CESC ETA

what is a community

• a unified body of individuals with common interests, characteristics, or location

• communities can overlap

• can be joined by default or choice

• every community has community assets/resources

  • are positive activities, facilities, and services that keep members healthy

  • examples

    • hospitals, parks, libraries, community centers

  • community members must maintain the assets

communities in different perspectives

• social sciences perspective

  • people interacting in a particular area

  • social relationships are important to effect productive community functions

• institutional perspective

  • needs 3 dimensions

    • establishment of physical space

      • people go here for a particular reason

    • social model

      • networks and institutions where people gather to meet their needs

    • how people act in relation to each other

      • marriage, roles in society, etc.

  • civil society perspective

    • affective model of community

      • idea of forming a group or org to serve the community

      • examples

        • people’s org, civic orgs, social movements

  • local and grassroots perspective

    • volunteerism and active citizens’ engagement

      • self-organization is encouraged for fruitful community engagements

nature of community

• community us a social construct

  • people interact meaningfully

  • actions are based on shared expectations, values, beliefs, and meanings

• community has fuzzy boundaries

  • boundaries aren’t precise

  • human interactions reflect not only the ones consisting of the residents’ in a community

• community can exist within a larger community

  • communities may include districts, regions, ethnic groups, nations, and other boundaries

  • intermarriages and other interactions may link one community to another

• communities may move

  • physical mobility is inevitable

    • is usually economy driven

solidarity vs. unity

• solidarity

  • emphasized the shared interests and goals that bring groups together while still allowing individuality and distinction

  • embraces diversity within alliances

  • emphasized cooperation in the pursuit of common interests and goals

  • diverse groups of people work collectively towards a common cause but retain their own identity

  • alliance where members support one another from their own platforms

  • losing solidarity means losing alliances, not identities

  • is voluntary and respectful of autonomy

  • movements are resilient since members can work together or separately

• unity

  • tends toward merging into a single cohesive whole without internal differences

  • seeks to blend identifies

    • sometimes at the cost of uniqueness and individuality

  • strives for universality by bringing all under one uniform platform or ideology

  • risks quashing diversity in favor of homogeneity

  • losing unity can disrupt previously blended identities

  • tends to be more compulsory

    • demands conformity to a collective will

  • risks fracturing entirely if the collective will or ideology changes