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Key words that begin with the letter D

by Phil Bartle

DECENTRALIZATION

Decentralization takes some power from the centre and puts it into the surrounding locations.

It is not the same as democratization (it can be the decentralizing of tyranny) but can assist in democratization.

DEMAND RESPONSIVE APPROACH

A methodology of choosing to work with different communities based on the different amounts they each are willing to sacrifice.

DRA is based upon the idea that communities differ in the amount of resources they are willing to sacrifice in order to invest in their own development.

DEMOCRACY

The word, "democracy," comes from ancient classical languages, where "demo" means the people (as in demography) and "cracy" means power (as in bureaucracy or aristocracy).

The word democracy, then, means power to the people. Ironically, ancient Greece was not very democratic in that the economy was based upon the labour of slaves.

There are different kinds of democracy: eg representational democracy where the people elect representatives (eg Members of Parliament) to make decisions for them, and participatory democracy where the people are involved in making decisions.

As a mobilizer, you are urged to promote democracy, ie in the community project, but you are not obligated to imitate the British parliamentary system. Look for what is socially appropriate.

DEMOCRATIZATION

A process of social change towards increased political decision making power for all people.

DEPENDENCY (Syndrome)

The dependency syndrome is an attitude and belief that a group can not solve its own problems without outside help.

It is a weakness that is made worse by charity. See: The Dependency Syndrome.

DEVELOPMENT

Many people assume that development means quantitative growth, whereas its main characteristic is qualitative change.

To develop is to grow, and to grow means more than to get bigger; it also means to become more complex and stronger.

When a community develops, it gets stronger and more complex.

It undergoes social change.

See "Culture." An economist may see development as only an increase in wealth or income (absolute or per capita); and an engineer may see development as a greater control over energy, or more sophisticated and powerful tools.

To a mobilizer, however, those are only two of the six cultural dimensions of a community that change. Development means social change in all six cultural dimensions: technological, economic, political, interactive, ideological and world view.

See Community Development.

Community development means growing in complexity in all six dimensions of culture. It differs from community empowerment which means growing stronger. Although the two are different by definition, they are intricately linked to each other.

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Development Committee is the Executive, Project Committee or CIC (Community Implementing Committee) of the community, chosen by the community as a whole, responsible for carrying out the wishes of the whole community.

It is the product of your organizing efforts; see "Organize." and Community Implementation Committee.

DIALOGUE

A dialogue is communication which is two-way. (The syllable "di" means "two").

It is contrasted with the word "monologue" ("mono" meaning "one") which is one-way communication.

A speech is a monologue (one-way); so is a lecture, sermon or a training presentation.

In contrast, training should be participatory, where the participants (trainees) engage in two-way communication with the trainer.

Communication with a community should be two-way, but often in the past has been one-way (dictation to the community, nothing heard from the community).

A mobilizer should work towards a community being heard, and for communication (with authorities, with assistance organizations) to be two-way.

DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE

Each dimension is composed of socio-cultural systems (eg the economic system) which combine to make a super-organic system.

The six dimensions are: Technical,   Economic,   Political,   Institutional,   Value and   Conceptual.

A community is a cultural entity, so the dimensions also apply to communities. See: Dimensions.

DIRECT LABOUR COSTS

These are costs which your business pays to employees who work to make the products or services you sell.

DIRECT MATERIAL COSTS

This is what your enterprise pays for the raw materials to make the products or services you sell.

DISEASE:

Illness is one of the five major factors of poverty.

It is cheaper, more humane, and more productive for a society or community to prevent than to cure disease and to direct limited resources towards the treatment of a few common diseases affecting the majority of the population, rather than towards sophisticated equipment and skills for the treatment of a few wealthy people (thus the reasons for WHO promoting and supporting the principles of primary health care).

Knowing this, you the mobilizer may challenge a community's first and lightly considered choice of a clinic, and perhaps let them see the logic and reasoning for first choosing effective water and sanitation systems to prevent water borne diseases.

DISHONESTY

Lack of integrity and lack of honesty.

Dishonesty is one of the five major factors of poverty.

Comes with various labels, including corruption, embezzlement, extortion and theft. It happens when wealth intended for development of the whole society is illegally, and usually secretly, diverted to benefit individuals who betray their positions of trust as servants of society as a whole.

The resulting lack of trust contributes in turn to apathy and poverty. That is why you, as mobilizer and organizer of community organizations, promote transparency, integrity and honesty in the groups you organize.

DOING

Of all the ways of learning (reading, listening, watching), the most effective is by "doing." See Training Methods.

Learning by doing can include doing directly such as doing a task in the field under supervision by a trainer, or doing indirectly such as participating in a role playing session or simulation game.

DUE TO

The phrase "due to" means some amount of cash or other resource is expected to be paid in the future.

In a micro-enterprise scheme, you can speak of money owed to the bank as being "due to" the bank.

Do not use the phrase, "due to," when you mean, "because of."  See: Errors

© Copyright 1967, 1987, 2007 Phil Bartle
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Last update: 2015.11.01