Mapping the Aspirations, Needs and Assets of Residents in Jurong Spring Zone B: An Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Approach - Chua Thian ...
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RESEARCH REPORT Mapping the Aspirations, Needs and Assets of Residents in Jurong Spring Zone B: An Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Approach By Tan Kwan Boon and Amanda Kee
FOREWORD Student fellows of the NUS Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre have helped various social service organizations to map community aspirations, needs and assets. In this study, Tan Kwan Boon and Amanda Kee have carried out a mapping of households residing in a block of flats in Jurong Spring Zone B. Using the asset-based community development (ABCD) framework, they suggest how the assets of the residents can be harnessed to meet their aspirations and needs. The mobilisation of assets builds up community solidarity and agency, resulting in the empowerment of community members. Associate Professor Albert Teo Director Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre
CONTENTS 01 About Jurong Spring Zone B Residents’ Committee 02 About the Project 03 Our Approach & Methodology 04 What We Found 10 Recommendations 11 Biographies & Reflections
JURONG SPRING
ZONE B RESIDENTS’
COMMITTEE
Established in 1985, Jurong Spring Zone B
Residents’ Committee (RC) serves 18 blocks
of Housing Development Board flats from
Blocks 456 to 473 of Jurong West Street 41.
These blocks are divided into three precincts
of six blocks each.
Mission
The mission of Jurong Spring Zone B RC is to
build and to bridge communities in achieving
One People, One Singapore. This is done by: They work closely with other grassroots
organisations and various government
1. Promoting neighbourliness, harmony, agencies to improve the physical and
cohesiveness and good citizenship communal aspects of the zone it serves. The
amongst residents through various RC operates from a RC Centre located at Blk
activities and programmes. 458 of Jurong West Street 41.
2. Liaising with and making Activities and Programmes
recommendations to government 1. The centre holds regular courses,
authorities on the needs and aspirations of activities and events such as National Day
its residents. celebration, family and festive
celebrations.
3. Disseminating information and gathering
feedback on government policies and 2. RC members and police officers also
actions from residents. conduct monthly house visits to update
residents about security matters and
Structure gather feedback from the residents.
Like other RCs in Singapore, the Jurong
Spring Zone B RC comprises of grassroots 3. Various interest groups conduct regular
leaders and residents who volunteer or are activities in the Zone B vicinity such as
nominated. fun-walking, yoga and morning exercise.
01ABOUT THE PROJECT
Motivation
Despite the numerous activities that were organised for its
residents, the RC found that there was little community involvement
in its activities. Residents preferred to stay at home because they
felt that going downstairs was too much of a hassle. Many also
preferred not to participate in the classes organised by the various
interest groups as they found the Jurong Spring Community Club,
where most of these classes were held, too far away.
In addition, Mr. Elvis Chong, then-Chairman of Jurong Spring
Community Club Youth Executive Committee, shared that it was
difficult to determine residents’ needs within the constituency
Objectives
Our research aimed to address these issues by:
1. Identifying the aspirations, needs, and assets of
individual household units.
2. Identifying the community relations among households.
3. Making recommendations to the RC to build up
community solidarity within the zone.
02OUR
APPROACH &
METHODOLOGY
Asset-based Community
Development Approach
The asset-based community development
(ABCD) approach was adopted for this study. Research Method
Unlike the typical needs-based approach to
community development that depends on third Interviews were conducted with 64 (out of a total
-party service providers to solve community of 110) households located at Block 464 Jurong
issues, ABCD focuses on identifying and West Street 41 to identify the needs, aspirations,
leveraging assets within the community to and assets of the residents in the households.
provide solutions to community issues. This Additional information was also gathered over
approach is more sustainable than the typical two months through informal conversations and
needs-based approach. observations.
03WHAT WE FOUND
Residents’ Needs
Many of the residents found it hard to articulate the point in sharing their needs since they felt
their needs. Some maintained that they did not that help could not be obtained from us anyway.
need any help and would rather see the help
channeled to those who needed it more. Some Through the 14 residents who were willing to
declined to respond, perhaps because they were open up and share their needs, we identified
uncomfortable sharing such private information three categories of needs among the residents:
with strangers. And some might not have seen
Belonging needs:
5 of the 14 residents talked about
wanting more time and opportunity
Belonging for social interactions. For instance,
a few residents felt isolated from
their community and wished for
greater companionship from
like-minded people.
Safety Physiological
Physiological needs:
2 of the 14 residents complained about
health conditions that prevented them
from physical activity, such as leg injuries
and fits. They were both older residents.
Safety needs:
6 of the 14 residents talked about financial and
employment issues. For example, some families
required additional financial help to support their
children, and one resident was waiting for his work
permit. We also found out that one of the lifts broke
down regularly, resulting in concerns for safety.
04Residents’ Aspirations
Aspirations (hopes, ideals, and dreams) of the residents were more easily shared, with 39 out of
64 households sharing their aspirations. These aspirations include tangible goals such as greater
financial success and stability, and career success, as well as intangible goals such as better
emotional well-being, happiness, good health, and better quality of life.
We observed some demographic patterns to the aspirations that were articulated. Specifically,
individuals of different age groups had different aspirations. Foreigners and homemakers also had
unique aspirations that set them apart.
05Residents’ Assets
Through our conversations with residents, we found four
types of assets among the households interviewed:
TECHNICAL ASSETS
Skills: Occupation-focused
COMMUNITY ASSETS skills (e.g., teaching, chemical
engineering), hobby-focused
Interests: Volunteering, skills and interests (e.g.,
interacting with neighbours photography, playing the
guitar, producing music)
DOMESTIC ASSETS
PHYSICAL ASSETS
Skils: Cooking
Interests: Watching
Interests: Sports (e.g.,
television / dramas
badminton, swimming,
cycling), exercise
06Neighbourhood Assets
Besides residents’ skills and interests, we also discovered a number of amenities
within or a short walking distance from Jurong Spring Zone B. These include:
SPORTS AND EXERCISE FACILITIES
For health and fitness enthusiasts,
PLAY AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
there is an exercise corner and a
For children, there is a playground. The
basketball court.
nearby Jurong Green Community Club and
Jurong Central Zone A RC also hold
E.g. Exercise corner, basketball court
classes and activities that residents of
Zone B can easily access.
E.g. Playgrounds, Jurong Green Community
Club, Jurong Central Zone A RC
01 02 03 04
FOOD AND BEVERAGE FACILITIES
Residents cited a number of coffee shops,
wet markets and supermarkets in the
vicinity, making it convenient for them to
SCHOOLS
eat out or to purchase groceries. Some
The selection of schools at the primary,
older men also hung out in the coffeeshops
secondary and pre-university levels that
to drink and chat with friends at night.
are located within or near Jurong Spring
Zone B provides accessibility and
E.g. Coffee shops, wet markets in Jurong
convenience for the residents.
Central, Jurong Spring, Yuhua Village;
supermarket near Jurong Green
E.g. Shuqun Primary School, Yuhua Secondary
Community Club
School, Rulang Primary School, Hua Yi
Secondary School, Jurong Junior College
07Community Relations
Fairly strong community relations, especially among long-staying residents
There was evidence of fairly strong community and neighbourly relations in the block,
as the majority of the residents indicated that they had some sort of interaction with
their neighbours – be it exchanging greetings or engaging in more substantial
interactions.
Tension with
neighbours
No interaction 0.8% Children
with neighbours
interacting
5.7%
1.6%
Active in neighbourhood
Exchange
or community club
greetings with
12.2%
neighbours
26.1% Interaction
with neighbours
16.3%
Community relations engaged by
residents using Lift A landings Active in neighbourhood
or community club
30.4% Tension with neighbours
4.4%
No interaction
with neighbours
13.0%
Exchange Interaction
greetings with with neighbours
neighbours 26.1%
26.1%
Community relations engaged by
residents using Lift B landings
These relationships tended to be stronger among residents who had
been staying at the block for a long time.
08Community Relations
Communal facilities enable interactions
The close proximity to amenities such as exercise facilities, the
community club, markets and coffee shops also contributed to the
initiation and maintenance of social ties amongst the residents.
Lack of participation in community activities
A small number of residents were active in the neighbourhood or the
community club. They tended to be older residents who saw these
activities as avenues for them to make friends and pass time, or
foreigners who wanted to assimilate into Singapore’s culture and society.
Non-participation in community activities could be attributed to the
following reasons:
• Some residents lacked interest and/or time.
• Working adults and residents who were more concerned with individual
aspirations found the community activities unsuitable as the activities
were perceived to cater to older persons.
• Older persons with certain disabilities wanted to participate but found it
inconvenient to travel to the community club.
• Some foreigners were not well-assimilated into the Singapore culture,
and they perceived cultural differences and language barriers.
09RECOMMENDATIONS
Below are some recommendations that were made to the Jurong Spring Zone B RC:
Increasing Residents' Stake in Decision-Making
• Allow residents to have a bigger stake in decision-making (e.g., through interest groups)
• Allow residents to take the responsibility to solve some of the community issues, rather
than relying on external organisations such as the town council (e.g., through task forces)
Harnessing and Building Community Ties
• Inter-family sports day
• Morning or evening runs
• Courses with residents as trainers
• Community involvement projects
• Leisure or game rooms
• Informal hosting of neighbours at home; corridor parties
Making Outreach More Efficient through Technology
• Identify residents who are well-connected ('connectors') within the community
• Use technology such as WhatsApp Messenger to bring together the connectors, so that
community events or other information could be disseminated through these connectors
• Use social media platforms such as Facebook to publicise community events and to
create a virtual community (especially for those who may not be able to participate in
physical community activities due to work, lack of time)
10BIOGRAPHIES & REFLECTIONS
I found myself being challenged by the objectivity of
the research and the subjectivity of the conversations
as I embarked on this project. In the essence of finding
out about people through an ABCD mindset, the work
was often difficult and a slow process. But the drawn
experiences were richer because they encompassed
what people believed in and not what they were
perceived to need.
Tan Kwan Boon
Arts & Social Sciences ‘17
11Having come in with little to no research knowledge
and skills, I was always almost at a loss as to how I
could contribute productively. Nonetheless, I tried to
make up for it with diligence, and in time, the project
process not only taught me to be patient with and
critical of results, but also made me realize that the
project was not just another academic endeavour, but
a doorway to a myriad of opportunities in our personal
and working lives.
Kee Amanda
Arts & Social Sciences ‘16
12About Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre
Located at NUS University Town, the Chua Thian Poh
Community Leadership Centre is named in recognition of Mr
Chua’s generous gifts to the University. At the Centre, we aim
to nurture Singapore’s next generation of community leaders,
who will not only be intellectually engaged in social and
community issues, but will also be passionate about
addressing social and community challenges in Singapore.
Each year, we admit a select number of NUS undergraduates
from different disciplines as student fellows. Together with
faculty members and organisational partners, the student
fellows learn to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach and
conduct social research such as needs assessment, asset
mapping, programme evaluation, social impact measurement
and identification of sustainable solutions.
To date, our student fellows have worked with almost 100
organisational partners serving different communities in
Singapore; healthcare, family service, disadvantaged
individuals, and many more. The programme has also inspired
our student fellows and alumni to continue initiating ground-up
community projects involving a wider NUS community. We
hope to inspire young community leaders within and beyond
NUS to contribute to a more caring, and resilient society.
Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre
University Town, 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, #02-05, Singapore 138602
ctpclc@nus.edu.sg ctpclc.nus.edu.sg fb.com/ctpclcYou can also read
