From the Map to the Territory: An Exploration of Community Workers' World Views

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the world view of six community workers. To uncover the community workers' assumptions about their work, their clients and their understanding of social change, the researchers used language analysis. Language analysis is based on the assumption that vocabulary provides access to what and whom people see as important. After subjecting the workers' texts to a vocabulary scanning process, factorial analysis graphics representing the workers and the words most associated with them were interpreted. Particular attention was given to the workers' understanding of social change. The use of factorial analysis permitted the identification of similarities and differences in the workers' world views. It also allowed themes to emerge in which different visions were opposed. These themes showed a resemblance to what Rothman has identified as variables in his article on community development models. The workers fell into two distinct groups. One group favored a mixture between locality development and social planning. They favored planned change, a facilitator role and a collaborative approach to social relationships. The other group was closer to the social action model of intervention. They can be defined as orienters and influencers who saw society in conflict between the system and its victims. The analysis has shown differences in vision between men and women and a difference between one worker and the other five concerning her vision of her constituency. Her discourse reflected a personal view of actors and relationships while the other workers tended to identify more with groups or institutions.