I think that asset-based community developing (ABCD) is a great concept and a great place
to start building a community. The residents of the community are the people best suited to
help develop the community in which they reside since they live there and know the
community needs. I think that it is not impossible to use the ABCD approach in poor
neighborhoods, but it will be a challenge and begins with hope. Poor communities face
many challenges such as gang violence, poor schools, lack of access to groceries that
provide healthy food choices, lack of transportation among other things. Therefore,
community building in these neighborhoods is a great idea but there will need to address
multiple issues for continues sustainability. According to Gibson et al. (1997, job training
programs may not be productive if the trainees cannot get to the job due to lack of
transport, or lack of childcare or due to illness from lack of access to healthcare. The
ultimate goal of community building should be “to obliterate feelings of dependency and to
replace them with attitudes of self-reliance, self-confidence, and responsibility” (Gibson et
al. 1997). Labelling community members by their disability rather than by what they can
contribute to the community is a challenge to community building. McKnight (n.d.)
mentioned that labels such as mentally challenged or disabled or slow may even provoke
those people to withdraw and not participate even though they may have lots to contribute
to the process. Another challenge of community building is the feeling of merely being an
occupant of a building, not really know your neighbors and not being involved in the
community.
Wonderful things about ABCD approach is the aspect of tapping into each person’s hidden
potential and bringing it together to strengthen the community, such as college kids home
for the summer that will teach the neighborhood kids to swim or play soccer. I personally
have used the app called “nextdoor” which connects residents to their neighbors and
surrounding neighborhoods based on your zip code. This app allows shy people to interact
and virtually get to know their neighbors and keep up with things in the neighborhood.
The ring doorbell system comes complete with an app that neighbors can keep the
community updated on neighborhood events caught on camera.
Depending on the neighborhood, each will have challenges but bringing the community
together is possible.
References
Gibson, J. O., Kingsley, G. T., & McNeely, J. B. (1997, May 01). Community Building:
Coming of Age.
Response
Adopting the ABCD approach is undoubtedly a fundamental concept that fosters community
growth by epitomizing the assets among the people and those that spread across other resources.
Akin to Lima’s point of view, most underserved communities are characterized by adversities
that include poverty, high rates of crime, inadequate access to quality healthcare, education,
transportation, and nutritional amenities, among others. As a result, adopting the ABCD
approach would significantly contribute to identifying the areas that should be improved, and
individuals who would facilitate such accomplishments (Agdal, Midtgård, & Meidell, 2019).
Nonetheless, the effectiveness of the ABCD approach in mobilizing the community
members to embrace the proposed developmental strategies is associated with benefits such as
the realization of the individuals’ unique talents and capabilities. The skills and abilities of the
community members would subsequently be applied to realizing the desired goals. Lima’s
instance plays an integral role in exemplifying how community members can come together
towards the intensification of the security in their neighborhood. However, the effectiveness of
the ABCD approach may be threatened by the conflicts likely to emerge due to the differences in
people’s ambitions, desires, and preferences. Similarly, a significant threat to the sustainability of
the milestones brought forth by the ABCD approach entails overreliance on external support and
RESPONSE TO LIMA REDHEAD 3
the reluctance of the members, especially when faced with an obstacle (Agdal, Midtgård, &
Meidell, 2019).
References
Agdal, R., Midtgård, I. H., & Meidell, V. (2019). Can asset-based community development with
children and youth enhance the level of participation in health promotion projects? A
qualitative meta-synthesis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health, 16(19),