Community

Wikipedia indicates that there were ninety-four discrete definitions of the term “community” by the mid 1950s. Examples of these competing definitions are given in the online article Community—community as a geographical area; community as a group of people living in a particular place, and community as an area of common life, to name just a few. As society has grown and changed, so has the idea of community.

Historically, according to Marcia L. Connor (2000), communities were very small. As forms of communication developed, communities grew and their boundaries were extended. She shares the following quotation that shows the fears people had regarding change and its affects on community. I would suggest that similar fears are echoed today. “Socrates supposedly said writing would lead to the end of civilization because people didn’t have to be amongst one another anymore.” What would he say now in the “age of technology” with the internet, the cell phone, and texting? Connors states that none of the forms of communication have replaced community, that they have simply extended its reach, depth and potential impact. However, I would argue that in many instances, the general sense of community is declining. Robert D. Putnam, cited on Wikipedia, found that over the 25 years from 1975-2000, attendance at club meetings had fallen 58%, family dinners were down 33%, and having friends visit was down 45%. It appears that people are being engaged less and less in face-to-face interactions. Using these numbers as indicators of sense of community, is seems that it is slowly being lost.

What is community then? Community is more than a group of people living in a common place. With community must come a sense of belonging. That sense of belonging comes from a feeling of being needed—individuality is honored and individuals feel like their lives have purpose in terms of the group. I love the statement (below) made by Connor as to the root of the word community.

“Coming from two Latin words meaning ‘with gifts,’ the term community suggests
a general sense of altruism, reciprocity, and beneficence that comes from
working together. Communities help generate a shared language, rituals and
customs, and collective memory of those that join the group.”

A community of this nature can be all inclusive. Communities though exclude those that do not share the values, interests, and purpose that the individuals consider their common identity.