Když se řekne komunitní práce

Community work is closely linked with social work, which has a rich history in the Czech society. Over last decade, the contemporary social work at the local level – in the community – has undergone extending models, practical approaches and techniques of community work that are useful for solving local problems. Publication responds to the needs of social workers, who often do not perform community work as their main specialization, but use elements of community work for effective action in various organizations and institutions. The text can also be utilized by civil servants, especially at the local level.
The publication summarizes the main principles and models of community work, follows the development of community work from the late 19th century, the specifics of the Czech Lands and mentions phases of community work in the 20th century. It offers insight into the importance of community work in post-modern society, which is the main theme in works of prominent authors. The main attention is paid to contemporary approaches and practices of community work, which is modeled under the influence of other disciplines: in addition to social work, for which the community is one of the main target groups, the contemporary community work intertwined influences and perspectives of disciplines such as sociology (social cohesion, marginalization as social consequences of globalization, individualization, etc.), public policy (creation of local policies, networks of local institutions, citizen participation in public affairs), (employment, the local economy versus local effects of a globalized economy), urbanism (availability and nature of public spaces ), environmental science (effects of economic development on the area, preserving the genius loci), social anthropology (ethnic minorities, cultural differences of the population). The publication highlights the close link of community work with the areas of community development, which significantly contributes to the quality of life: community education, community planning and encouraging participation in public life, creating social capital of communities. The publication also includes a chapter dealing with the specifics of community-oriented research, which in addition to the group of recognized qualitative and quantitative techniques allows the use of other techniques. In the end, there are questions related to trends of community work in the contemporary society, and are considered options that enhance the quality of life in the localities. The publication gives examples of good practice from the Czech Republic and abroad.