Critical Reflection #6

Key characteristics of the ABCD model can be examined in four major elements which includes: “exploring the theory and practice of appreciative inquiry; the concept of social capital as an asset for community development; the theory of community economic development; and lessons learned from the theory and practice of building active citizenship engagement and a stronger civil society” (ABCD.MathieCunningham). Altogether, these elements come together as a strategy to form sustainable community driven developments. The ABCD model has the potential to encourage active citizenship in the sense of citizen-to-citizen ties, while also “Strengthening the capacity of people as citizens to claim their rights of access to assets on which they depend on for their livelihood” (ABCD.MathieCunningham). This model constructs a sense of community, while enhancing the possibilities for sustainable livelihoods. It rests on the idea that a recognition of strengths and assets within a community is more likely to inspire positive action for change in a community that is an exclusive focus on needs and problems. As a result, the goal of this model is to utilize the assets that are already found within the community and mobilize individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build upon their assets in opposed to working on their needs.

The CED model or theories of community economic development relies more on the theoretical contributions of community development than on those of economics, which fails to recognize community. The main participants,” in CED, “are outside experts and the types of initiatives employed tend to involve technological improvements and infrastructure development largely in the hopes of attracting investment and industry” (ABCD.MathieCunningham). This clashes deeply with the ABCD model, which empowers communities by valuing the resources that already exist within them.

Assets, in terms of Social Capital is, “Present in the networks, norms, and social trust inherent in associations whose members work together in concerted collaborative action” (ABCD.MathieCunningham). In other words it is the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively. These relationships are normally based on a shared trust and understanding between individuals. As a result, there are many assets that can be found within my community partner, Young Moms Marin. Assets that include: a safe space for these young moms to meet each Friday to share their daily struggles with the group and seek advice; healthy food provided at each meeting by the coordinator because many of these mothers struggle with food insecurity; childcare during the meetings to allow the mothers to participate in conversation while the children play; and guests speakers that educate the mothers about the available resources that they can use to improve their daily lives. With the understanding of these assets and forms of capital within the community, it can help with reaching out to the Hard-to-Count members of the community I work with because the asset that many of these mothers depend on are the resources that are educated to them. All the resources that are available or the mothers are currently using is funded by the government. The Census helps determine how much money should be allocated to each program based on the number of people who participated in the Census. Therefore, if more people participate in the census, the more money is allocated to the programs. With more money being allocated to the government funded programs, it enables the mothers to receive more help in order to function in society. As a result, I believe people need to be educated and aware of what the Census is and the importance of it in order to reach the hard to count populations. For example, within my community some of the mothers were unaware that the census determines how much money is given to the programs they use. Therefore, when explaining to the mothers about the importance of the census, they understood why it is encouraged for them to participate as well as spreading the message to others.