food or bills.
Stalking includes repeatedly following or contacting you against your will, with the intention of hurting or scaring you.

Children and young people are always affected by family violence, even if the violence is not directed against them. Children are damaged by witnessing or hearing violence, or by living in an environment of fear.
All types of violence can be dangerous and many are against the law. It is important to do something about any violence that you may be experiencing. Never believe that the violence is your fault.
Family violence is a crime. You have the right to go to the police and report the crime.
If you are ever in immediate danger, telephone the police on 000.

Here are a few key findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ‘Women’s Safety in Australia’ Survey (1996), auspiced by the Office of Status of Women.
• 38 percent of women had experienced at least one incidence of violence since the age of 15.
• More women experienced physical violence from a current or previous partner than from a stranger or another man known to them.
• 8 percent of married women reported an incidence of violence during their current relationship.
• 42 percent of women who had been in a previous relationship reported an incidence of violence by a previous partner.
• Almost one in five Australian women have been sexually assaulted or threatened since turning the age of 15.
• The majority of victims (9 out of 10) did not report the incident to police or seek the assistance of services (4 out of 5).
• The majority of victims who reported sexual assault to the police were women (approx 83 percent) and the majority knew the offender (approx 72 percent).
• Most sexual assault offences (64 percent) occur in a residential location and most do not involve a weapon. Around 18 percent are committed by a boyfriend or a date.
• Only a small proportion of victims (around 15 percent) report sexual assault to the police. Women from non-English speaking backgrounds and women from high socio-economic status are less likely to report sexual assault than women generally.

In conclusion, the evidence provided here reminds us of the undisputable reality that after many years of feminist activism and community education campaigns, so many men continue to routinely criminally assault their female partners and young children, in the family home. This reality raises major – but unfortunately familiar – questions for us all to consider and actively seek to resolve. These critical questions include queries as to society’s investment in a dominant ‘masculinity’ and the normalisation of male violence; the construction of women as owned by men, especially their husbands and fathers; the ‘accepted’ power relationships within families, the marriage contract and the assumption of the ownership of children. As the patriarchal beliefs that underpin men’s decision to criminally assault their partners and children are part of the fabric of our society, we all have a responsibility to participate in challenging and changing such beliefs.

community advocacy

soweto — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:40:18 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Disabilities

MissJinger — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:36:22 CDT

It is difficult to easily define what is meant by a 'disability', but in general terms it can be considered as a condition that in some way hampers or hinders a person in terms of their ability to carry out day to day activities. The extent to which a condition hinders a person will vary from individual to individual and the general range of disabilities varies from conditions that are mild (for example, the need to wear reading glasses) to severe (for example, some forms of brain injury). In recent times various definitions or classifications of disability have been agreed to.
In the Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services 2002 disability is given the following definition:

The first international classification relating to disability was provided by the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps, initially published in 1980 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The 1980 classification was a framework for disability described in three dimensions: impairment, disability and handicap. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers in 1981, 1988 and 1993 was based on this classification. A revised classification— the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)—was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2001, after several years of international revision.
Disability is conceptualised as being a multidimensional experience for the person involved. There may be effects on organs or body parts and there may be effects on a person's participation in areas of life. Correspondingly, three dimensions of disability are recognised in ICF: body structure and function (and impairment thereof), activity (and activity restrictions) and participation (and participation restrictions). The classification also recognises the role of physical and social environmental factors in affecting disability outcomes.
The ABS 1998 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers defined disability as any person with a limitation, restriction or impairment which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months and restricts everyday activities.
Self care, mobility and communication are defined as core activities. The ABS defines levels of core activity restriction as follows:

mild — where a person has no difficulty with self care, mobility or communication,
but uses aids or equipment;
moderate — where a person does not need assistance, but has difficulty with self
care, mobility or communication;
severe — where a person sometimes needs assistance with self care, mobility or
communication; and
profound — where a person is unable to perform self care, mobility and/or
communication tasks, or always needs assistance.
Sources: ABS (1999) and WHO (1999), (2001).

Healthy Tourism Senior Citizens club "VIGOR"

0514381 — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:35:56 CDT

Community non for profit organisation.
Will Sampson Community Centre
Mail address:
64 / 49 Union St
WINDSOR 3181

Community awareness

554288x — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:33:55 CDT

Residential Services - Adults

These are live-in programs providing a drug free therapeutic environment. Some programs are entirely drug free, some will accept people on prescribed medications but none will accept people on opiate pharmacotherapies (methadone or buprenorphine). They do not provide withdrawal services. Costs are usually negotiable.

Reading is everything

Passionvine — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:30:28 CDT

Reading as Therapy

by Amanda Morin

How many times have you finished reading a book with your child only to have him exclaim "Hey, that's just like me!" Assuming that your child doesn't think he's a talking aardvark or a skivvy-wearing superhero, he's probably talking about the situation in which the character found himself. Or, more accurately, the problem that the character had to solve. This is the basis of developmental bibliotherapy.

Bibliotherapy is a big word to describe the process of using books to help children work through real-life problems. The truth is, most of us already instinctively practice bibliotherapy; we're just not thinking about doing it. But according to the Bibliotherapy Fact Sheet put out by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills, bibliotherapy "is a deliberate course of action that requires careful planning." So take a minute to find out what's going on behind-the-scenes (or between the lines): it will provide insight into how to take reading to a whole new level.

The benefits of bibliotherapy are threefold: Identification, Catharsis and Insight. Simply stated, when reading the appropriate book, a child has the opportunity to:

relate to the main character and his predicament
become so emotionally connected to the story that his own feelings are revealed
realize that his problem is solvable or, at the very least, that he is not alone

Sounds exhausting, right? Not really. Usually all of this happens without the child even knowing it. If you've chosen a good book for your child's situation, you should expect to have a teachable moment waiting for you when the cover closes. Use it wisely. Be prepared to discuss the character's dilemma and lead a creative problem-solving session with your child.

The key to making all of this work is making sure you have a great book. With so many out there, how do you know which one to choose? Take a closer look at your child's particular problems. Does he struggle in school? Worry about bullies? Have trouble at home? These questions will guide you in selecting a book that will speak to your child. The bottom line is that there are no "right" books. Here are some more ways to ensure you're on the right page.

Advocate for more Rights for Asylum Seeker

niri200 — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:30:06 CDT

We need to advocate for Justice For Asylum Seekers and propose an Alternative Detention Model
One broad-based organisation working to come up with alternative solutions to the asylum seeker issue is Justice For Asylum Seekers. This is a Victoria-based coalition of about 35 groups, (including Oxfam Community Aid Abroad), jointly convened by the Ecumenical Migration Centre, The Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace (CCJDP) and the Uniting Church. Justice For Asylum Seekers believes that alternatives to non-reviewable mandatory detention do exist – alternatives that both respect human rights of asylum seekers and maintain the level of security necessary to screen and assess claimantsof people on arrival and when they are in detention, including ensuring that they understand the process and their rights, and have access to appropriate, independent health and legal professionals;

Greater flexibility in the consideration of a person's individual circumstances when deciding on their status;
Equity of treatment between those who are detained and those who are not; around 85 percent of detainees are eventually cleared by immigration, yet in detention they are treated as if they are "guilty" until proven "innocent".
Reducing the time every individual spends in detention, including maximum time limits, thereby making considerable savings and allowing people to live in the community where most eventually settle;
Through these and other steps, bringing the detention regime into line with Australia's international treaty obligations, and addressing the criticisms of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Let us togetehr advocate for Justice.

Drug and Alcohol Services Guide

554288x — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:21:53 CDT

Dedicated drug and alcohol community based services provide counselling to users and their families, support groups and education. They can either be generic (responding to anyone with a drug or alcohol issue) or targeted (responding to a particular age group, gender or specific challenge such as parenting).Some have evolved from Church groups, were initiated by a person's vision or experience, or are responding to a particular need. People seeking counselling in this context should expect that it will be provided by a professionally qualified counsellor. If provided by a Drug and Alcohol Centre or Community Drug Service Team it should be free

Cultivating Community

duncan48 — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:19:14 CDT

Imagine a world in which all families, regardless of income, eat the healthiest, freshest produce; a world in which youth focus their prodigious energies on helping themselves and their neighbors; a world in which people care deeply about the land, their communities, and each other. This is the world we at Cultivating Community are working to create.

Cultivating Community is growing sustainable communities. Based in Portland, Maine, we use organic, sustainable practices to grow food in our community and school gardens and at partnering farms. That food feeds those among us who are most vulnerable. And we use our community food work as an engine for high-impact youth and community development programs that reconnect people to the natural and social systems that sustain us all.

vigor

0514381 — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:17:11 CDT

Healthy Tourism Senior Citizens club "VIGOR
102 Henry Street WINDSOR

Community Referral Directory

jayen — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:12:22 CDT

Community Referral Directory - Overview

"The essential guide to community services"
(covers the Melbourne Metropolitan area, the Mornington Peninsula and regional services of statewide significance)

Electronic versions are available for a single PC or for multiple users on a computer network. Network version costs are based on the number of individuals using the directory at any one time.

The "Community Referral Directory", previously published by Lifeline Melbourne (from 1994 to 2000), is now published by the Community Referral Support Service (an information service provided by Datascape). Datascape assisted Lifeline to produce both the printed and electronic versions of the directory from 1998 to 2000.

The Community Referral Support Service gratefully acknowledges the dedication and effort of past staff of Lifeline Melbourne who contributed to the establishment and production of early editions of the Community Referral Directory.

The Community Referral Support Service will continue to publish this important community resource as well as providing direct data updates (in electronic form) to many community and government organisations.

FEATURES:

Proven format which maximizes access to information from many different view points.
Includes information about many health, welfare and community support agencies providing many thousands of services.
Also includes numerous information entries intended to assist the referral process.
Entries are fully indexed with many cross-references designed for ease of use during telephone or face-to-face counselling.
A typical entry includes service description, contact details, web site address, eligibility criteria, hours, cost, languages spoken, referral instructions and date updated.
Covers many services which are provided free of charge or at reduced rates to the general public.
Used by many community agencies in both hard copy and electronic form.

SUBJECTS COVERED INCLUDE:

Counselling and Family Services
Accommodation Assistance and Advice
Emergency Services
Age Specific Services
Legal and Financial Services
Ethnic Community Services
Health Services
Municipal Council Services
Many other subject areas

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum PC configuration for single-user version:

IBM Compatible Pentium 150 MHz
32 MB RAM (64 MB preferred)
Minimum 20 MB free hard-disk space
SVGA Color Monitor (800x600)
CD ROM (for installation)
Mouse and Keyboard

Further Information:
For further information about hard copy and/or electronic options
see our website:
www.datascape.com.au

Asylum Seekers

jason_kirk — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:02:50 CDT

Fix Our Refugee System

What the government needs to do NOW	Why it's important	How to do it
Give the right to work to all people seeking asylum	Most people seeking asylum are not allowed to work. This forces people into homelessness, poverty and hunger.	End the arbitrary 45 day rule and let asylum seekers work during the humanitarian stage. This can be done by the Immigration Minister.
End Temporary Protection Visas
End Mandatory Detention
Access to health care for the entire determination process
Release all long-term detainees left in limbo
Close Christmas Island

Encyclopedia

LuisEslava — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:52:38 CDT

Human Trafficking

Aych — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:53:36 CDT

Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, harbouring, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation. It is estimated to be a $5 to $9 billion-a-year industry.[1]The Council Of Europe states "People trafficking has reached epidemic proportions over the past decade, with a global annual market of about $42.5 billion".[2][3] Trafficking victims typically are recruited using coercion, deception, fraud, the abuse of power, or outright abduction. Threats, violence, and economic leverage can often make a victim consent to exploitation.

Exploitation includes forcing people into prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. For children, exploitation may also include forced prostitution, illicit international adoption, trafficking for early marriage, or recruitment as child soldiers, beggars, for sports (such as child camel jockeys or football players), or for religious cults.[4]

This is a videoclip about human trafficking:

The Video highlights a few areas of modern day slavery. It is percieved by many that 'Slavery' is a thing of the past, when actually it involves 27,000,000 people around the world annually today, as stated in the book by Batstone David "Not for Sale" . As a member of the community we need to know this is happening in our own backyards and have to start implementing legislation and awareness to slow down/stop this abhorrent action against human rights.

Collapse of the Soviet Union 1985-1990

jameskelso — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:51:22 CDT

Glasnost was a reform measure in the former USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev. It was meant to introduce openness and tranparency in all activities of the Soviet Union, as well as freedom of information. It included a period during 1990-2000 where there was no censorship of the mass media.

It was a part of reforms by Gobachev in 1985-1990 called Perestroika, which was a series of reforms in the USSR aimed at economic restructuring.

By encouraging a spirit of openness and debate of all government institutions, leaders, history and processes, it was hoped that the Soviet people would back bold reforms such as Perestroika.

Many factors of the Soviet economy and political system came under attack from the people and intellectuals, from whom much of the information had been denied for decades. Ultimately, however, the combination of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic reforms) created a tidal wave of dersion and discontent.

Corruption and mismanagement was revealed on a wide scale, and it was easier for the Soviet people to compare themselves to other western countries, freer from government propaganda.

The Soviet economy and political structure could not cope with the reforms led by Gorbachev, and at the time many conservatives in the Communist Party were highly resistant to such drastic change. Ultimately, these reforms led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991 following a failed coup by conservative elements who were opposed to Gorbachev's reforms.

However, due to corruption in political circles and a chronically sluggish economy, the Soviet economy would probably have ultimately collapsed eventually. Gorbachev's rather drastic action for reform merely speeded this process, as the world could barely believe its eyes, watching a once-great empire disappear in rapid succession.

advocacy

lease — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:51:06 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

group facilitation

ingibarr — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:42:01 CDT

A group has a primary process or identity – the mission or circumstances that bring it together, and to which most of its members consent. That identity can be challenged from within the group, by individual members who disagree with the group’s prevailing identity, and from without, by other individuals or groups who challenge the group’s integrity.
Internal and external disturbances are the secondary processes of the group. They manifest as dissent and conflict that, if unprocessed, may split the group or result in the exclusion of the disturbing individuals. As in the case of an individual, if the group can view the challenge to its identity as meaningful, the disturbance can be integrated to the benefit of the group, rather than leading to its destruction. A group’s primary and secondary processes form a “field” in which various dissenting viewpoints become polarized, sometimes leading to a tense and conflictual atmosphere. Individual members of the group become strongly identified with these viewpoints. Should the majority of the group members reject a dissenting viewpoint, the individuals who hold that viewpoint are also rejected.
The principle of deep democracy values all viewpoints in a group. This principle recognizes the importance of secondary processes of all sorts including, but not limited to dissent, hopeful dreams, and deepest beliefs. It is up to the facilitator of the group process to make space for these viewpoints to emerge and interact. The complexities of this facilitation process are the basic skills of worldwork. It is important to understand that the diverse viewpoints represented in a group are not necessarily bound to the individuals that hold them at a particular moment. Rather, they are “roles” that can be occupied by any individual in the group. Good facilitation enables individuals to experiment with switching roles, so as to be able to better understand one another’s viewpoints.
A group has a primary process or identity – the mission or circumstances that bring it together, and to which most of its members consent. That identity can be challenged from within the group, by individual members who disagree with the group’s prevailing identity, and from without, by other individuals or groups who challenge the group’s integrity.
Internal and external disturbances are the secondary processes of the group. They manifest as dissent and conflict that, if unprocessed, may split the group or result in the exclusion of the disturbing individuals. As in the case of an individual, if the group can view the challenge to its identity as meaningful, the disturbance can be integrated to the benefit of the group, rather than leading to its destruction. A group’s primary and secondary processes form a “field” in which various dissenting viewpoints become polarized, sometimes leading to a tense and conflictual atmosphere. Individual members of the group become strongly identified with these viewpoints. Should the majority of the group members reject a dissenting viewpoint, the individuals who hold that viewpoint are also rejected.
The principle of deep democracy values all viewpoints in a group. This principle recognizes the importance of secondary processes of all sorts including, but not limited to dissent, hopeful dreams, and deepest beliefs. It is up to the facilitator of the group process to make space for these viewpoints to emerge and interact. The complexities of this facilitation process are the basic skills of worldwork. It is important to understand that the diverse viewpoints represented in a group are not necessarily bound to the individuals that hold them at a particular moment. Rather, they are “roles” that can be occupied by any individual in the group. Good facilitation enables individuals to experiment with switching roles, so as to be able to better understand one another’s viewpoints.
A group has a primary process or identity – the mission or circumstances that bring it together, and to which most of its members consent. That identity can be challenged from within the group, by individual members who disagree with the group’s prevailing identity, and from without, by other individuals or groups who challenge the group’s integrity.
Internal and external disturbances are the secondary processes of the group. They manifest as dissent and conflict that, if unprocessed, may split the group or result in the exclusion of the disturbing individuals. As in the case of an individual, if the group can view the challenge to its identity as meaningful, the disturbance can be integrated to the benefit of the group, rather than leading to its destruction. A group’s primary and secondary processes form a “field” in which various dissenting viewpoints become polarized, sometimes leading to a tense and conflictual atmosphere. Individual members of the group become strongly identified with these viewpoints. Should the majority of the group members reject a dissenting viewpoint, the individuals who hold that viewpoint are also rejected.
The principle of deep democracy values all viewpoints in a group. This principle recognizes the importance of secondary processes of all sorts including, but not limited to dissent, hopeful dreams, and deepest beliefs. It is up to the facilitator of the group process to make space for these viewpoints to emerge and interact. The complexities of this facilitation process are the basic skills of worldwork. It is important to understand that the diverse viewpoints represented in a group are not necessarily bound to the individuals that hold them at a particular moment. Rather, they are “roles” that can be occupied by any individual in the group. Good facilitation enables individuals to experiment with switching roles, so as to be able to better understand one another’s viewpoints.

Here is a group working together on a Community Development project involving

graffitti artists.

This Korean drummer is an example of how not to behave in a facilitatated group process. He is not a team player, and is out for himself. For a group to be successful in any project, everyone works equally and no one outshines the other.

Asian Migrants of Australia

GeethaSriraman — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:37:23 CDT

What is RACISM?

Racism is destructive. It disempowers people by devaluing their identity. It destroys community cohesion and creates divisions in society. It is the opposite of the democratic principle of equality and the right of all people to be treated fairly.
An understanding of the nature of racism is essential in order to recognise and counter it successfully. Racism is a global phenomenon which is influenced by a range of historical, social, political and economic factors. It takes different forms in different contexts and as a result has been defined in many different ways. In Australia, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1998) defines it as:

Racism is an ideology that gives expression to myths about other racial and ethnic groups, that devalues and renders inferior those groups, that reflects and is perpetuated by deeply rooted historical, social, cultural and power inequalities in society.

Racism is the result of a complex interplay of individual attitudes, social values and institutional practices. It is expressed in the actions of individuals and institutions and is promoted in the ideology of popular culture. It changes its form in response to social change.
Racism has its roots in the belief that some people are superior because they belong to a particular race, ethnic or national group. The concept of race is a social construct, not a scientific one. (For a discussion of the meaning of the word 'race', refer to the glossary).
Racist attitudes and beliefs are misconceptions about people based on perceived racial lines and are often founded on the fear of difference, including differences in customs, values, religion, physical appearance and ways of living and viewing the world. This includes negative attitudes towards the use of different languages, 'foreign' accents or the use of non-standard variations of a dominant community language. [1]
Racist attitudes may be manifested in a number of ways including common expressions of racial prejudice towards and stereotyped assumptions about other cultures as well as more extreme forms of prejudice such as xenophobia. These beliefs are reinforced by prevailing social attitudes towards people who are seen as different and are often a reflection of the values which underpin social relations and institutional practices.
These attitudes and beliefs find expression in racist behaviours, both in the actions of individuals and in the policies and entrenched practices of institutions. Where these behaviours involve unequal power relationships between individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds, racist actions on the part of members of the dominant culture have the effect of marginalising those from minority groups.
Examples of racist behaviour include ridicule, racist abuse, property damage, racial harassment, racist propaganda, racial vilification and physical assault. It also includes practices that exploit or exclude members of particular groups from aspects of society. Extreme examples of racist behaviour include ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Racist behaviour may be direct (overt) or indirect (covert) in nature. Direct racial discrimination is the unfair or unequal treatment of a person or a group on racial grounds. An example would be an employer who won't hire someone on the basis of their cultural or linguistic background. This type of discrimination is typically deliberate. Indirect racial discrimination is seemingly equitable on the surface, but in practice disadvantages people from particular groups. For example, a rule that says that all students must not wear anything on their heads could result in discrimination against students whose religion requires the wearing of headwear. Indirect racial discrimination can occur even when there is no intention to discriminate.
Institutional racism (or systemic racism) describes forms of racism which are structured into political and social institutions. It occurs when organisations, institutions or governments discriminate, either deliberately or indirectly, against certain groups of people to limit their rights.
This form of racism reflects the cultural assumptions of the dominant group, so that the practices of that group are seen as the norm to which other cultural practices should conform. It regularly and systematically advantages some ethnic and cultural groups and disadvantages and marginalises others.
Institutional racism is often the most difficult to recognise and counter, particularly when it is perpetrated by institutions and governments who do not view themselves as racist. When present in a range of social contexts, this form of racism reinforces the disadvantage already experienced by some members of the community. For example, racism experienced by students at school may result in early school dropout and lower educational outcomes. Together with discrimination in employment, this may lead to fewer employment opportunities and higher levels of unemployment for these students when they leave school. In turn, lower income levels combined with discrimination in the provision of goods and services restrict access to housing, health care and life opportunities generally. In this way, institutional racism may be particularly damaging for minority groups and further restrict their access to services and participation in society.
Recognising Racism How do you know if someone or something is racist? Sometimes it can be hard to recognise racism, especially if you’re not the target. The problem is some people are deliberately racist while others might behave in a racist manner without meaning to hurt other people. In the same way, some systems or rules or organisations might discriminate against some groups of people either deliberately or without intending to. Here are some examples of racism that might occur in schools. Have you ever seen or experienced anything like this? If so, what did you do or what could you do about it? Examples of racism l making fun of clothes, food or physical appearance of
people from different cultures
l telling jokes directed against people from particulargroups
l using insulting language about particular cultural groups
l making fun of people’s accents or names
l refusing to work or play with or sit next to other people
who are from a different culture or speak a different
language
l writing graffiti against people from particular cultural backgrounds
l stereotyping people from different cultural or linguistic groups
l telling people to ‘go back where they came from’
l not including students from particular backgrounds in class activities
l favouring students from some backgrounds more than others
l not helping students from some backgrounds as much as others
l expecting students from some cultural or linguistic groups to do better or
worse than others in schoolwork
l not respecting people’s different religious beliefs
l bullying students from different cultural and linguistic groups
l assaulting people from different cultural backgrounds.

Types of community

LuisEslava — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:23:17 CDT

A number of ways to categorize types of community have been proposed; one such breakdown is:

Geographic communities: range from the local neighbourhood, suburb, village, town or city, region, nation or even the planet as a whole. These refer to communities of location.
Communities of culture: range from the local clique, sub-culture, ethnic group, religious, multicultural or pluralistic civilisation, or the global community cultures of today. They may be included as communities of need or identity, such as disabled persons, or frail aged people.
Community organizations: range from informal family or kinship networks, to more formal incorporated associations, political decision making structures, economic enterprises, or professional associations at a small, national or international scale.

Communities are nested; one community can contain another - for example a geographic community may contain a number of ethnic communities[21].

[edit] Location

Possibly the most common usage of the word "community" indicates a large group living in close proximity. Examples of local community include:

A municipality is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a town or village. Although large cities are also municipalities, they are often thought of as a collection of communities, due to their diversity.
A neighborhood is a geographically localized community, often within a larger city or suburb.
A planned community is one that was designed from scratch and grew up more or less following the plan. Several of the world's capital cities are planned cities, notably Washington, D.C., in the United States, Canberra in Australia, and Brasília in Brazil. It was also common during the European colonization of the Americas to build according to a plan either on fresh ground or on the ruins of earlier Amerindian cities.

For more details on this topic, see Community of place. I have place a video in here for you to watch on different types of communtiy.

All work taken from wikipedia.

ingibarr

ingibarr — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:19:47 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.