How can you identify power dynamics in Community Organizing?

1 Define your community

Before you can analyze power dynamics, you need to define who your community is and what issues affect them. Your community can be based on geography, identity, occupation, or any other criteria that connect people and create a sense of belonging. You can use methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or mapping to gather information about your community's needs, assets, challenges, and aspirations. This will help you identify the common problems that your community wants to address and the potential solutions that they envision.

2 Identify your stakeholders

Once you have defined your community and its issues, you need to identify the other stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the situation. These can include allies, opponents, targets, intermediaries, bystanders, or influencers. You can use tools such as stakeholder mapping, power mapping, or network analysis to visualize the relationships and power dynamics among these actors. For example, you can plot them on a matrix based on their level of support and influence, or draw lines to indicate their connections and conflicts. This will help you understand who you need to engage, persuade, mobilize, or confront to achieve your goals.

3 Assess your resources

Another aspect of power dynamics is the availability and distribution of resources that can affect the outcome of your organizing efforts. Resources can be tangible or intangible, such as money, time, skills, information, networks, legitimacy, or credibility. You can use tools such as resource mapping, asset mapping, or SWOT analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your community and the other stakeholders. For example, you can list the resources that you have, need, or lack, or compare them with those of your allies and opponents. This will help you determine how you can leverage, acquire, or compensate for the resources that you need to succeed.

4 Analyze your context

Besides the internal power dynamics within and among the stakeholders, you also need to consider the external power dynamics that shape the context and environment of your organizing efforts. These can include political, economic, social, cultural, legal, or environmental factors that can create opportunities or challenges for your community and its issues. You can use tools such as PESTEL analysis, scenario planning, or force field analysis to examine the trends and forces that affect the situation. For example, you can identify the drivers and barriers that enable or hinder your actions, or explore the possible future scenarios that you want to avoid or achieve. This will help you adapt to the changing circumstances and anticipate the risks and opportunities that may arise.

5 Plan your actions

Finally, after you have identified and analyzed the power dynamics in your community organizing, you need to plan your actions accordingly. Your actions should be based on your community's vision, goals, and values, as well as the power dynamics that you have identified. You can use tools such as logic models, action plans, or SMART objectives to outline the steps and strategies that you will use to achieve your desired outcomes. For example, you can specify the activities, resources, indicators, and timelines that you will use to measure your progress and impact. This will help you implement your actions effectively and efficiently and evaluate your results and learning.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?