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Chapter 5. Choosing Strategies to Promote Community Health a... >
Section 4. Social Action >
Social Action |
Tools & Checklists | Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz |
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| Checklist
Here you will find a checklist summarizing the important points of the section.
What is social action?
__ Social action is the practice of taking action – usually as part of an organized group or community – to create positive change, generally in the direction of greater equity and economic and social justice.
__ The Iron Rule of community organizing is never to do for people what they can do for themselves.
__ The Iron Rule of community organizing is never to do for people what they can do for themselves.
Examples of social action include:
__ Organized communication (letters, phone calls, e-mail) with policy makers and others in authority.
__ Encouraging media stories and reporting.
__ Putting together or backing a slate of candidates for public office.
__ Attending, as a group, a public meeting at which an issue of interest to your community is being discussed.
__ Picketing or organizing a strike.
__ A boycott.
__ A sit-in.
__ Street theater.
__ Demonstrations, rallies and marches.
Why engage in social action?
__ It empowers and energizes populations that have traditionally been powerless, or haven’t understood their potential for exercising power.
__ It unifies communities.
__ It demonstrates to the world that the community is a force to be reckoned with.
__ It may be the only thing that will move a stubborn opponent.
__ It motivates people to take other kinds of positive action.
__ It can be the beginning of a process that ends in a more unified larger community.
__ It can lead to long-term positive social change.
When should you engage in social action?
__ When negotiation and reason will get you nowhere.
__ When time is short.
__ When you want to make a dramatic statement that will focus public attention.
__ When you want to energize and empower the community, and develop community leadership.
__ When you want to catch the attention of the public – and the media – and galvanize public opinion in your favor about an issue or about your organization or community.
Who should be involved in social action?
__ Planning and implementing a social action strategy should be inclusive and participatory.
__ Involve previously existing community groups.
__ Involve individuals affected by the issue(s) at hand.
How do you engage in social action?
__ Get to know the community.
__ Identify the issues that are likely to lead the community to social action.
__ Identify and contact key individuals and community groups.
__ Recruit community members to the effort.
__ Build a communication system.
__ Encourage leadership from the community from the beginning.
__ Create a structure to help the community accomplish its goals.
__ Develop a strategic plan for social action.
__ Decide what kinds of actions will work best in your community, and what kinds of actions the community is and is not willing to take part in.
__ Develop contingency plans based on the level to which you’re willing to escalate.
__ Choose the time, place, target(s), and nature of your action based on its purpose, and on how it fits into your overall strategy.
__ Provide training and other support necessary to carry out a successful action before you engage in it.
__ Plan the action in detail, then follow your plan.
__ Organize for action.
__ Carry out the action.
__ Follow up and evaluate.
__ Finally, plan your next move based on how what you just did fits into your overall strategy.