Chapter 3
Deep Diving 
into LifeStories 

3.1 LIFESTORIES ETHNOGRAPHY
3.2 ASSET-BASED
COMMUNITY MAPPING


Activations
Community Building PlaybookLearning Journey CurriculumLife Stories PodcastAbout ↗

A Community-Centered
Social Design Curriculum

Drawing from experiences 
of activating coffeeshops in asset-based, community-led approaches, this social design curriculum guides a student through the process of creating meaningful participatory programs co-designed with communities, beginning from a cup of Kopi and conversations with fellow neighbours in the local coffeeshop.




LEARNING CHAPTERS

1 SENSING 
2 DISCOVERY
3 DEEP DIVES
4 ACTIVATING 
5 SUSTAINING


Fieldwork Assignment

Return to your community map and now add in the gifts and assets you have uncovered in the coffeeshop.

ACTIVITY SPANS 2 WEEKS


Learning Objectives

Identify and map the six community functions of the Asset-Based Community Development approach.  



3.2 Asset-Based Community Mapping  

Building on the community map you have made (1. 4), identify the gifts and resources of the coffeeshop community that you have uncovered. Identify the six community functions that the coffeeshop residents can contribute to: skills and knowledge, associations of networks, local institutions and the roles they may play within, shared local places that includes even one’s home and the exchange of social currencies and stories. 



Mr Huang was a Qigong master and a calligraphy practitioner. Here, he contributes through writing Spring Calligraphy for his community.