Sie sind auf Seite 1von 2

The term "community" is used extensively in almost all areas of our lives.

It is used in both our


common, everyday language and also by professionals, politicians and corporations. We frequently
hear about "community care", "community revitalization", "community service" and many other
references to community. Yet, while everyone seems to have a fairly common understanding of what
is meant by "community" it eludes a clear and comprehensive definition.

The word "community" is derived from Latin and has been used in the English language since the
14th century. It refers to both the development of a social grouping and also the nature of the
relationship among the members. The term is most often associated with one or more of the
following characteristics:

common people, as distinguished from those of rank or authority;


a relatively small society
the people of a district;
the quality of holding something in common
a sense of common identity and characteristics.

The concept of community was further developed in the 19th century to contrast the dynamics and
relationships of residents within a local setting to that of larger and more complex industrial societies.
It is related to the terms commune (French) and Gemeinshaft (German), in terms of denoting
particular kind of relationships. Relationships within a community were thought to be more direct,
holistic and significant than the more formal and abstract relationships with the larger society.[2]

Today, three main types of communities are usually identified:

i) Geographic communities share physical space, so that residents come into contact with
each other by virtue of proximity, rather than intent. However, to be a "real" community, residents
must feel a sense of belonging and hold at least some values and symbols in common. For
example, a feature of the natural landscape, such as a river, that is important to many, or a local
claim to fame; such as an internationally known theatre company. In geographic communities how
power is distributed has a significant impact on how the community develops.

ii) Communities of interest are sometimes referred to as "communities within communities".


Members of these communities choose to associate with each on the basis of a common interest
(e.g. model railway club) or shared concerns (e.g. poor air quality). Sometimes communities are
formed by self-identified members of a reference group based on characteristics outside of their
control, e.g. a disability, ethnic group, or low income, which give them a sense of common identity
and shared concerns.

iii) Virtual communities are groups of people that primarily interact via communication media
rather than face to face.[3] If the mechanism is a computer network, it is called an online community.
Online communities are "social aggregations that emerge from the Net when people carry on those
public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal
relationships".[4]

An individual can belong to several different communities at the same time; e.g. a faith community, a
business community and a neighbourhood community.

Communities can be healthy or unhealthy, with most being somewhere in the middle. In an
unhealthy community there may be an environmental disaster, such as the contamination of the
water supply, a high level of poverty due to a major industry closing, or entrenched conflict over a
divisive community issue. The path to becoming a healthy community starts with broad community
engagement, leadership, the development of a shared vision and community goals, effective
planning, local government commitment and collaborative use of internal and external resources. [5]

[1] The Working Together Project. www.librariesincommunities.ca/?page_id=3 (accessed Feb. 23,


2008)

[2] Bakardjieva, Maria. University of


Calgary http://www.ucalgary.ca/~bakardji/community/definition.html (accessed Jan 11/08)

[3] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_community (accessed Jan 11/08)

[4] (Rheingold, Howard, The Virtual


Community http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/intro.html(accessed Jan. 11/08)

[5] Michael Stolte. The communities matrix. makingwaves, volume 15, number 2, p. 22

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen