The Concepts Of Community Report

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The Concepts Of Community Report

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072206” The Concepts of Community Report PAGEREF _Toc321072206 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072207” Community as a living organism PAGEREF _Toc321072207 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072208” The perspective of ‘virtual communities’ PAGEREF _Toc321072208 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072209” The social perspective PAGEREF _Toc321072209 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072210” Individual perspective PAGEREF _Toc321072210 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc321072211” References PAGEREF _Toc321072211 h 7

The Concepts of Community Report

There are varied definitions of the concept of community depending on context of application. Wagner (2005) defines community as “a group of people who share some important feature of their lives and use some common agencies and institutions.” A community comprises of different individuals, groups and organizations with established networks that enable them to work together to achieve shared visions and goals. The concept of community is somehow vague in notion and as Henry (2011) explained, it can be viewed from many perspectives.

Informed by the different perspectives, scholars have advanced various concepts pertaining to the nature of a community. For instance, a community can be view from the perspective of a living organism that as many different parts functioning together (Henry (2011). as well, a community can also be looked at from social or individual perspective. In explaining these concepts, they have examined various factors, both local and global, which influence the concepts and modalities of a community. Therefore, the concept of community can be viewed in different ways and in different contexts. This report examines these perspectives or concepts of community, explaining the factors which influence the nature of a community.

Community as a living organism

This is a perspective which compares community to a living creature that is comprised of different parts, each of which has specific function (Henry, 2011). The body of a human being has different organs including heart, legs, hands and brains. All the organs of the body contribute to the well being of the human body and when they are all well, the body is healthy, radiant, and vigorous. Therefore, from this perspective, a community is made up of different segments or parts which have specialized interests, activities and functions. Each of these segments operates within specified boundaries in order to meet the need of the community. For example, the function of the transport sector is in a community is to move people and products from one place to another, economic entities focus on production, enterprising and employment, schools focus on educating people, religious organizations focus on spiritual well being of people, and health sector focuses treatment and prevention of injuries and diseases (Henry, 2011).

Thus, this perspective holds that for a community to function well and to be healthy, each of its segments or parts has to play its role effectively ‘in relation to the whole organism’ Henry (2011). According to Henry (2011), for a community to be healthy, it must have “well-connected, interdependent sectors that share responsibility for recognizing and resolving problems and enhancing its well-being.” To successfully address the complex problems within a community, collaboration, coordination and integration of all resources from the different parts is essential. Therefore, from this perspective, the different parts of a community comprise the factors which determine the well being of a community and according to (Henry, 2011), improving their functions constitute the most logical approach in enhancing or improving health of a community.

The perspective of ‘virtual communities’

Traditionally, the concept of community was understood to refer to a group of people sharing common values and existing within defined certain geographical areas. However, as Wagner (2005) explains, this perspective has changed over time with the advent of globalization. Globalization has increased relationships of people, economic activities and culture. One of the key forces of globalization is high rate of evolution of new technology. Today, development in technology has necessitated people to increasingly rely on computer-aided communications to meet other people, to access information, and to make vital decisions that affect their lives (Flavian & Guinaliu, 2005). Examples of computer-aided forms of communication include instant text messaging, use of email, social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and e-chat rooms. Groups of individuals with common interests are able to interact via internet in an organized manner. These groups of individuals form “virtual communities” (Rheingold, 2000). Undoubtedly, individuals in these virtual communities are potential partners are potential partners for various community activities. As a result, the world has become a global village.

The social perspective

Communities can also be viewed from a social perspective. This perspective defines the concept of community by describing political and social networks that link organizations, individuals and leaders (Minkler, 2004). The perspective holds that communities are not comprised of unrelated individuals, groups or organizations; rather, the various stakeholders of a community have certain relations or linkages among them, thus, forming social networks (Minkler, 2004). An individual, group or organization can be part of numerous social networks and the nature of these networks and stakeholder’s connection to them can vary. For instance, an individual’s kinship or clan is a social network rooted in tradition but the same individual can form social networks with workmates or playmates.

Sometimes, social networks are analyzed in terms of other diverse characteristics. For example, they can be described using the number of individuals, groups or organizations belonging to a social network, how well individuals know each other in a network, and how equal their relationships are (Minkler, 2004). Therefore, social networks are crucial to the formation of a community and to every aspect of community engagement by the various stakeholders. The social perspective suggests that for a community to develop to the fullest degree, its members must be unified in thoughts and actions.

Individual perspectiveCommunity can also be viewed from an individual’s perspective. Minkler (2004) noted that beyond the above definitions advanced by scholars, each individual has a personal sense of community membership. Each individual has a sense of membership to a certain community or communities. This sense of community affects individual’s participation in community activities and may change over time. There are numerous communities which might be relevant for individuals such as families and religious, workplace social and political associations. In the past, individuals only participated in actual communities within defined geographical regions. However, as noted earlier, globalization has enabled people to engage in ‘virtual communities’.

ConclusionIn conclusion, the concept of community is complex and can be viewed from many perspectives. Scholars have developed various concepts pertaining to the nature of the nature concept of community. One is these concepts is informed by the perspective of as community as a body of an organism with different parts which contribute together to the well being of a community. A community can also be viewed from the perspective of ‘virtual communities’ which views the world as a global village, a phenomenon which has been driven by globalization. As well, a community can be viewed from a social perspective which holds that the various stakeholders in a community are linked by social networks to form communities. Finally, a community can be viewed from individual’s perspective in which each individual is seen as having sense of membership to a certain community or communities of choice.

ReferencesHenry, S. G. The tyranny of reality JAMA, 305(4), pp. 338-339

Flavian, C. & Guinaliu, M. (2005), The influence of virtual communities on distribution

strategies in the internet, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management 33(6), pp. 405-425

Minkler, M. (2004), Community organizing and community building for health (2nd ed )

Piscataway: Rutgers University

Rheingold, H. (2000), The virtual community: homesteading on the electronic frontier.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Wagner, L., (2005), Community – A theoretical approach to a big issue, Journal of social worktheory and practice, 3(10), Retrieved from, file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/2_Community.htm

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