Abstract
M.A. (Social Work)
The research resulted from the lack of reliable and valid measurement
instruments on community functioning. Operationalization of community
functioning is complicated by the general character of widely used theories
es related to communities in South Africa. Measurement is severely
hampered by insufficient conceptualization.
In the exploration of social service theory, the Living System Theory was
selected as the theoretical underpinning for the research. Living System
Theory offers a framework for processes and structures to critically and
systematically describe, analyse, explain and interpret communities.
Operationalization of community functioning was greatly expedited by the
selection of the Living System Theory in view of its detailed description
and universal character.
In this study the term community from the Living System Theory, is conceptualized
to In new synthesis and is also analysed systematically. In
the systematic analyses of a community it was concluded that six relevant
assessment areas occur in community context, namely:
physical structures;
transport;
communication;
decision-making;
policy; and
product/service.
All six identified assessment areas were analysed systematically, but for
the purposes of this study only decision-making was operationalized...