Sociology Assignment: Defining and Describing a Community (Fall 2024)

This assignment focuses on defining and describing a chosen community, with the student selecting the Metis community of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The assignment begins with an introduction explaining the importance of understanding communities and community assessments, citing the WHO definition of a community. The student then provides background information on the Metis community, including its history, community character, and relationship to the broader community. The assessment utilizes secondary sources and explores strategies for engaging with the community. The assignment also includes recommendations for the group, focusing on digitizing social expressions to overcome geographical constraints. The paper concludes with a summary of the community assessment process and its instrumental role in identifying community needs. The assignment follows APA style and includes references to support the analysis.

Assignment -1
Defining and Describing Communities
Student’s Name:
University:
Table of Contents
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Introduction 3
About Dakota Community 4
History 4
Community Character 5
Relationship to the community 6
Strategies 7
Credibility 7
Recommendations to the group 7
Conclusion 8
References 9
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Introduction
Every individual belongs to a community since birth, from there family to the wider parts of the
community itself such as educational institutions, churches, workplace, social community
groups, and other related groups. Humans have a tendency to like being a part of a community or
a group and to which they can contribute. WHO defines community as a group or individuals
existing in a well-defined geographic region and social structure based on their relations while
sharing cultures, principles and values hence, developing a community with time (WHO, 2004).
Furthermore, it is essential to have well-established facts and knowledge on the community one
belongs to before carrying out an assessment on the community as it supports in determining the
present state while identifying the issues that require action hence initiating the important basis
for crucial planning. Moreover, a community assessment is a type of method which is used to
identify the needs, problems, stronger suits as well as the assets within a community. It also
helps in entailing the evaluation of the growing situation, determining it or even compare the
increasing and desired problem (Bopp & Bopp, 2011, pp. 6). Moreover, it is important to explain
some background information related to the community assessment in question as it will help to
create awareness on the context through the identification of the community requirements before
the study which will help in recognizing the reason behind the requirements, their impact and
how they should be addressed at a community level (Freire, Ramos, Macedo & Shor, 2018, pp.
9). The information so obtained will help to prioritize the requirements and community wants
hence, deciding the direction of the research with respect to study constraints (Freire, Ramos,
Macedo & Shor, 2018, pp.15).
The present study will focus on the Metis community of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The sources
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of data collection include secondary sources i.e., publications based on the Dakota community
and for the same reason, the assessment will take help different methods to collect data such as
documents and records.
About Metis Community
Métis belongs to a french word referred to as mixed. The people of the Métis community initially
came from Europe and had their children which form the present community with the indigenous
people of Canada. The kids were known as the first nation people i.e., Métis. They tend to
develop their own language which is known as Michif. The language is a mixture of french and
the traditional language belonging to Ojibway as well as Cree. Several individuals of the group
hence spoke their language and English as well (Heinrichs, 2016, pp.16).
History
Their population covers the Calgary region of Alberta and is one of the well-known region in
Canada. The community has migrated from Europe and had children with the indigenous people
to form the present community. The people of the community had a belief in practicing the
spiritual beliefs as a legacy in their family and which runs down the generation. The individuals
also belong to the Catholic religion and have been practicing that from the time of their
migration. They also have French relatives or relatives belonging to the Anglican, Protestant as
well as the religion of Methodist which made them English relatives. Various community-related
settlements used to take place in the church. However, the community is still fighting for their
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rights to land in the provinces of Manitoba (Heinrichs, 2016, pp.17).
Community Character
The people belonging to Métis community in Calgary, Alberta are settled towards the routes of
the fur trade and they have their occupation there as well. The people hunted animals such as
bison, and are farmers as well as work for transporting goods. Their houses consist of log cabins
and are travelers who traveled frequently utilizing teepees as their houses. They have developed
a tradition which is the mixture of Indigenous as well as the culture of Europe, however, they are
independent of both the cultures. The present culture followed by them is famous due to its fine
beadwork, dances such as fiddling and jigging (Heinrichs, 2016, pp.16-18). Their flag consists of
an infinity symbol which is a symbol of the combination of both the cultures signifying the
culture to be forever lively. Their flag is also the oldest flag which is indigenous to the province
of Manitoba. Presently, the Métis communities carry out a celebration of Louis Riel day in the
month of February in the honor of the work carried out by Louis Riel (Calgary Aboriginal Urban
Affairs Committee (CAUAC), 2017).
Relationship to the community
Strikingly, not being a Metis people group part, i.e., an outsider there is a need to design a
methodology to improve acknowledgment and connectedness by the group. This will include
participating in their oral history through occasions held in the territory of Calgary, Alberta
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(Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC), 2017). On these occasions, one would
almost certainly encounter the language and culture of the community while additionally getting
submerged and connected in their way of life and tradition (Four Worlds Centre for Development
Learning, 2007, pp.11).
Strategies
By adopting an ethnographic strategy, it is conceivable to find and experience the legitimate
culture of the Metis community. By demonstrating a genuine enthusiasm for getting the
opportunity to comprehend and encounter their way of life the Metis community has
demonstrated that they are available to imparting their way of life to outsiders to bring issues to
light and general interest.
Credibility
In such a manner, my credibility will be controlled by the degree of truthfulness and validity
depicted in getting the chance to comprehend and encounter the community's language and
culture (Goodman, Opwora, Kabare & Molyneux, 2011, pp.13-15)
Recommendations to the group
Metis renewal has been helped out through provincial help, and group activism by the
advancement of committees and arranging of social occasions. In any case, I think that these are
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localized arrangements, in which, if the universal stature of the group is to accomplished and
fortified, it is basic to upgrade the sharing networks. In such a manner, the good approach that I
would advocate for is digitizing their various types of social articulations to eradicate the
geographical constraints of encountering such a rich culture. However, this won't just bring
issues to light, but it will also rise above the issues experienced by their ancestors, as passing the
language and culture just occurred in the family and casual channels. Along these lines, the
group can make a point of reference that can support the other restoration strategies (Goodman,
Opwora, Kabare & Molyneux, 2011, pp.9-13).
Conclusion
The evaluation of a community is instrumental in deciding the necessities a group has on the
grounds that it clarifies the key limitations a community is thinking about. While outsiders
acquaint a bunch of techniques with assistance for communities to adapt, the individuals who are
most appropriate to help the group is simply the individuals. By doing a community appraisal, it
makes it simpler and conceivable to distinguish the aptitudes, gifts, and capacities held by the
network individuals and how these purposes of strength can be utilized to build up an answer. In
that capacity, a community evaluation approaches a community with the idea that they are their
very own specialists and the standard group can just go about as the facilitator.
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References
Bopp, M., & Bopp, J. (2011). Recreating the world (3rd ed.). Calgary, Alberta
Canada: Four Worlds Press, pp. 3-7.
Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC). (2017). Indigenous Policy
Framework for The City of Calgary. Retrieved 4 September 2019, from
https://postmediacalgaryherald2.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/indigenous-
policy-framework.pdf
Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning. (2007). You Just Blink And It Can
Happen A Study Of Women’s Homelessness. Canada: Four Worlds Centre for
Development Learning, Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council, YWCA
Yellowknife, Yellowknife Women’s Society, Yukon Status of Women’s Council,
pp. 101-119.
Freire, P., Ramos, M., Macedo, D., & Shor, I. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed.
New York: Bloomsbury, pp.11-25.
Goodman, C., Opwora, A., Kabare, M., & Molyneux, S. (2011). Health facility
committees and facility management - exploring the nature and depth of their
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roles in Coast Province, Kenya. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), pp. 5-9.
doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-11-229.
Heinrichs, S. (2016). Indigenous People Of Manitoba, pp.3-6. Retrieved 2
September 2019, from
https://www.immigratemanitoba.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/indigenousgu
ide-web-version2b.pdf.
WHO. (2004). (WHO) World Health Organization (2004) A glossary of terms for
community health care and services for older persons. World Health
Organizations, Geneva. - References - Scientific Research Publishing.
Retrieved 2 September 2019, from
https://www.scirp.org/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=938116
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