Roles of a Social Worker in Community Development
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Educator
The social worker empowers community members with the necessary skills and abilities to solve their own problems and difficulties.
Coordinator
The social worker coordinates activities within the community and collaborates with other professionals and technicians.
Advisor/Consultant
The social worker guides community leaders and members in finding solutions to social needs and utilizing available resources.
Planner
The social worker develops plans, projects, and programs to address community deficiencies identified through diagnosis.
Mediator
The social worker acts as a mediator in conflict resolution within the group or community.
Manager
The social worker manages resources and acts as an intermediary between users and institutions.
Executor
The social worker implements programs and projects, ensuring community participation and addressing priority issues.
Classification of Groups
Primary Groups
Characterized by intimate, face-to-face interaction and cooperation. Essential for shaping an individual’s social nature and ideals. Strong sense of “us.”
Secondary Groups
Based on specific interests and functional relationships. Often formal and short-lived, dissolving when the shared interest is lost.
Open Groups
Allow flexible entry and exit of members.
Closed Groups
Resistant to change and new members. May have strict entry or exit criteria.
Homogeneous Groups
Members share common characteristics such as age, sex, or socioeconomic status.
Heterogeneous Groups
Members have diverse characteristics and backgrounds.
Organized Groups
Have a clear division of labor, defined roles, and a shared goal. Often led by a chief or counselor.
Disorganized Groups
Lack a clear division of labor and defined roles. Each member acts independently.
Formal Groups
Have established norms and regulations, often determined prior to member admission.
Informal Groups
Members act freely and independently, with less emphasis on established norms and regulations.