Assignment on Reflective PDF

Running head: REFLECTIVE ASSIGNMENT
Reflective Assignment
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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REFLECTIVE ASSIGNMENT
Introduction
It is necessary for community workers to reflect on their practices so that they can
review their decision making procedures and the decisions they have taken. Community
workers should also have the confidence to question their practices and their learning process
along with the prevailing power structures that reside in the bigger society ((Rakodi 2014).
The developmental activities of any community range from little initiatives in a small group
to bigger initiatives which include more members and also the broader community. This
paper will include my reflection on different topics such as C.D Youth Work, The idea of Big
Society, Theoretical approaches in community work: the relevance of Gramsci and Alinsky,
Theoretical approaches in community work: the relevance of Freire, Waste Land review
following Gibbs reflective cycle. There are six stages in the cycle: description, feelings,
evaluation, analysis, and conclusion and action plan. This paper will reflect on five chosen
topics and will reflect my experience in those cases based on these six stages.
C.D Youth Work
Youth service play a major role in making a positive contribution for the communities
through their continuous involvement in making important decisions and shaping the local
services, reducing any kind of anti-social behaviour and volunteering (Fuentes-Bautista
2014).
Description: Recently I have taken part in a community service for teaching English to
migrant children that made me feel really good as I believe that I have been able to help a
group of people. I have been quite competent with English language, however the locality I
reside in; there are numbers of migrant children who cannot speak English that good as it is
not their mother tongue. The native language of these children is Zulu and they shifted to UK

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a while back from South Africa. Therefore, I had taken two classes a week with those
children to help them with English language.
Feelings: I felt quite excited and also motivated while taking part in this activity. After a few
sessions when I saw my students are improving, it felt really satisfying.
Evaluation: Taking part in such activities has also been beneficial for my personal
development as I will develop knowledge and will be able to identify my weakness and
strength and I could develop my capabilities as a teacher for my future career as well.
Analysis: This teaching activity has motivated me and boosted my confidence level.
However, during some sessions I felt that I am not being able to keep my motivation level as
I had to repeat the same thing again and again for some students. This process made me more
patient and more tolerant. Every day at the beginning of these sessions, I used to feel
motivated, but sometimes the motivational levels dropped as well.
Conclusion and action plan: After these sessions, I have realized that I could improve some
of these learning sessions by incorporating more audio-visual activities and the students
would have been more involved. From now on, I will design these sessions with additional
video and audio files, such as explaining basic concepts of mathematics or history with more
graphic designs. I will also try to give a PowerPoint presentation in class before starting any
new topic, so that students develop interest from the beginning. I will ensure these in my next
community service.
Plan By whom Activity
Improving learning sessions Me Enhancing audio visual
activities
Incorporating more video and Me Designing the session with

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audio files in the session to
improve the quality of the
learning
learning materials
Providing PPT before
initiating a project or
learning session
Me To give a thorough idea
before initiating a new
learning topic
The idea of Big Society
Description: The concept of Big Society was launched officially by David Cameron in the
year 2010; however the notion has been getting discussed from the middle of 2009. It is an
agenda for shifting the power to people from the politicians (Findlay-King et al. 2018). In
order to do community development work, I have taken part into a charity auction and
volunteered to help in the event. The event was raising money for helping a centre for abused
children and women. We went to the local market, malls and different households to give
pamphlets about the auction and its agenda.
Feelings: I felt quite motivated while taking part in these activities. The auction was
happening for a good cause and it kept me energised to contribute more hours for it. Taking
part in this event has made me realize that as a community we can actually do much better if
we all work together. We do not have to wait for the government to provide fund for charity
work, rather we can do that on our own through this auction, this will be a major shift in

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power as the general community is contributing for its own good. In this way, we can make
our community and also the bigger society a much better place.
Evaluation: The interactions with the locals have been a really good experience as some of
them had given us innovative ideas like crowd funding, advocacy campaign for raising more
money through the auction for the centre for abused children and women. From this charity
auction we raised €1000 which was sent to the centre in London.
Analysis: However, sometimes it was really difficult for us to contact each and everyone and
gather them at one place for necessary work on a regular basis. This seemed to have worked
as a negative catalyst for my motivational level.
Conclusion and Action plan: After the auction event was over, I have realized that it is
necessary to make a concrete plan before we start working on such events. In that way we can
stick to the original plan and can make an outline of the entire event beforehand. This can be
helpful in keeping the entire system at one place and no one becomes de-motivated during the
event. Therefore, before any such events I will ensure making a plan with proper timeline. In
that way it will be easier for us to do good deeds for the community so that we do not have to
wait for the government funds. From the next community fundraising I take part, I will
ensure that the action plan is applied properly.
Plan By whom Activity
Motivating the concerned
person
Me Making a draft of the outline
of the entire project
Maintaining a timeline of the
project
Me To avoid confusion and to
get government funding

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Theoretical approaches in community work: the relevance of Gramsci and Alinsky
Description: There are quite a few theoretical approaches for the community work.
Approaches of Alinsky and Gramsci are two major such approaches. Both these philosophers
have talks about making change within the society and the bigger community with more
movements (Anheier 2014). Gramsci’s powerful notion of hegemony has influenced several
social movements in the 50’s and 60’s which exhibited a yearlong social liberation struggle
of the oppressed against the conventional colonial domination. It initially started with the
groups including black people and women and later the disable and the LGBT community
challenged the conventional notions that pointed them out as the inferior group. While
discussing teaching and learning, Gramsci has stated that the relationship between a student
and the teacher is always reciprocal and active therefore every teacher is a student and every
student or teacher. They are focused on the education and bringing change with adequate
education and a well integrated through such education (Sue, Rasheed and Rasheed 2015).
Alinsky’s work is mostly related with the societal actions that associate the role of the
community organizers and their behaviour with the people who have been living their lives
determined by the powerful class in the society. Recently we, few young people from our
neighbourhood have organised a reading hour for local children coming from lower income
group at the community library twice a week. While conducting this reading hour we have
planned for few activities for the children so that they can learn various new concepts and
reshape their worldviews, as it will help them to challenge the conventional and fight their
way out from the racist ideas in the society.
Feelings: I was very excited while designing the entire event and it has helped me to give
varied experiences which were really beneficial for my own development as well. During the

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arrangement and managing the event I have experienced and learnt skills for managing,
learning and progressing at the same time.
Evaluation: Interactions with the children have also helped us to learn more, as I had to read
a lot for answering their questions. We were not only teachers but also wanted to learn from
them, so we also organised discussion session where both the teacher and students exchange
their views.
Analysis: This has been really helpful for me. However while managing any such event,
there may be some obstacles but we had to keep our patience and our motivational level high.
However as an individual I think that both the teachers and students need to develop the
confidence level so that they don't get de-motivated easily and try to learn from mistakes.
Conclusion and Action plan: For increasing their confidence level we may need to be more
organised and need more clarity in the sessions designed for students. In that case we will be
able to stop students from dropping out from the reading sessions while they feel de-
motivated. Students will be provided with motivational sessions from now on. We will also
provide learning sessions with more visual effects. If possible we can also ask a senior
member of the society to come and share views and how he/she has overcome the potential
obstructions to be successful in life. This will help the children to understand how individuals
can fight off all the struggles and be successful in life by challenging the conventional ideas.
We are planning another reading session for these children; therefore I will apply this plan
there.
Plan By whom Activity

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Incorporating video and
audio files in the learning
process
Me To avoid any kinds of
challenges and confusions
Theoretical approaches in community work: the relevance of Freire
Description: Paulo Freire is a popular educator from Brazil who talked about Social justice
equality collective actions learning and working together (O'Cadiz 2018). Freire’s idea of
community development indicates that the concept of education is always political; it may be
liberating. However Freire proposes that education system should not follow the traditional
idea of considering students to be the receptor whereas the teacher’s responsibility is only to
give knowledge; rather he states that education should practice liberation for both the parties.
By following this idea, I had taken part in a design thinking class which will help students to
develop an approach for finding creative strategies while designing along with resolving
issues other than their professional field. The design thinking classes help individuals to
develop an innovative approach in business with theoretical and practical classes. I had taken
the course for learning online web designing.
Feelings: Initially I was quite motivated and excited as I felt that I will be able to gain
expertise in designing and learn new strategies. This was the first class I had taken in
designing as I did not have any professional experience in the field. I had learnt few things
from the YouTube videos prior to that and I believed that this course will help me to shape
my professional qualification in a much refined way by adding a new credibility in my
resume.

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Evaluation: The interactions with the teachers are really good experience as they have
interacted with us on regular basis and asked questions on our individual achievements of the
day and helped us to get better in business operations.
Analysis: However as in some classes I was not comfortable as I was not being able to apply
the design thinking approach in the work. I was de-motivated however the teachers have
talked me through it and helped me to learn and improve.
Conclusion and Action plan: However I think as an individual I need to develop my
motivational levels so that I can stick to a learning experience and carry out particular tasks in
future. Therefore I will require taking a professional design thinking course that can develop
my abilities as a designer and help me build a career in this field. Freire gave the concept of
liberating from the conventional ideas of education; therefore I believe that this course will
help to bring innovation in my business approach. While working in the professional field I
will make sure that I bring innovative solutions with the help of this course.
Plan By whom Activity
Developing my ability as a
designer
Me Taking professional decision
taking courses
Waste Land – review
Description: Waster Land is an Oscar nominated documentary regarding the art of searching
which has raised some ethical questions. While throwing away dumps and rubbishes, we, the
urban population, tend to think that they vanishes magically, however these all goes to

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different sites like the biggest dump in the world in Rio De Jenerio which is foul smelling,
undulating landscape and it is home for more than three thousand people.
Feelings: All of them work the whole day taking out the materials that can be recycled
commercially by different companies all over the world. The uneaten food is consumed by
them as well. Most inevitably, they also find dead bodies some times. Finding the dead babies
reminds them of their own children. The whole idea is quite frightening for me.
Evaluation: The main character, Muniz has seen to be returning to Rio De Jenerio for taking
pictures of these pickers; however he ended up focusing on their lives. This makes us feel
about the inequality in economy and the society we have built. However Tiao has cooperated
with Muniz for his work and he has invited Tiao for coming to the auction of his picture.
Analysis: There is a much bigger implication here which makes us wonder who Tiao would
feel to fly to a different country, staying in luxury and coming back to the life of a picker all
over again. This might not be possible for an individual who has experienced the lavish life
style. This movie has shown how Muniz’s collaboration with the characters has helped him to
recreate their photographs of them out of the wasteland and also signifies their despair and
dignity while they imagine their lives out of the garbage. It also offers an inspiring evidence
of the power of transformation of art and its chemistry with human spirit.
Conclusion and Action plan: This film has also raised a valid question whether Muniz is
collaborating with the pickers as a favour done to them or providing a false expectation about
life. Months after the pickers became a primary subject of the attention of international
media; the answer may be different and can vary for each individual. Overall this film has
brought sufficient good for the rough corner of the globe. I would like to read more about
these people, therefore I am planning to search on internet or go to the library for more
information. I have already planned a reading session in the library in the coming month.

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Plan By whom Activity
Extensive research based
on secondary source of
information
Me Reading session in library
or on internet
Conclusion
This paper includes a clear demonstration of five different topics followed by deep
engagement with my own experiences and feelings towards these topics. I have reflected on
my own experiences for understanding these topics and it has changes my perceptions in
some situations as well. The topic reviews have helped me to learn through my experiences
which can be favourable for my future life.

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References:
Anheier, H.K., 2014. Nonprofit organizations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge.
Findlay-King, L., Nichols, G., Forbes, D. and Macfadyen, G., 2018. Localism and the Big
Society: the asset transfer of leisure centres and libraries–fighting closures or empowering
communities?. Leisure Studies, 37(2), pp.158-170.
Fuentes-Bautista, M., 2014. Rethinking localism in the broadband era: A participatory
community development approach. Government Information Quarterly, 31(1), pp.65-77.
Gilchrist, A. and Taylor, M., 2016. The Short Guide to Community Development 2e. Policy
Press.
Green, G.P. and Haines, A., 2015. Asset building & community development. Sage
publications.
Ife, J., 2017. Analysing community work: theory and practice second edition.
Lee, J.A. and Hudson, R.E., 2017. Empowerment Approach to Social Work
Treatment. Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches, p.142.
O'Cadiz, P., 2018. Education and democracy: Paulo Freire, social movements, and
educational reform in São Paulo. Routledge..
Rakodi, C., 2014. Urban livelihoods: A people-centred approach to reducing poverty.
Routledge.
Sue, D.W., Rasheed, M.N. and Rasheed, J.M., 2015. Multicultural social work practice: A
competency-based approach to diversity and social justice. John Wiley & Sons.