Base this assignment on “Dogs in Farnham Grove” given in this week’s content.
Analyze the case using the following topics as a guide.
1. Define what you see as the most important problem to be addressed in the community of Farnham Grove. Be sure this is a community problem, not an individual or family concern.
2. Give a general strategy for addressing this problem, one that would strengthen the neighborhood as described in Chapter 13. Is your approach more consistent with community development or with social action ?
3. Explore the issue further by identifying the stakeholders who might be involved in community change efforts to resolve this problem.
4. Who is in the benefit community, the action community, and the target community? List these and give a brief explanation if needed.
5. List the individuals or entities whose sanction would be needed for your proposed change effort.
6. Identify several forms of community capital found in the Farnham Grove neighborhood.
7. Describe what you would do to involve citizens, organizations, officials, or groups in the change effort you propose. What role would some of these have? (You might think in terms of a collaboration, such as a coalition or a network, to explore this.)
8. Describe in some detail how you would go about pursuing this strategy. Apply the concepts and principles from Chapters 1 through 12 to fully explicate your plans – for example, you may need to draw from the chapters on using the media, tactics for change, fundraising, or organizing, (or others) depending on your approach. You should utilize at least four major concepts or techniques from the chapters previously studied.
Your paper should be about three pages in length, double-spaced in 12 point font with 1-inch margins. It will be scored using the following criteria and points:
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Dogs in Farnham Grove (Case Study for Unit 4 Written Assignment)
Farnham Grove Neighborhood is an older, largely residential neighborhood tucked within a
major city in the Midwestern United States. Originally settled by immigrants from Eastern
Europe who came to work in the city’s factories, it has become an area of urban blight and
limited economic activity. Only a few small businesses are left, among them some taverns, a
small grocery, and Bill’s Car Repair. A small branch of the city library is still open although its
continued funding is questioned each time the library board faces a budget shortfall. Three
church congregations continue to meet and one is particularly active in community affairs. The
housing stock could be charitably described as “older.” The school closed ten years ago;
children ride a bus to another part of the city to attend school. Unemployment and crime are
both somewhat higher here than in the rest of the city. The population is a mix of senior
residents, many of whom have lived in Farnham Grove all their lives, families, and young,
mostly unemployed single people who have grown up in the area.
The residents of Farnham Grove are concerned about dogs running loose in the neighborhood.
A survey completed last year by the local church found that this was the most frequently noted
complaint of community residents. People said they avoided walking in the neighborhood and
letting their children play outside because they feared the animals. There is no local law that
requires dog owners to keep their pets on their own property. The problem has gone on for
several years, and while people complain about it no one has yet taken action.
Yesterday, a young child was badly bitten by one of these dogs. The story made this morning’s
news:
Three-year-old Tucker Smith was taken to City Memorial Hospital
yesterday after being attacked by one of several stray dogs in Farnham
Grove on the city’s Westside. Witnesses to the attack said that the child
was in an alley, and had been playing unsupervised for some time when
one of the dogs suddenly started biting him on the arm. Neighborhood
residents complained to LifeWitness News that stray dogs, some of which
appear to be feral, run through the neighborhood. Some were frustrated
by the fact that they could not shoot dogs that came onto their property
because of laws prohibiting the firing of weapons in the city. Others were
upset that there is no animal shelter, and told our reporters that police
had not been responsive to their calls about loose dogs. Tucker
underwent surgery last night and will have a long road ahead to fully
regain the use his arm. Anyone wishing to make donations to help the
family cover expenses may send their contribution to the station in care
of “Tucker Smith Medical Fund.”
You work at Farnham Grove Community Center, housed in the former school building. The
Center provides a range of services aimed at helping meet some of the community’s most
obvious needs: a food and clothing pantry, a GED study room, and a program called Parent’s
Time to help young parents who are at risk of child abuse or neglect learn to care for and
supervise their children. The local Alcoholics Anonymous group meets in the building daily.
The Community Mental Health Center uses the building as a satellite location to offer daytime
groups for community residents with severe and chronic mental disorders. Another room is
open to senior citizens to socialize during the day.
Your supervisor calls a case conference to discuss what happened yesterday. Tucker’s mother,
Jasmine, is a client of Parent’s Time. Jasmine is on the caseload of one of your colleagues,
Jennifer, and has been reported to Child Protection Services in the past because of inadequate
supervision of her four children. Jasmine is a single parent and it has been very challenging to
help her learn how to monitor her children’s activities and give them adequate supervision.
Jennifer’s caseload has been growing, and now has seventeen families. You have fifteen and
you are aware that you sometimes have to cut short your home visits, and that you don’t
always have time to make phone calls, search for resources for your clients, and other activities
that would be part of optimal service. Yet, the program gets many referrals and it is hard to
turn away families that clearly need guidance and assistance. The agency director has applied
for two grants to hire a third caseworker but neither grant has been awarded.
As you sit in the case conference, you begin to wonder how your agency should respond to the
problem. What is the real problem? Parents who don’t properly supervise their children? People
who have dogs and let them run loose? Too many dogs, and not enough affordable spaying or
neutering? The lack of police response, or of animal control resources? The laws? Apathy?
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