I have been trying to put theory I've learned in classes into practice for the project last several weeks.
First difficulty I faced was dialogue. When I learned dialogical method (please see previous post about dialogical CD method), I also had a chance to practice dialogue with the classmates in workshops at that time. Since I did it with my classmates, it was not too difficult. Also, I experimented outside class and dialogue goes smoothly with my family, friends and somebody I know. However, in reality it is challenging to have meaningful developmental dialogue with people who I don’t know well when I talk as a community development worker. It is difficult to get to the third movement. Dialogue moves from first movement (presentation) to second movement (response), and often second movement doesn’t move or develop to third movement (response to the response) and instead go back to first… I normally don’t have problem talking to people who I don’t know well and I enjoy conversation, but fear and a lot of thinking come in when I do it for community development purpose. Practice, practice, practice!
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Monday, May 24, 2010
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Hi Hisayo
ReplyDeleteNice to read your experience to experiment CD theory. It is a tedious and time consuming process. Build relations with people. Yes, practice, practice and practice will make you perfect.
Cheers
Ashok
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI'm very interested in what you lean.
One of the my friends open exhibition. The exhibition
is very interesting. I knew them who organizer because of
introduction from my friend.
http://exhibition.bop-design.com/eng/
I deeply believe well communication between people will
makes new and good solutions for anyting
Dear Ashok
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your visit and encouragement :)
When we can build a relationship, it's wonderful feeling :) I'll continue practice as much as I can do in limited period of time!
Hisayo
Dear Kusakabe-kun
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your visit and comment :)
I looked at the website of the exhibition. It looks really interesting and so relevant for my study!!! I wish I could go but I'm still here. Have you visited already? Please let me know what you thought about it and learned there. I'll let my other friends in Tokyo know since I know they will be interested in :)
Yes, I also think good connection of people and working together can make differences!! Hope we can work together :)
Hisayo
Good to see more posts, Hisayo! Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteDear Roy
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your visit and encouragement!! Yes, I'll post more!!
I think applying a theory into practical is very hard... I found the same thing when I try to apply many theories I have learnt into pratical situations...Have a nice weekend. Emi xxx
ReplyDeleteDear Emichan
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you very much for your visit and comment :)
Yes, it is hard indeed!
As learning style, I prefer practical ways and learn more from actual experiences rather than from readings and desktop research. I've found community development (CD) theories are more practical compared to those I studies in other subjects and they are useful tool as CD is about everyday lives of people. Despite many struggles, I like CD and enjoy learning process by using these tools :)
Hisayo
Hi Hisayo,
ReplyDeleteThis issue remind me when I was Bachelor Student.
I have a Practical Course Program with my team. We make a Community Development project. Just a small thing not a big thing.
Deep survey is the most important to start a project. Make certain about kind of program sometime biased between what we expect as Student with people or community.
On that day, as a Student we must sure about program that we would implement to community. We just make three small program and we sure that program can be accomplish by all of our team. The program should make a fun amongst us.
As a Community Development Team, leadership and organize the team are other important thing. We never targeting high result but we emphasized at sustainability of program.
We communicate our three program with their language of knowledge. If majority of the community are fisherman we talk with the fisherman term and sometimes we use metaphor term related with fisherman to introduce the program.
At the end of program, we all very grateful. Because we get beyond our expectation. The Community make us into their members of community, not just the members but as a family. Until this day, we still have a text that invite us to come to their place.
That was my experience doing Community Develoment program.
"Sharing small things to other make big impact to you and others".
Dear Seno
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you very much for your visit and sharing your valuable experience :)
Wow, your program was successful and you still keep in touch with the community!! It’s great!!!!!
Among several important things you experienced and mentioned here, I especially agree with the importance of baseline survey/research, sustainability of the program/project and the language we use. Firstly, it is very important to know what COMMUNITY wants or desires to do. Without knowing this, program/project doesn’t work at all. Secondly, sustainability of the project is one of the things I’ve been worrying from the project proposal stage. Although this CD course and my degree will finish at the end of June and I’m leave here, community is here and life continues… Also I always need to be mindful of the impacts that could be positive, negative and unintentional. Lastly, CD workers need to be careful about the language as you said. Technical language makes people feel uncomfortable and distant. We need to understand the context of community and also make sure how definitions are used in that context.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and thoughts :)
Hisayo