Community Development - Assignment Sample

Community
Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Question 1:.......................................................................................................................................1
Characteristics of community.................................................................................................1
Question 2:.......................................................................................................................................3
Different groupings within community and type of power dynamics evident.......................3
Question 3:.......................................................................................................................................5
Reflection...............................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
.........................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Community development refers to a process where a group of people who are having a
shared identity, are participated in a activity for responding and resolving a specific issue (Morris
and et. al., 2015). The present assignment is going to describe the key characteristic of one of a
community group i.e. a gay community, who were facing the most serious problems in early
1980s period which is AIDS / HIV. It is based on the research carried out on Australian response
to 80s epidemic where 1000 of community members especially gays had died due to syndrome
of this virus and millions were get infected by the same. The second community on which
present assignment if focused on are IV Drug users and the Prostitutes, who were at high risk of
getting HIV virus within bars. To overcome from this issue, steps taken by Government and
Community members for Community Development are highlighted in given report.
Question 1:
Characteristics of community
According to the Minkler (2012), “Community can be defined as a group of people who
share common belief, interests experience and some particular characteristics”. In traditional
terms, community has been defined as a group of people having common interest, belongs to
same racism or living together in a particular place (Paisley and Reid, 2013). But in modern
terms, community is described as a group where individuals feel belong together and care about
each other. It includes a feeling of fellowship which result in sharing of common attitudes and
interests (Crameri and et. al., 2015). In present video, the entire focus is given on Gay
Community, IV Drug users and Prostitutes. The gay community describes male group who
are romantically, emotionally or sexually attracted to men. Instead of homosexual, this group like
to know as belong to gay community that gives them a proper identity (Minkler, 2012). The
video entails the Australian response to 80's epidemic where, first time a disease is diagnosed by
Taylor Square Clinic of Australia, that was at initial stage known by 'uncommon cancer
diagnosed in homosexual men'.
The gay community is a heterogeneous one including many subgroups and subcultures,
where one of the commonalities is being the desire to have sex encounters with same gender
(McHenry-Sorber and Schafft, 2015). It usually denoted the man having interest in sex with man
only.
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The video has also depicted that during 1980s, in bars of Sydney and other countries of
Australia, to give entertainment and enjoyment of customers, bar owners provide them a number
of prostitutes for sexual satisfaction (Callander, Newman and Holt, 2015). Due to major issue
found at that time was related with HIV virus which spread through sexual transformation, so,
prostitutes community were at major risk of spreading the same virus.
The other community whom the given video is talking about was IV Drug users, where
drug is ingested, smoked, injected or smoked. During that period, bars were also accused to
provide drugs to users and make them addicted (Crameri and et. al., 2015). Here, injected drugs
are liquids which put into body of users through needle and syringe. As infected needle causes a
healthy person infectious therefore, such users were also at high risk of HIV spreading virus.
Therefore, this community i.e. drug users were also accused as a virus promoter (Morris and et.
al., 2015).
According to Neal Belwet (Federal Minister of Health), the core attractions which form
the basis particularly for adult sexual orientation in gay community, is typically emerged
between the age of middle childhood and early adolescence of an individual. It defines the
patterns of romantic, sexual and emotional attraction that may arise at early adolescent age
without any prior sexual experience (Callander, Newman and Holt, 2015). In order to satisfy
own wants gay community even doesn't know in clear manner before actually pursue the
relationship with same genders for a long time. These people engage in sexual activity either
with same-sex or other sex-partners before understanding a clear want to their sexual orientation
(Chrisopoulos, Harford and Ellershaw, 2016). The American Psychological Association called
psychologists in order to deal with the mental illness associated with bisexual, gay and lesbian
orientations. Discipline of psychology is related with wellbeing of individuals and is also
concerned with the threats to that wellbeing.
As per the professional and scientific undertaking, basic attractions that from the adult
sexual orientation and this mainly take place between middle childhood and early teenage years.
Patterns of sexual, romantic and emotional attraction arise even without a sexual experience.
Some individuals engage in sexual activity before assign a label to their orientation on this
(Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality. 2019). Discrimination is one of the main issue that make
it difficult for individuals to accept their sexual orientation identities and this is one of the main
reason why claiming a bisexual, gay or lesbian is a slow process (Gibson and Connell, 2016).
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Scientists failed to identify the main reasons why an individual develop a bisexual, lesbian or gay
orientation. So many research has studied that possible hormonal, cultural and social influences
on sexual orientation. No such findings have emerged that sexual orientation is determined by
specific factors. So many people think that nurture and nature both play complex roles and most
individual’s experience little or no choice about their sexual orientation.
In the given video, it has been described that in 80s, people were much attracted to get
entertainment in bars, where sexual activities, drug in-take, alcoholic kinds of activities are the
attractive part. So, this would influence people towards sex addiction, drug addiction and more.
This would result in emerging an epidemic disease where more than 400 males (gays) in 1984
were found as infected with HIV positive (Gibson and Connell, 2016). After this issue, gays
were accused to be the donor of this incurable disease. Therefore, they start to run campaign
against them to ban homosexuality and provide no further support for survival for this
community. They do not support gay lesbian and bisexual or sex orientation.
Question 2:
Different groupings within community and type of power dynamics evident
As per given video, which is based on Australia's response towards epidemics of 80s,
interventions taken by government and health promoters are highlighted on a major issue
(Chrisopoulos, Harford and Ellershaw, 2016). Here, entire concept defines by centring the Gay
Community (Empowerment as a tool for a healthy resettlement: a case of new African settlers in
South Australia, 2019). Here, along with gays, communities of prostitutes and IV drug users
during 1980s were at high risk of HIV or AIDS virus (Morris and et. al., 2015).
Prostitutes can be described as a female who is involved in sexual activities for payment.
However, the easy availability of prostitutes is responsible for increasing sexual activities in bars
around 1980s were at major risks of getting as well as spreading HIV/AIDS virus by sexual
transformation (Morris and et. al., 2015). The prostitutes also get infected by HIV as they comes
in sexual contact of infected person.
Drug users involves individual who are drug abusers and get injections of drugs for their
comfort level as they are addicted towards the same (Crameri and et. al., 2015). The utilisation of
same syringes will spread AIDS among healthy people. In Bars, major activities related to sex
are done just because of addiction of drugs, which are easily available there, for enjoyment of
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customers. Gay describes the male group whose enduring physical, romantic, sexual and
emotional attractions with people of same sex (Callander, Newman and Holt, 2015).
As per the video, it has been evaluated that in 80s first time a disease syndrome was
found in people belong to gay community especially men (McHenry-Sorber and Schafft, 2015).
This epidemic has spread from New York to Sydney due to drug addiction and sexual activities
that were mostly happened in bars. Therefore, these places were then termed as AIDS bars where
according to Brisbane Doctor, it has been analysed that “Gay psychopath is spreading more
virus” and that's why this community was accused of spreading this epidemic virus in others
(Minkler, M. ed., 2012). Through research by Ron Penny (Head of Immunology, St. Vincent's
Hospital), it has been evaluated that HIV / AIDS virus do not transmit by saliva while kissing
and wanking each other, it is only spread by unsafe sexual activities (Gibson and Connell, 2016).
Therefore, to stop this war of AIDS, Australian Government with support of American
Homosexual Bill, has passed a bill where people are advised to wear condoms during save in
order to prevent from this virus. Under this period, may campaigns had raised such as 'Hunt for
1000 bottles of AIDS blood”, “Fighting for AIDS” and more (Chrisopoulos, Harford and
Ellershaw, 2016). Along with this, government has also refused to take blood of any donor who
is – homosexual or bisexual, intravenus drug user, sexual partners of above two cases, in order to
reduce the transmission of this disease from infected to healthy person. All these interventions
were helped in community development and prevent all communities viz. Prostitutes, gays and
IV drug users to prevent from highly spreading incurable risk of HIV virus (Baum, 2016). Here,
to prevent prostitutes people from being addicted from drugs and alcoholic consumptions,
Australian Government has made laws to stop delivery of heroine and drugs at bars, if any bar
were found to serve such products then high penalties were charged (Paisley and Reid, 2013).
Along with this, prostitutes and gays were advised to wear condoms during sex so that they can
protect themselves and their partners too from highly spread diseases. Furthermore, homosexual
bill was improved to protect gay.
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Question 3:
Reflection
From the given video, I have been analysed that due to increase in sexual activities in
night bards of America and Australia, the health problem of HIV/AIDS take place in affected
community. I have observed that the sexual activities are very common in 1980s in night bars
among people. It includes the fact that easy availability of prostitutes and gays in these bras is
responsible for increasing sexual activities there which become critical in context of generating
HIV in individuals. However, it is also determined that such activities facilitate spread of this
infection in one people to another hence, HIV/AIDS become more crucial health problem in
community which is required to be prevent for improving health of citizens in both countries. I
have analysed that government of America and Australia have decided to implement strict laws
and policies regarding sex activities of gays and individuals of related community in order to
stop HIV/AIDS.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from this report each community has possess different
characteristics, that divides them in different grouping. Therefore, for development of
community and collaboration among different communities, government is required to concern
on their characteristic and given them equal rights.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Gibson, C. and Connell, J., 2016. Music festivals and regional development in Australia.
Routledge.
Chrisopoulos, S., Harford, J. E. and Ellershaw, A., 2016. Oral health and dental care in
Australia: key facts and figures 2015. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Morris, S. and et. al., 2015. Sense of belonging to specific communities and depressive
symptoms among Australian gay men. Journal of homosexuality. 62(6). pp.804-820.
Crameri, P. and et. al., 2015. It is more than sex and clothes: Culturally safe services for older
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Australasian journal on ageing.
34. pp.21-25.
Callander, D., Newman, C.E. and Holt, M., 2015. Is sexual racism really racism? Distinguishing
attitudes toward sexual racism and generic racism among gay and bisexual
men. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 44(7). pp.1991-2000.
McHenry-Sorber, E. and Schafft, K.A., 2015. ‘Make My Day, Shoot a Teacher’: tactics of
inclusion and exclusion, and the contestation of community in a rural school–
community conflict. International Journal of Inclusive Education.19(7). pp.733-747.
Minkler, M. ed., 2012. Community organizing and community building for health and welfare.
Rutgers University Press.
Paisley, F. and Reid, K. eds., 2013. Critical perspectives on colonialism: Writing the empire from
below. Routledge.
Baum, F., 2016. The new public health (No. Ed. 4). Oxford University Press.
Online
Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality. 2019. [Online] Available
Through:<https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/orientation>.
Empowerment as a tool for a healthy resettlement: a case of new African settlers in South
Australia. 2019. [Online] Available Through:
<>https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/17479891211250021.
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