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