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Residents of the Old North End (ONE) and greater Burlington area, together
with members of city government, have been concerned that particular groups of
residents often are not heard in community decision-making. A goal of the COPC
Community Leadership Project has been to gather information about citizen
involvement -- not just with those who are already active, but also with people
who are affiliated with groups that see themselves or are seen by others as
under-represented.
As part of a survey of residents in ONE neighborhoods, COPC interviewed
people from a range of diverse groups in order to better understand how they
perceive the issues of community involvement. Altogether, 42 individuals
shared their time and ideas with us, including people of color, the elderly,
individuals with disabilities, recent immigrants, people with low income, people
with little formal education, homeless people, retirees, people who are not
employed, veterans, single parents, students, and people from the
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/questioning (LGBTQ) community.
This article summarizes some of the major themes that those individuals
expressed in their interviews. If you would like more information about
the survey or about the COPC Community Leadership Project, please contact Lynne
Bond at 656-1341. We'd be glad to hear from you and discuss the survey
results with you and others!
Who is under-represented in community decisions?
We asked residents whether they felt that there are particular groups
of people who don't get heard in community decision-making or who are
under-represented in the groups that make decisions. They suggested:
- People with low income (mentioned by 26% of those interviewed)
- Young families and parents of young children (12%)
- Various racial, ethnic, national-origin, and language groups (9%)
- Elderly people (9%)
- People with less formal education (9%)
- People with disabilities (5%)
- Students (5%)
- People who work a lot (5%)
14% suggested that it is easy to get heard in Burlington if you try.
Why do people get involved?
We asked residents from groups perceived to be under-represented groups,
"What got you involved in your own participation in the community?"
They emphasized that they:
- Wanted to address a particular issue or problem, especially one that
affects themselves or their families (40%)
- Based their involvement upon ethical principles or a sense of social
conscience (17%)
- Became involved through some prior form of community participation (17%)
- Believed in the social importance of participating (17%)
- Were responding to the needs of others (17%)
- Became involved through word of mouth or through observing others who are
involved (17%)
- Sought connection with other people (12%)
- Were particularly concerned for children (12%)
- Felt satisfaction and enjoyment in taking part (12%)
- Wanted to be heard or have influence in the community (12%)
- Were encouraged by others (10%)
- Responded to advertisements (10%)
- Took personal initiative in seeking out opportunities (5%)
Diverse ways of participating
We asked residents from groups perceived to be under-represented, "In
what ways are you most involved in being heard, helping out, or having some
influence in your local community?" People most often said that
they:
- Participate in volunteer programs and organizations (52%)
- Attend civic-related community meetings (26%)
- Help with neighborhood beautification (26%)
- Contact representatives from the government or other institutions
regarding concerns (24%)
- Contribute to the community through job (24%)
- Talk with neighbors (24%)
- Vote (24%)
- Speak up about issues of importance (17%)
- Socialize (14%)
- Help to start new community projects (12%)
- Support or work with children (12%)
- Influence the community simply through attitude or presence (12%)
- Take part in social clubs/organizations (12%)
- Attend civic-related community events (10%)
- Teach others (10%)
14% felt that they were mostly not involved.
How has community participation felt?
We asked residents from groups perceived to be under-represented, "How
have you felt received during your community involvement?" People
expressed about twice as many negative impressions of their experience than
positive impressions:
- Many spoke of feeling ignored, frustrated, and ambivalent toward "the
system."
- Some described their participation as generally unneeded and ineffective,
and felt that the time spent was wasted.
- Interpersonal dynamics proved challenging when residents felt excluded
from the process, harshly judged, and treated poorly by others.
- Occasionally, burn-out was mentioned by those with long histories or
participation.
To a somewhat lesser extent, residents from under-represented groups also
described positive impressions of their experience:
- Many did feel heard, enjoyed making a difference, and felt
satisfied by taking part.
- Some suggested that participation had provided a sense of connection and a
feeling of being welcomed in the community.
Barriers to involvement
We asked residents from groups perceived to be under-represented, "What
sorts of things hold you back from doing what you'd really like to be doing in
the community?" The most frequent answers given were:"
- Lack of information required for involvement (38%)
- Lack of time (38%)
- Conflict between involvement & other activities (26%)
- Not interested (26%)
- Feeling unheard (26%)
- Alienation/lack of connection (24%)
- Sense of futility in even trying (21%)
- Problems with meetings (location/process/content)(21%)
- Feeling limited by older age or health (21%)
- Lack of funding and material resources (21%)
- Perceiving resistance from within "the system" (19%)
- Lack of support from government and other institutions (19%)
- Transportation difficulties (17%)
- Emotional communication issues: fear, intimidation, and confidence
(17%)
- Lack of a good participation match (17%)
- Dissimilarity in values between self and others (17%)
- Misgivings or distrust toward government (14%)
- Lack of energy (12%)
- Interpersonal dissonance and conflict (12%)
How would residents ideally like to be involved
We asked residents from groups perceived to be under-represented, "If
opportunities were wide open, what would you really like to be doing to
participate in your community's activities or its decision-making?"
- Supporting or working with children (24%)
- Being involved in particular issues (24%) - such as fighting drugs or
advocating for women's and renters' rights
- Participating in volunteer programs and organization (21%) - such as a
street association or the Mayor's Council for Disabilities
- Playing a leadership role (19%) - such as in City Council or in a
gardening organization
- Starting new community projects (12%)
- Greening, cleaning, and neighborhood beautification (12%)
- Seeking a jobs in which to contribute to the community (12%)
- Teaching other (10%)
17% wanted to get involved, but were not sure how. 12% were not looking
for new kings of participation.
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