Module 1: Community Engagement Proposal
Explore different topics/issues that are important to you Identify different local organizations that work with the community and relate to your interests Recognize personal interests and biases (p.).
This module is all about writing a proposal, a proposal where you propose to engage in a study, or research, in your community. Here, community means where you think you belong in terms of your language, race, class, gender, dis/ability, religion, profession, ancestry, education, majors, etc. Since you belong to your community, you have an insider’s perspective to investigate an issue or problem—the problem that really matters to you: “identify a problem connected with the community that you wish to study. (p.). The purpose of this community engagement or your research is to bring some positive changes in your community: “Since writing is part of most communication, you may advocate in a number of different ways to make your communities and your own life better” (p.). Hence, you can advocate any social change that matters to you as a community member. Similarly, instead of going into your community, you can also work with an agency or a community organization. Nevertheless, while doing a study within your community or a community organization, you are advised to be aware or critical of your biases though, as we discussed in module 1, we cannot escape our positionality: “Once you have an idea of what organizations you would like to partner with, you will want to reflect on your own positionality as a researcher. You may remember reading about subject position and talking about subjectivity during RWS 1301” (p.). When you conduct a study, you have the opportunity to explore a social issue that matters to you, and the community benefits from your research, creating a win-win context. Thus, UTEP FYCH tells: “An important concept to consider as you think of yourself as a community researcher is the concept of reciprocity” (p.). Finally, when writing a proposal, various formats are available, and it is always a good idea to follow the instructions provided by your instructors.
Ancestry
Language
Race
Class
Gender
Health
Dis/Abilities
Religion
Job
Nationality
Food
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To understand more about what community means, click the link below:
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/what_is_community_anyway