Module5

Civic Responsibility

[AmeriCorps Project Ayuda]

Module 5: The Individual and the Community

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Concept:

This module provides an opportunity for you to explore the various communities that you are a part of and to examine your role within these communities.

Each of us has a concept of community in our mind and the way we interact in society is a result of that concept. Everyone views the idea of what is a "community" differently. Some people believe that a community is a group of people who share a public space-such as a neighborhood. Others claim that "community" includes any group of people in any one place that work together. Still others say that a community can be a group of people who share common characteristics or interests.

Individuals make up a community, and communities are made up of individuals. What we want to look at is when these two intersect, or perhaps when they don't. Can individuals survive without a community, and can a community survive without individuals?

Active Thinking

1. You live and interact in a number of communities ever day. Think about those communities for a moment: your community or friends, family, classmates, the local neighborhood, your state, your nation, and the larger world.

2. Think about the communities that you interact with on a regular basis. Think about how you interact with these communities, the roles you have in these communities, and what other roles you might play in the future.

Reflective Activity:

1. As an individual you bring many talents and skills to your work in communities. List at least five talents or skills that you possess that would be useful in your work in communities.

2. Make a list of the various communities you interact with on a regular basis. Describe how you interact with these communities. What roles do you have in these communities? What other roles might you play?

3. What are some of the challenges and some of the plusses to being a part of the communities that you previously listed? What do you receive from these communities? As an individual, what do you contribute or give back to those communities? What are your responsibilities and commitments as a member of these various communities?

Now, you must send in your answers:

E-mail them to pvcceap@pvmail.maricopa.edu

Fax them to 602-787-7297

Or, mail them to:
ATTN: Project Ayuda
Paradise Valley Community College
18401 N. 32nd Street KSC 151A
Phoenix, AZ 85032

Next Module

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*Special thanks to the Midwest Campus Compact Consortium for their work in putting this guide together.