SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
HANDOUT
Building A picture of a community: the community profile
A community profile is a comprehensive picture of a community that provides
baseline data for action that enhances the well-being of all. It can be conceptualized
as a detailed audit that is produced and controlled by a community. The knowledge
it contains is a prerequisite for effective feminist community campaigns and for
acquiring external support for particular activities because a profile reveals the
people, attitudes, skills and resources that exist in an area. It can be used to assess
needs, plan action in meeting them, identify allies and monitor change. A
community profile is compiled on both informal and formal bases, so data have to be
interpreted carefully. Amassing the profile draws on knowledge already within a
community and accessible to groups wishing to raise consciousness about issues.
Interactive exchanges or dialogues with community members enrich data collection.
Women are a rich source of community facts. A lot of their knowledge cannot be
obtained through formal information gathering, storage and dissemination outlets.
This is because women use their sociability to explore fluid relationships that
structure their communities (Daniels, 1985). Trust between people acts a s
lubricant in gathering data and evaluating the worth of what is collected. Mistrust
of those excluded from the community has to be transcended for they are also
important sources of knowledge, expertise and abilities. Yet their views and
insights may often be ignored (Chakrabotri and Farland, 2004)
Community activists collect details on community when identifying the economic,
political, social and environmental needs of a particular area and resources that
local inhabitants have. Whether working solely with women or in mixed groups,
feminist community workers try to ensure that data collection follows feminist
principles of leaving control over the use of information with those providing it;
sharing information and the skills entailed in collecting it among group members;
highlighting the significance of gender during data collection, dissemination and
use; and utilizing, findings to improve the position of women (see Roberts, 1982;
Stanley and Wise, 1983, 1997; Eichler, 1988; Kelly, 1988: Dominelli, 2005)
Having collected the information, community activists must then assess its
accuracy, the support they can achieve by forming groups around specifies problems
and should then check out peoples opinions and willingness to take action. The
methods used for gauging support for their cause can range from word of mouth to
administering formal surveys. People will have varying degrees of commitment,
ranging from agreeing to vote in favour of an action or writing a letter of complaint
to occupying a building.

A community profile can identify opposition to a plan of action and reveal peoples
vested interests in adopting particular positions. Knowing the groups opponents
can facilitate planning for action, monitoring change and assessing outcomes. It
can help formulate counter-arguments to those voiced by opponents and form
support groups.
Some of the major aims, objectives and items to be covered in a community profile
involve a lengthy process which never really ends since the information which is
held collectively by the group must be continually updated. This task may be made
easier if the information is computerized, but it has to comply with the
requirements of the 1998 Data Protection Act. Some information us already
publicly available; some will have to be unearthed by the group. It is important that
data in the community profile are easily accessible to members and supportive
community groups. Ensuring the accessibility of the profile requires the group to
consider how the information can be regularly updated, distributed, used and
stored. Improving womens access to data exposes the politics of information
collection and retrieval, enhance manoeuvrability in ensuring power struggles and
strengthens womens willingness to redress the current lack of information and
resultant powerlessness (Adamson et al,1988; Scott, 2001). The new information
technologies can be used to improve a regular updating of a community profile.
Spreadsheets and other software can be used to analyse the data in increasingly
complex and refined ways (Clarke, 2004).
(Source: Dominelli, Lena (2006) Women and Community Actions, New Delhi: Rawat
Publications. Pp. 88-89).