Discuss how you would use Erlich and Rivera's levels of community contact in developing resources for a diverse group

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Rivera and Erlich (1998), in analyzing models of community development or organizing, challenge the assumption that prevailing models (i.e., locality development, social planning, and social action) are colorblind and therefore applicable in any community. They conclude that there are additional factors to be considered in working with communities of color:
Racial, ethnic, and cultural aspects of the community
Implications of this uniqueness in particular communities
The empowerment process and the development of a critical consciousness
Rivera and Erlich's work is intended to guide our thinking in planning and organizing and, in fact, represents a significant contribution to organizing strategies. Heretofore, methods had an implicit assumption that good intentions sufficed in community interventions and that, unlike direct practice, considerations of race, ethnicity, and culture in this work were secondary. The three levels of contact for entry into communities, as conceptualized by Rivera and Erlich (1998), facilitate a greater understanding of work with diverse groups and of the roles beyond those traditionally considered in social work.

Primary: Requires that an individual have the same racial, cultural, and linguistic background as the community. The community is open to and respects this individual.

Secondary: The individual need not be a member of the same racial, ethnic, or cultural group but should be closely aligned and sensitive to community needs. He or she may serve as a liaison to the broader community and facilitate contact with institutions outside the community.

Tertiary: The individual is an "outsider" yet shares the community's concerns. The practitioner's skills and access to power-rather than his or her ethnic, racial, or cultural identity-are valued assets.