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Get your vision tested

Cultural Assets


Author: COP

Introduction

Eye glasses (Photo by Designecologist via Pexels)
Eye glasses (Photo by Designecologist via Pexels)

A simple task can illustrate how we perceive reality, in particular, which lenses we are used to making use of on a daily basis, by default. 

In this quest, you will be asked to make a description about a location of their hometown and that will be the initial prompt to literally test your vision, gain awareness about your own narratives and be introduced to two foundational concepts: deficit-based community development and asset-based community development.

What’s the activity?

Outdoors community coffee shop (Photo by Maria Orlova via Pexels)
Outdoors community coffee shop (Photo by Maria Orlova via Pexels)

Imagine that you will have to describe an area from the place where you live (village/town/city) to a friend that lives abroad and doesn’t have any clue about it. You will have to describe the physical space, the amenities, the local atmosphere, residents and usual passers-by and the organisations and institutions based there. 

The description has one condition: the area you choose must be a neighbourhood/area which is facing some challenges nowadays (e. g. poor economic or cultural activity, degraded public spaces or buildings, has unexplored local gems, inactive inhabitants, is suffering territorial stigmatization or discrimination, etc.);

What am I going to do?

 

  1. Prepare yourself to take a stroll around the area you have picked and take with you a device to take notes about it. 
  2. Spend some hours there, talk to people here and there to get to know them better, their life’s story and the neighbourhood. Be mindful and be accurate about the narrative you will convey. Describe and characterise:
  • the physical space (public spaces, parks, viewpoints, buildings, amenities, …);
  • events (fairs, festivals, live music, folklore show, football game, …);
  • people you see (what they are doing, how they look, if they are in groups or by themselves, what sort of groups, what stories do you hear from people, how would you characterise the discourse? Is there anything you can learn from them? …);
  • organisations and institutions (any sort of cultural, sports, clubs and associations. Is there any external assistance? What’s their role? how are they impacting the community? Which people do you see interacting with them? …);
  • local atmosphere (how do you feel there, matters you witness);

3.  Watch the Tedx Talks’ video of Cormac Russell, named “Sustainable community development: from what's wrong to what's strong”, under the heading “Links” and get inspired by his perspective of focusing on what’s strong instead of what’s wrong and the outcomes he has witnessed on its projects.  

4. Access the link in the “What do I need?” section named “Deficit-based Community Development vs Asset-based Community Development”, read the article “Asset-Based Community Development” and learn about it. Pay special attention to the comparison between deficit-based and asset-based approaches. It will be crucial for the next step.

5. Now that you have new knowledge on these two approaches, let’s make a comprehensive vision screening to your perspective about where you live, how you tend to frame reality, using the “ACE CULTURE Vision Test”. Under the subheading “Documents”, in the “What do I need?” section, Open the link entitled “Get your Vision Tested”. Get a free screening on your sight.  Scroll down to answer the questions and to move along the quiz questions. 

6. After submitting your answers, click on the button “see grades”. You’ll be able to see your score/marking. Please be mindful that this quiz/vision test is not a real diagnosis, merely a metaphor of how you might perceive reality and a learning exercise. For further enlightenment, about the quiz, download the document under the “Documents” subheading.

7. Scoring

If your score range is between 0 and 14 points - Lenses recommended.

You don't seem to have a sight problem. Feel free to take this test regularly to monitor your vision. However, to verify the health of your left and right eyes, don't hesitate to schedule regular attentive walks in your location.

If your score range is between 15 and 25 points - You might need help!

You seem to have difficulties in seeing subtle differences between deficit-based community development and asset-based community development with one of your eyes. We encourage you to complete the following Quests on this topic to be able recognise these two approaches perfectly.

If your score range is between 26 and 30 points - Congratulations!

You don't seem to have a sight problem. Feel free to take this test regularly to monitor your vision. However, to verify the health of your left and right eyes, don't hesitate to schedule regular attentive walks in your location.

8. Finally, read the description you have written to your friend and analyse the language you have used to describe your vision of that area, your highlights and focus. Check whether you have a deficit or asset focus entrenched in your narrative. 

What will I learn?

Knowledge Acquired:

  • Asset-Based Community Development principles;
  • Difference between Deficit-Based Community Development and Asset-Based Community Development;

Skills Acquired:

  • Analyse my personal vision about the place where I live;
  • Reframe/enhance or reinforce my personal vision about the place where I live;
  • Analytical thinking;
  • Awareness (of yourself and others);
  • Open mindedness;
  • Problem-solving;

Attitude Acquired:

  • Nurture a positive outlook over my community circumstances and strengths;
  • Take pride over the local culture and assets of my community;

 

What will I take home?

What have you learnt from this activity? Would you change your narrative? Do you want to visit that area again and see if your perception has changed?

If you reach the conclusion that your vision relies on a deficit-based approach, don’t be discouraged. It’s a traditional perspective that we tend to use by default more often. Transitioning from a deficit-based community development approach to an asset-based community development approach requires more than reframing our language and perspective. It requires time, delving into the topic, experimenting ideas with and from our community, collecting feedback and finetuning our next initiative. 

You might want to know more about how to put this approach into practice and to learn easy steps to do it. If so, do the following quests covered by this topic.

Resources

Click each section below to see all resources available.

 

Frontline Worker Toolkit

Aims and Objectives:

  • Understand Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD);
  • Distinguish “Deficit-Based Community Development” approach and “Asset-Based Community Development” approach;
  • Make use of ABCD’s perspective and successful projects when putting together cultural initiatives.

Top tips:

  1. To get introduced to the change-maker approach “Asset-Based Community Development” (ABCD), please start by reading the article “Asset-Based Community Development” and understand the differences between it and “Deficit-Based Community Development”, in the section “websites (URLs)”, link named “Asset-Based Community Development”. 
  2. To learn real examples about ABCD implementation, watch the Tedx Talks’ video of Cormac Russell, named “Sustainable community development: from what's wrong to what's strong”, under the heading “Videos (from Youtube)” and get inspired by his perspective of focusing on what’s strong instead of what’s wrong and results of projects its organisation has been involved in.  
  3. To delve into the topic, please read part 1 of the handbook “A glass half-full: how an asset approach can improve community health and well-being” from IDEA (Improvement and Development Agency). These 3 initial recommendations will support you with knowledge to clarify any query the cultural mediators might have when completing this quest.
  4. Make use of the Further clarification on the ACE Culture vision test and explain it to cultural mediators in case they are failing to understand the essential of the “vision test”.
  5. Analyse with them their narratives about their neighbourhood and help them analysing their discourse, by making reference to the words used and “semantics” and how it could be changed.

Asset-Based Community Development
https://www.nurturedevelopment.org/asset-based-community-development/

A glass half-full: how an asset approach can improve community health and well-being
http://www.assetbasedconsulting.net/uploads/publications/A%20glass%20half%20full.pdf

Frontline worker/Educator Videos

Sustainable community development: from what's wrong to what's strong | Cormac Russell | TEDxExeter
 

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