Strengths and Asset Based Approach
A strengths-based approach (sometimes called an asset-based approach) is central to the work of community development. Whether you are working with individuals, small groups, large communities or sections of our society – an effective community development practitioner must look for and work with the strengths in the people they are working with and for. These strengths may be obvious or it may take some investigation and discussion for the practitioner and community to identify them.
Strengths-based practice is used across a range of sectors. You may have heard of strengths-based therapy, coaching or mentoring. If you search on the internet for ‘strengths-based approach’ you will find frameworks to apply to working with adults, children, in education, in social work, in health, and many more.
Watch the video below from former CEO of CCSA, Kylie Fergusen, as she provides a brief overview of strengths-based practice in community.
Click on the arrow below to play the video
What is strengths-based practice?
Fundamentally, strengths-based practice focuses on interests, abilities and potential rather than on problems, deficits and pathologies. This means we start with the strengths of individuals, families and communities rather than the problems they face.
A deficit-based approach begins by asking ‘what is wrong? What is the problem?’ It is a sort of downward spiral that can cause people to reflect inwards and feel helpless about the outcomes. It can leave them feeling as if there really is something wrong and perhaps they aren’t strong or skilled enough to manage on their own. This is disempowering and makes people feel like they need rescuing. This can also lead to a ‘doing to’ or ‘doing for’ attitude from the practitioner or organisation implementing the practice.
A strengths-based approach begins with ‘what is going well? What do we already do well? How can we build on what we already have?’ This is an upward spiral! It encourages people to view the situation from a growth mindset and promotes resilience, self-determination and empowerment. It allows the individual or group to remain the expert of the situation, encouraging them to identify the way forward.
Look at the table below for a comparison of strengths-based versus deficit-based approaches.
STRENGTHS-BASED
- Strengths-focused
- "What's working?"
- Identifying strengths and possibilities
- Long-term solutions
- Reliant on personal or group strengths
- "We're all in this together"
- Done WITH and BY the community
- Proactive
- Community IS the expert
- Investing in people
DEFICIT-BASED
- Needs or problem-focused
- "What's broken?"
- Solving problems
- Short-term project
- Reliant on expert knowledge
- "Us" vs. "Them" thinking
- Done TO or FOR the community
- Reactive
- Community NEEDS experts
- Providing services
If we ask people to look for deficits, they will usually find them, and their view of situations will be coloured by this. If we ask people to look for successes, they will usually find them, and their view of situations will be coloured by this.
What is Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)?
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is a framework heavily based on strengths-based practice. It was developed in the 1990’s by John L. McKnight and John P. Kretzmann in the United States following the publishing of their book – Building Communities from the Inside Out. 2 The ABCD Institute continues their work today by providing education, resources and ongoing research to the sector.
Extend Your Learning
Consider your own strengths by completing the Head, Hands, Heart, Feet worksheet.
According to the ABCD framework, community assets (or strengths) can include:
Click on or hover over the cards below for more information
The collection of information regarding a community’s strengths is called asset mapping. We will discuss this further in the following topic.
Click Principles and Practice of Strengths-based and ABCD Approaches to CD below to continue.
Extend Your Learning
Read about the 12 principles of ABCD in this article by Mike Green.
- Kral, R. (1989) Strategies that work: techniques for solution in schools. Wisconsin Institute on Family Studies.
- Asset-Based Community Development Institute (n.d.) History. DePaul University. Accessed on 02/02/23 at https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/about/Pages/History.aspx
Watch the Introduction to Strengths Based Practice video from Graeme Stuart. He also has an article with the same content if you prefer to read.
Download the full Communities from the Inside Out book on the ABCD Institute website. They also have workbooks and training guides available.
