Changes to the Concept of Community Over Time
Ferdinand Tönnies’ Concepts
• Gemeinschaft ("community")
– Small-scale, close-knit, long-lasting relationships
– Basis: kinship, tradition, shared land, religion
– Guided by collective norms & moral laws (church, family)
– Minimal social / geographical mobility
– Culturally homogeneous
– Typical settings: rural villages, extended families, religious enclaves
• Gesellschaft ("society")
– Large-scale, impersonal, strategic relationships
– People meet by choice for specific goals; driven by individual gain
– High social / geographical mobility; anonymity
– Culturally heterogeneous
– Typical settings: corporate firms, schools, sporting clubs
• Historical shift
– Before industrialisation → predominance of Gemeinschaft
– After industrialisation & urbanisation → rise of Gesellschaft
– Modern communities usually blend both forms
– Tönnies published theory in
Michel Maffesoli’s Neo-Tribes
• Definition
– Fluid, temporary groups built on shared interests & emotions (not location)
– Provide belonging in fragmented, post-modern society (first outlined )
• Core characteristics
– Fluidity: easy entry/exit
– Shared identity: feelings & experiences over structures
– Key bonding factors:
• Territory → physical or symbolic space
• Common tastes → music, fashion, events
• "Return of the Eternal Child" → playfulness, spontaneity, creativity
• Examples
– Online gaming clans, music fan bases, gym / Pilates communities, style subcultures (hipsters, skaters)
• Drivers of emergence
– Post-modern individualism
– Digital revolution & social media expanding non-local ties
Comparing Tönnies & Maffesoli
• Similarities
– Both recognise humans seek connection & belonging
– Both examine how societal change reshapes community
• Differences
– Time frame: Tönnies → industrial era; Maffesoli → -century, globalised, digital era
– Structure: Tönnies uses fixed dichotomy (Gemeinschaft vs Gesellschaft); Maffesoli emphasises fluid, overlapping groups
– Evaluation: Tönnies sees modernity eroding warmth; Maffesoli highlights new, positive forms of affiliation
Key Takeaways for Revision
• Gemeinschaft = traditional, kin-based, cohesive
• Gesellschaft = modern, individualistic, impersonal
• Neo-tribes = interest-based, fluid, emotion-driven groups enabled by digital culture
• Contemporary communities usually contain elements of all three.