Essay Sample on What Homan Is Attempting to Accomplish

Homan wants to direct action for change by helping people to make meaning out of theories, models, and concepts. Homan is recognizant of the importance of theories in directing change in the community, and through them, he knows that it is possible for people to make sense of how they can promote action to change conditions that directly affect individuals. It is evident that theories are fundamental frameworks that paint a picture of a situation, and although it is not the whole picture, it give at least a glimpse of where people can build from and therefore instigate change in their communities. In my opinion, people can make a difference in their communities if they engage in organized action.

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However, an organized action is only possible if the individuals engaged contemplate on what to do. People who instigate meaningful change, start by brainstorming on the various possibilities that prevail. Homan understands this and therefore discusses relevant theories and concepts that the instigators of change can use as the start. With this information, action for change becomes simpler and more feasible. Homan’s theories, models, and concepts could be used by those who want to start change initiatives, and although it does not guarantee success, it raises the chances of achieving this success. It is the case because, with the presence of these theories, one works with a firm base of situations, some of which have occurred in reality as opposed to guesswork and assumptions when learning is absent.

Homan presents various theories and concepts in the book to direct actions because actions without a working theory might be irrelevant and vice versa. Homan starts with expounding on the aspect of system theory (Homan, 2016). He explains this theory with the intention that those that want to drive change gain an insight into community functioning by letting them understand how things work in communities. With this theory, the concerned parties will make sense of what is happening around them and why people and institutions act in the manner they do.

Consequently, this knowledge is essential for formulating ways through which they can make them act differently. Homan also explains chaos theory with the intention that those that read this theory will understand that even by knowing how a system works, it is hard to pinpoint how it will function. Therefore those that want to direct action for change will be aware that there is nothing like certainty even when something is likely to occur. It is an important lesson for these individuals in that they embrace and appreciate the idea of dynamism.

The idea of healthy communities, as discussed in the chapter, seeks to enrich individuals with knowledge of how they can increase the health of communities. Health, in this case, is the state of complete mental, physical, and social well-being of communities. Homan seeks to let people understand that health is critical for and community, and therefore driving change has to start with this phenomenon, recognizant that healthy people arise from healthy communities.

Homan also discusses the idea of close communities with the aim of facilitating change agents to understand when their actions are relevant. In this case, those yearning to bring change in their communities will understand and appreciate that close communities offer the most relevant change activities’ contexts (Homan, 2016). It is so because close communities have a high possibility of offering a platform that will make the biggest difference in the community.

Consequently, this lets change agents realize that if their actions are successful, it will be paramount that they connect their work in close communities to increase the force of change and create a change with more impact. It is also evident that Homan discusses the theory of community change with the motive of advising change agents on issues they must take into account for their actions to bring purposeful change.

Why change agents must assimilate and apply a variety of theories

I believe that effective community planners are those who are able to assimilate and apply a variety of theories in their practice. It is through theories that relate to the change in question can the change agent understand the process better and therefore make appropriate responses to instigate the desired change. In any case, change is like a puzzle, and theories print the closest picture about a particular change situation allowing the change agent to make the most appropriate decisions which increases their chances for success. Changes are dynamic, and an effective community planner is the one who actively seeks to implement activities based on the prevailing situation.

One needs to know and understand how the community as a system works, and this is possible through the system theory. For instance, through this theory, a change agent understands the inputs he needs to mobilize to make the community grow and what to do to maintain this growth. At any time, the community is characterized by dynamism, and a change agent must have the know-how about how they react to different situations to not only instigate change but also maintain the changing equilibrium.

It is also important for change agents to understand that the change process does not always go as anticipated because it is a process that is full of disruptions and uncertainties. The outcome might come out in a manner that they never anticipated, even in situations that seemed certain to the agents. In this case, in theory like chaos theory, change agents are prepared to expect surprises in due course of their action plan. In this case, the agents know how they can create a healthy community through which they can create healthy people. A healthy community here means one that sustains healthy connections among its members. Therefore change agents understand how and why they need to maintain these connections if they succeed in their quest for change.

Theories offer the basis through which change agents can start their change initiatives. Theories ensure that those who want to bring change in their communities know where to start. For instance, the chaos theory helps these agents to know that they must function in a way that they are able to meet system requirements. Also, they must start with recognizing and valuing resources, ensuring that they include all the members of the community to the change process and, at the same time, make sure that they promote interaction of community capital. These are measures that change management needs to ensure they incorporate in their change management process, not because they make success inevitable but because they increase the chance of attaining the desired objective.

It is clear that theories that are related to community change are a mixture of past theories from different writers and arguments from practical experiences. Therefore, theories shed light upon several aspects of community change. A change agent has to start from somewhere in their change-instigating initiative. Change is a process that involves several aspects, including culture, power, organizing, and action, and a change agent must be well versed in these aspects if they are to be successful in what they do. Those leading change, mindful of how these prospects will play out are able to devise a series of actions through which they can invoke the desired response that will instigate change successfully.

References

Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world. Boston, MA; Australia; Brazil; Mexico; Singapore; United Kingdom: Cengage Learning