Analyzing Individual Participation in Societal Developmental Programs

This essay delves into the critical role of individual participation in societal developmental programs, examining the reasons behind people's engagement or disinclination to participate in community initiatives. It explores various factors, such as lack of knowledge, confidence, fear of judgment, and perceived lack of contribution, that hinder individual involvement. The essay further analyzes the role of city authorities in fostering citizen engagement, discussing potential barriers like religious differences, economic disparities, and political exclusion. It suggests practical strategies for city authorities to encourage participation, including redesigning public spaces, organizing community events, and implementing neighborhood programs. The essay also touches upon the positive experiences and benefits of active participation, using the Green project as an example. The essay emphasizes the importance of individual contributions in driving societal change and building a sense of belonging.

Running head: PARTICIPTION OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL
PROGRAMS OF THE SOCIETY
Social engagement generally means an individual’s involvement in the society and
community (Johnston 2018). It has been defined by Avison as “the extent to which an individual
participates in a broad range of social roles and relationships.” Participating in events that seem
to affect the lives and interacting with other people in a seemingly friendly, positive environment
seems to enhance the wellbeing of an individual. A feeling of belonging is a significant
psychological need of an individual and its involvement and engagement in such issues even
help in bringing balance in the lives of the people. Participating in events that affect the lives of
the individual also helps in building social networks. This essay will be shedding light upon the
reasons why individuals do not intend to participate in the social events, the reason why the city
authorities do not engage the individuals in the events that affect them, the factors which the
authorities of the city can consider to engage the citizens into the events that significantly affect
them and also on the feelings or experiences that were being cherished on being an active
participant in the Green project. Participation of even a single individual is very important as
every individual counts and it brings about a change globally. The paper aims to understand the
importance of participation or involvement of individuals in the events that seem to be social and
that which significantly affect them.
Barack Obama rightly says here that “Change will not come if we wait for some other
person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek”
However, there are several reasons why people do not intend to participate in things, which
seems to affect their lives. One of the reasons that lie behind this is their lack of knowledge about
the group with whom they want to participate in the cause that affects them. Their lack of

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confidence or want of participation is also a major cause of their restriction towards issues that
effects them. There is a higher tendency of being trapped in a group and assuming oneself as the
victim if the cause that attracts to participate in the movement is not properly known. In such
scenarios, such people who are not sure of the purpose of the movement tends to spread
negatively around the group that follows a goal. Therefore being sure about the goal of the
group, which one tends to join, should be clearly understood. The tendency of feeling that the
other members of the group are unlike them also tends to stop the individuals from being an
active participant in the issues that affect them. In the real-life, it is only through the active
participation and interaction among all the participants in the group that they individuals will
learn to have the utopian dream of working and living with other people “just like ourselves.”
According to Palmer, “in true community, there will be enough diversity and conflict to shake
loose our need to make the world in our image.” Some people also tend to restrict themselves
from being an active participant in the group by assuming that others might intend to think
themselves to be the hypocrites. For example, one might feel like protesting for the rights of the
animal but the fear of being a vegan intends to dominate the situation. The fear of the scornful
remarks from the others also tends to restrict the people from participating in the events that tend
to influence their life drastically. Another reason why people do not participate in the issues that
tend to affect their life the most is that they believe that they do not have anything to offer is in
the group. They fail to understand that the participation of each member in the group is very
important for the betterment of society, leading to a beautiful future.
Some people do not participate in the issues that affect their lives and the society because
they feel that it will require more amount of effort from them, which will become an additional
burden to them in their busy schedule of life. One might feel they will be required to give more

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amount of time in the event than what they can manage. On the other hand, this concept is not
justified. The incident of Rosa Park in Montgomery here can be taken into account here. In the
incident, she protested for giving up her seat to the white person. Though she was arrested, her
action triggered the entire nation, which leads to the struggle movement of unification not only in
the platforms of buses but in all parts of life. The incident proved that entire devotion from the
individual is not required to be engaged in work but a certain amount of momentum initiated by
an individual that affects his or her life is enough to bring about changes in the society. The
opinion of Carol Burnett that “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me” is justified in
this context. One of the common issues that prohibit the participation of individuals into active
participation in the events that affect their life is that they hesitate to interact with new
individuals. Such individuals believe that since they do not know the other members of the group
participating in achieving the goal of the group, they are going to be in a highly awkward
situation. This perception is not true too as the groups with the goals of bringing in new changes
for the society and that affects the lives of the individuals tend to have people who are very
corporative and very welcoming. The members of such groups usually feel delighted in
welcoming new members to the group because the participation of each additional member
counts. This incident proves Alan Watts is right in his opinion that “The only way to make sense
out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
There are several reasons why the city does not intend to engage their citizens in the
issues that affect their lives the most. One of the common reason that is followed by the city
authorities for excluding the individuals from the participation of issues that affects their lives is
because of the difference of religion. Social aggression against the minorities of society is the
most probable issue that is assumed to happen when individuals from various diversities tend to

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engage themselves in activities that affect their lives. 61% of the various countries intend to
have social aggression that plans to attack the most minor religion that is being practiced.
Economics is one of the major reasons why the authorities of the city do not intend to
engage all the individuals in the issues that affect their lives. This problem is often associated
with the issue of difference in social opportunities that are being provided by the city authorities.
This unequal distribution of opportunities often leads to the segregation of others from
mainstream society. The marginalization of a certain number of groups in an economically
developed country is also an important reason why the country or the city does not involve all
the individuals in issues that seems to affect their lives. This is mostly seen in the United States
as the major part of the population intends to enjoy extensive opportunities that are social and are
connected to economics.
The city often intends to exclude individuals from participating in causes that affect them
because of political reasons. The political exclusion denies individuals the rights of citizenship.
In such cases, the city or the country authorities also denies the individuals from their freedom of
expression and also from the equality of opportunities (Brown 2018). In such cases, it can be
argued that the state which is assumed to provide the basic rights and liberties to all the
individuals, is an unbiased agency. In such cases, it can be assumed the city or the country to be
dominated by the higher classes. In such scenarios, the discrimination takes place among the
various existing groups in the countries and cities.
The actions that the city can implement for engaging the citizens can be classified into
the action done on streets, on the neighborhood, on parks, along the routes, and in community.
One of the major activities that can be implemented by the authorities of the city on the street is
that they can redesign the crosswalks. Instead of wiping away the crosswalks, permanency was

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given the coloring of the crosswalk in Seattle streets. Programs of a crosswalk were also initiated
so that the neighbors can create their streets full of colors. The city authorities can make their
pathways green through the creation of stream water gardens. Free libraries can be built in the
city. Inspiration can be derived from the movement of the Little Free Libraries, which created a
community of real-life on the streets of the city. The city authorities can plant a tree, which will
be adding more shade and sustainability. This will be making the city cleaner and greener and
create consciousness among the people to maintain cleanliness. The authorities of the city can fix
the parks of the locality. This will engage the people of the locality to come to the park to get
fresh air and even maintain cleanliness around them. The city authorities can organize a day,
which should be totally car-free. This will force the people to walk rather than having a luxury
ride. Twenty-two different cities across the world participate in the car-free day. The city
authorities must implement the laws of the traffic very seriously. This will help in preventing
accidents. The severity of the laws will engage the citizens in following the traffic rules and
avoid rash driving.
For engaging the citizens through the community for the issues that tend to affect their
lives, the authorities of the city can make programs, which includes the incorporation of all the
citizens of the city. This program can take place locality wise. This will help the neighbors in
knowing each other. Coming in the same place will provide the environment for interaction,
which was otherwise not possible among the neighbors. The authorities of the city can initiate
programs for distributing free food to the poor. This will involve many individuals in taking plan
in the program where they will understand the importance of the food and further they will waste
no food. The city authorities can initiate biking programs. It will engage the individual even in
the normal days to ride in bicycles rather than traveling in their luxury cars.

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The city authorities can engage the neighborhood by helping them to fight against the
crime. The neighborhood can make a fight against the crimes by placing streetlights on the
public spaces. The light around the city will help in preventing darkness, and the people will be
consciousness before committing any crime. The city authorities should build the benches and
the seats that were being removed from the city in fear of being stolen again. This will be
establishing an environment interaction among the neighbors of the group. Interaction and
socialization will take place among the neighbors at a higher rate through this process.
Stewart Udall opines that “Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are
plans to protect man.” Garden project is a program that helps people from poor mental health. It
was sponsored by the Endrick Trust in association with the Glasgow City council’s
neighborhoods and the sustainability team. It also includes participation in intentional
gardening. The project offered me the benefits of gardening. As Dr.Edward O. Wilson says,
“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction” the
involvement in the green project provided an environment that, according to me, was relaxing
and social. The project enabled a secured place within the park which was further developed into
a growing area for food. This gave the participants like me to experience the process of
cultivation.
Being a volunteer in the Green project enabled not only the volunteers like me to be an
active part in the social as well as in the physical activities but also enabled me to develop skills
and talents which can be used later in the workplace of the life. It enabled me to work in a team.
Co-operation and unity is a very important function of a team which is understood by me by
being a volunteer in the green project. The other volunteers or the participants who were engaged

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in the project had many varying skills and talents. The initiative was being taken by the
authorities of the project that all the volunteers learn something from one another.
Another major feeling that I have felt after participating in the green project is that it had
brought great alterations in my life. All the changes that the engagement of mine in the green
project brought are positive. It helped me in acquiring a positive attitude towards my life. The
evidence from this is that I have given up drinking alcohol after getting engaged with the project.
Engagement in the Green project also enabled me to adopt disciplines and structure in life which
was missing or else. The health of mine also developed through my participation in the green
project. The staff of the green project ensured that the people are removed from any form of
stigma. The staff of the project ensured the employment of all the volunteers or participants
engaged in the team. It enabled me to get a job too. Aristotle says that “Poverty is the parent of
revolution and crime.” The engagement of participants and volunteers in the jobs also helped in
eradicating poverty. However, all these were possible through the constant support of the
community to the project. Mary Thomson who is the project manager of the Green project,
thinks that “Community support is important to any project and we are delighted that other local
groups are providing us with practical support to establish our growing area.”
The conclusion that can be derived from this essay is that the participation of every
individual in the social issues that tend to affect the lives is very necessary. The participation of
every individual count as the change that is expected to be brought globally cannot take place
with a single individual. However, no involvement in bringing about a change in the fear that
nobody is going to support the cause should also be avoided. A momentum to bring about a
change should be initiated. There are many issues like political and issues for which the city
authorities cannot involve the individuals in social activities. However, to bring about changes,

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the city authorities can take the necessary actions and involve the individuals to bring about the
necessary changes globally. The initiative from the individual as well as from the authorities of
the city must be initiated to bring about a change in the issues that seems to affect them.

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References
Johnston, K.A., 2018. Toward a theory of social engagement. The handbook of communication
engagement, 1, pp.19-32.
Brown, A.R., 2018. Political languages of race and the politics of exclusion. Routledge.