Increasing Community Power
In any type of setting, there’s some sort of power hierarchy. Whether it’s a classroom or an international development, there is an inherent power dynamic.
When we focus too much on the opinions of certain people with power who may be more privileged, or when we overcenter certain voices, the power dynamics between community members become apparent.
This can create an imbalance in which certain voices are given more weight than others, and the perspectives of people with less power are marginalized. This can have a harmful impact on our communities, or even our society as a whole, as it can lead to decisions and policies that are not representative of the whole population. It is important to ensure that all voices are heard and that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the conversation.
In order to spark change, we must understand and name the different power dynamics in our communities.
International Developments
Top: Non-governmental organization (NGO)
Middle: Local leaders
Bottom: Citizens of a community
Schools
Top: School board
Middle: Superintendents, principals, and teachers
Bottom: Students and families
Non-Profits
Top: Board and funders
Middle: Org leaders and staff
Bottom: Community members
The key here is that the community members at the bottom of the pyramid, who are most affected by these hierarchies, have the deepest understanding of what’s not working in their community. Their experience is the most valuable asset to finding solutions.
The obvious solution here is to increase community power. When community members have more power, they can make decisions that reflect their values and needs.
So, how do we increase community power? There are a few frameworks on how to think about this.
The Ladder of Citizen Participation
In her groundbreaking article “A Ladder of Citizen Participation,” Sherry Arnstein discusses the different levels of citizen participation in government. Arnstein’s ladder ranges from “manipulation” to “citizen control.”
The idea is that when people at the top of the pyramid engage with citizens, community members, or people they serve, there are three ways they can do it: non-participating, tokenizing, or actually building and sharing power.
Non-participating is when people in power engage with citizens in a way that doesn’t involve them in the decision-making process. The people in power make all the decisions and tell citizens what to do. This can be harmful because it takes away community power and makes members feel like they can’t make a difference.
Tokenizing is when people in power engage with community members in a way that is superficial and doesn’t really involve them. The people in power may talk to citizens or listen to them, but don’t take their opinions into account. This can also be harmful because it doesn’t allow for real engagement or dialogue.
Actually building and sharing power means that people in power engage with community members in a way that involves them in the decision-making process. They work together to come up with solutions that meet everyone’s needs.
Community Engagement Spectrum
The Community Engagement Spectrum developed by Rosa Gonzalez, takes ideas from Arstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation and refers to the various ways in which people can be involved in their community. It ranges from marginalization, such as denying access to decision-making processes, to empowerment for impact, like fostering democratic participation and equity by placing full decision-making in the hands of the community.
The Community Engagement Spectrum is a great way to visualize how people can engage with their community. Gonzalez’s spectrum is a great way to start discussions about community engagement, and it can help people to find new ways to get involved in their community.
Our Own Solution
At ROI we reflect on these rubrics quarterly and ask ourselves what we can be doing better.
One example is our community accountability boards. We have two boards: Partnership & Delegating Power, and Designating Power.
In both cases, we bring in residents in our community who currently don’t serve on other boards, or that typically don’t have a voice in the community. We try to tap into untapped leadership. We believe that our community members hold the key to creating a resilient and socially strong community.
These frameworks and ideas are tools that can and should be revisited regularly in every community. There are many ways to increase community power, and each community will need to find the strategies that work best for them.
Community members should be involved in decision making to ensure that the decisions made reflect the needs and wants of the community. Community members can provide valuable input and feedback on issues that affect them, and their involvement can help to build consensus on decisions.
