Community and Family Studies – Preliminary Study Notes Essay Example

daily life, including employment security and health security. Social needs are fulfilled through relationships with others, such as a sense of belonging and sexual intimacy. Esteem needs encompass having high self-esteem and being acknowledged for accomplishments.

According to Maslow, self-actualisation refers to individuals' inherent desire to fulfill their true purpose in life, which brings joy and satisfaction. Wants are the things people long for. Resources encompass anything that individuals or groups can utilize to survive, accomplish tasks, or satisfy needs and wants. These resources come in various forms such as economic, non-economic, human, non-human, formal, and informal. Moreover, resources can be classified based on their nature as finite, infinite, renewable or non-renewable. Factors like age,
disability,
education,
ethnicity/culture,
gender,
geographic location,
and socioeconomic status may impact resource availability and accessibility.
Furthermore,
resources can be exchanged and sustained.
Efficient resource management involves utilizing both types of resources.

Values in life, influenced by personal beliefs, are important and provide guidance for behavior. These values shape expectations, also known as standards, which serve as a benchmark for one's actions. Goals can be categorized into short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives. Short-term goals refer to daily or weekly objectives while intermediate goals span a month or longer. Achieving long-term goals typically requires the accomplishment of short-term objectives first and may take a year or more to achieve.

Communication plays a vital role among individuals, groups, communities, and the global population. Verbal interactions involving spoken, written, or sign language along with non-verbal expressions like facial expressions, gestures, and tone contribute to communication. There are three primary styles of communication: assertive, aggressive and passive. The choice of communication style may vary depending on the situation at hand and the person being communicated with.

Effective communication

involves both sending messages clearly and successfully receiving them. Decision-making encompasses five different styles: impulsive decision-making occurs when alternatives and consequences are not adequately considered beforehand; intuitive decision-making relies on gut feelings; hesitant decision-making reflects extreme indecisiveness often leading to avoiding decisions altogether;Confident decision-making is characterized by an individual who believes in their ability to make good decisions independently through a self-assured process. Rational decision-making involves gathering pertinent information and considering all potential outcomes before deciding. Rational individuals also take into account the marginal impact to ensure emotions do not affect their choices. Decision-making is influenced by factors like resource access, past experiences, personal values, attitudes towards change, and problem complexity.

There are three management models: Planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating (POIE), Plan, do, check, act (PDCA), and Total quality management (TQM). TQM particularly focuses on process performance and its resulting products and services.

It seeks continuous improvement and will involve everyone in the quest for quality. Group belonging Environment: The environment that initially shapes our development is our home. As we mature, the locations in which we interact will shape our development.

Types of Groups: There are three types of groups… Primary / secondary Permanent / temporary Formal / informal

Characteristics of a Group Member. There are three main roles that a group member can fill, each with their own variations: task oriented, socioemotional, and destructive. Task oriented people are goal focused and will help coordinate the group in getting something done.

When working in groups, it is important to have well-organised, enthusiastic, and motivated members; however, sometimes they may overlook the emotional impact that their actions can have on other group members. Within a group, there are two types of

task-oriented members: brainstormers and experts. On the other hand, socioemotional members focus on providing support to everyone and aim to maintain harmonious interactions within the group. The socioemotional roles include the peacekeeper, who ensures calmness within the group; the encourager, who fosters group participation; the advocate, who represents others and their ideas; and the mediator, who intervenes in disputes between parties.

A disruptive member in a group causes disturbances and is solely focused on their own interests. There are two types of destructive roles: the victim, who does not actively engage with the group, and the distractor, who disrupts productivity. Norms, Conformity, and Cohesiveness: Norms serve as guidelines or standards that govern behavior and performance. It is beneficial for groups to have norms that everyone agrees upon as they provide consistency and control. Conformity involves following social norms and expectations.

The conformity of individuals to group norms is crucial for them to experience a sense of belonging. The cohesiveness of a group depends on the capacity of its members to collaborate respectfully. Leadership entails guiding a group towards a shared objective and can be either assumed or negotiated. There are six leadership styles: task-oriented, people-oriented, autocratic, collaborative/shared, laissez-faire, transformational, and cultural. Task-oriented leaders prioritize task completion while people-oriented leaders concentrate on supporting and fostering the growth of group members in order to achieve the task.

Autocratic leadership is marked by a significant level of power and a focus on tasks. It works best in situations requiring prompt decision-making, with enough available information and group members possessing limited skills or knowledge, like during a natural disaster. In contrast, collaborative/shared leadership prioritizes individuals and values input and advice

from all group members when making decisions. Lastly, laissez-faire leadership, which translates to "leave it be" in French, allows for a more hands-off approach.

This type of leader is one who provides instructions but lacks guidance on completing the task. Transformational leaders inspire by instilling faith and developing skills, while promoting group decision making. They are interactive in group activities and dedicated to outcomes. Cultural leadership considers the unique histories, values, and traditions of all group members.

An important trait of a successful leader is their capacity to adjust their leadership approaches in diverse circumstances. Several factors, such as the group's attributes (size, age, and type), the nature of the task at hand, and the complexity of decision-making, play a role in shaping these approaches. Furthermore, societal norms regarding "masculine" or "feminine" roles influence expectations for leadership based on gender. For example, women may feel compelled to excel in nurturing professions like nursing. Nevertheless, contemporary times enable individuals to select a leadership style that corresponds with their abilities and preferences.

Experience plays a vital role in effective leadership since inexperienced leaders may initially make mistakes. However, as leaders gain improved skills and confidence, they develop a better understanding of when and how to utilize various leadership styles.

When it comes to leaders, considering the group's culture is crucial as it encompasses its ideas, customs, and traditions. Implementing change within a group can be challenging; therefore, leaders should embrace the group's culture and adjust their leadership style accordingly.

Leadership and management have separate roles: Leadership involves guiding a group towards a common goal, whereas management focuses on overseeing processes and operations within the group.

Both a manager and a leader play crucial

roles in the successful functioning of a group. The manager is responsible for planning and administering activities, while the leader ensures effective operations. Their roles are interdependent and contribute to achieving group goals.

In groups, communication is crucial for facilitating interaction by exchanging messages among members. To transfer information within a group, a communication network serves as a platform or mechanism.

There are four categories of formal communication networks: wheel, chain, circle, and channel. The wheel network functions with group members sending and receiving information to and from a central "focus person". This focus person also takes on the majority of decision-making responsibilities for the group. The chain network is established when information is passed back and forth through a process similar to a "chain of command". The circle network involves group members communicating with those adjacent to them in the "circle". Lastly, the channel network operates as a collaborative approach where all group members have the freedom to communicate with each other.

There is one type of informal communication network known as the organisational grapevine. Power is the ability of a person to achieve something or accomplish a task. There are five types of power bases: legitimate, reward, coercive, referent, and expert. Legitimate power is associated with holding a specific position. Reward-based power is when someone has the ability to provide rewards, thereby promoting and motivating group performance and productivity. Coercive power is the ability to influence others to comply through persuasion, threats, or guilt.

A referent power base is established through an individual’s position or status, as others are drawn to them because of their appearance, talent, likeability, charm, or demeanor. Meanwhile, an expert power base is

built by someone who possesses exceptional knowledge, experience, skills, or training. Conflict can arise from six main causes: incompatible goals, ineffective communication, individual differences or personality clashes, varying values, multiple role expectations (which occurs when expectations are not clearly communicated to everyone involved), and limited resources. Conflict can manifest in three ways: constructive, disruptive, and destructive. Constructive conflict occurs when conflict arises and is effectively managed for the benefit of the group.

Disruptive conflict refers to conflict that is not effectively addressed, resulting in tension within the group and damaged relationships. On the other hand, destructive conflict signifies conflict that is not dealt with effectively. If conflict is not identified, managed, or ignored, it may escalate to the extent that it leads to the breakdown of the group. The resolution and management of conflict involve three processes: negotiation, mediation, and agreement. Negotiation entails discussing the conflict and working together to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement or settlement.

Mediation is a process where a neutral third party assists conflicting parties in finding common ground and coming to an agreement to resolve their conflict. The possible results of mediation can range from mutually beneficial outcomes, to situations where one party wins and the other loses, or even scenarios where both parties do not reach a favorable resolution. Conflict resolution can be approached in four ways: assertively, which employs constructive methods to address issues, as well as cooperatively, which entails democratic collaboration between the involved parties.

The passive approach involves addressing the problem in a submissive manner. It also includes the child's gross and fine motor development, which refers to their ability to control their body movements. Intellectual and cognitive development

involves the child's ability to gather and organize information about their surroundings, including the development of creativity, imagination, memory skills, language skills, and understanding of concepts. Social development occurs as a child is consistently surrounded by family from birth but by 2-4 years old they have learned necessary social skills to belong to a group outside of family structure. Emotional development begins as a child becomes self-aware.

Cultural development involves families attempting to preserve customs and values from their country of origin. Spiritual development encompasses the growth of conscience, the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong, and the corresponding actions. It also involves adopting a mindset or lifestyle that may be influenced by a higher power or personal fulfillment. Socialization refers to the acquisition of behaviors expected by society, including primary socialization (within the immediate family) and secondary socialization (outside the family).

According to the ABS, a family is defined as a group of two or more individuals living in the same household, with at least one person being 15 years or older, and who are related through blood, marriage, adoption, step or fostering. There are ten different family structures, including nuclear families which consist of a married couple with at least one child, communal families which are formed by unrelated adults and children choosing to live together as a family, blended families which are created when two families merge into one, and extended families where additional relatives reside in the same home as a nuclear family.

Same-sex Defacto refers to couples who are not legally married but have lived together for at least 12 months, establishing a legally recognized relationship. Childless Sole parent Adoptive describes three

different types of adoption: within Australia, inter-country, and with a child known to the family. Foster care involves providing a temporary family environment for children, even without a biological connection. Family Functions encompass seven essential aspects that a family must fulfill: Physical, Emotional, Social, Economic, Cultural, Moral, spiritual, and religious. The Adaptive Family Life Cycle consists of three stages: beginning stage where a relationship is formed and decisions are made, expanding stage when the couple has children and raises them at home, contracting stage when children become independent and move out, then they begin their own family life cycle. Family Adjustment and Adaption Response (FAAR) is a model that examines how families react to stressors or crises/changes. It consists of two phases: adjustment phase involving balancing the demands of the change and adaption phase dealing with long-term adjustments to the new situation.The text discusses various aspects related to the impact of change on families and communities. It examines how families adapt to strains in their lives and the resources they utilize during this process. The adaptation phase focuses on how families adjust to crises and regain a sense of normality. This phase involves two levels: restructuring, where the family recognizes the need for changes, and consolidation, where the family implements solutions and resolves the issues. Change is categorized into three areas: internal or external, planned or unplanned, and permanent or temporary. The causes of change for communities include work and employment patterns, crisis or trauma, and demographics. Communities are formed based on geographical location, common interests, and other reasons such as education, employment, or a crisis. There are four levels of communities – local, state,

national, and global – each with different roles and jurisdictions defined within the Australian constitution. Decision-making processes vary depending on individuals, their needs, and the problem at hand. The four decision-making processes are arbitration, consensus (involving negotiation and mediation), elections and voting, and a referendum.

Decision-making is influenced by three factors: legislation, the environment, and lobbying. Legislation directs individuals on what actions to take, while the environment and lobbying inform the government about community concerns, ideas, and information.

Support Networks are categorized into two types: formal and informal. Formal networks consist of external organizations and groups that provide support. On the other hand, informal networks encompass family and friends who offer unofficial assistance.

Theorists on Socialization include Urie Bronfenbrenner, who emphasizes the significance of interactions between a child and their family in human development. Eric Erikson explores the relationship between imaginative play and emotions. Jean Piaget's work focuses on the development of thinking through four stages: sensori-motor, developing operations, concrete operations, and formal operations. Christopher Green studies parenting and behavior management in children, while Maurice Balson specializes in child development and behavior management.