ü Defining Community
According to
Socrates, a person who is separate from other living things and is unable to
exist in a group or society is either a Beast or a God. The word
"community" is a mixture of two Latin words, "cam"
and "munis," which mean "together" and "serve,"
respectively.
Men, like
trees, require soil to root in so that they can have some sort of bond to a
particular place where they live in communities. Men have never lived by
themselves. The social ties that bind each man to others—the closest being
those of the family and close kin groups—have been a fundamental prerequisite
of existence. But in order to bind people to more comprehensive social
arrangements, additional, wider social ties have always been necessary.
Communities are the name given to the form that emerged from these broader
links.
Any group,
no matter how big or little has individuals who work well together because
they share not only one or two interests, but also the necessities of daily
living. The fundamental tenet of the idea is that one can live their entire
life in a community, such as a city, clan, or hamlet. It might be capable of
meeting its own demands in terms of necessities. Small communities occur within
bigger communities as cities within districts, within a province as provinces
within larger communities as cities within districts, within a state as states
within the world, and within a country as provinces within larger communities
as cities within districts.
Simply said,
a community is a group of people who live in close proximity to one another and
who depend on one another for their daily needs. Together, the many different
tasks carried out by its members represent an effort to guarantee that social
and economic requirements would be satisfied in a steady and predictable
manner.
Community Definition sociology
Ø Definition
According to
Talcott Parsons, a community is "a collective whose members share a
similar territorial territory as their basis of operation."
"An
organic, natural type of social association whose members are held together by
a sense of belonging developed out of daily contacts across the entire range of
human activity," was how Ferdinand Tonnies defined community.
A community,
in the words of German sociologist Karl Mannheim, is "any circle of
individuals who live together and belong together in a way that they do not
share this or that single interest but an entire set of interests."
Community Definition sociology
Ø Different
Community Types in Sociology
Two
different kinds of communities exist. Communities in rural and urban settings
differ in terms of their social climates.
·
Rural Community
Rural
community is an organic occurrence. It exists in every society around the globe
that has a unique culture and social structure. It truly resulted from the
natural free will of individuals who had remarkably comparable life goals and
aspirations. The primary characteristic and element is agriculture. The
majority of the face-to-face interactions that members of this group have
involved a high degree of identity homogeneity. This town, it is typically
lacking in basic urban amenities like a school, hospital, market, municipal
building, police station, etc.
Community Definition sociology
·
Urban Community
The contrast
between rural and urban communities is stark. Urban residents' relationships
with one another are quite impersonal because of the complexity and
heterogeneity of their identities and way of life. Actually, it is the result
of deliberate action. The identity of an urban community is a complicated
division of labour with specialisation in each employee's line of work.
Commonly accessible modern civic amenities are available.
Ø Common
Qualities
However,
sociologists agree that for a collection of individuals to be referred to as a
community, a shared set of characteristics must exist. These typical traits
include:
• It is a
team of individuals that communicate with one another.
• The
contact is taking place within a geographically constrained area. Everyday
activities, both work-related and leisure-related, take place in a single,
self-contained geographic area.
• Members of
the community exhibit similar attitudes, values, and behaviours.
• There is a
certain social structure inside the community. There are other groups of people
who, in the absence of a social framework, might not be referred to as
communities.
• The
participants feel a sense of community.
We can better
comprehend the meaning of a community if we examine its traits or components.
These qualities determine whether or not a group is a community. Community,
however, has the following traits or components:
(1) A collection of individuals
The most
fundamental or crucial quality or component of a community is a group of
individuals. The term "community" always refers to a group of people,
no matter how big or little. Because a community cannot exist without a group
of people, a community is created when a group of people live together, share a
common existence, and are strongly connected by a feeling of community.
Consequently, the fundamental requirement for a community is a collection of
individuals.
(2) A
specific location
It is the
following crucial aspect of a community. community is a territorial group,
hence. A group of people cannot create a community on their own. Only when a
group of individuals live in a specific territory do they constitute a
community. It's not necessary to repair the area permanently. A group of
people, such as nomadic nomads, may switch up where they live. But because the
majority of the community has settled down, they have developed a strong sense
of unity and solidarity.
(3) Stability
Community is
a group that is always present. It refers to people residing permanently inside
a specific territory. It is permanent, unlike that of a crowd or an
organisation.
(4) Comparability
A
community's members share a number of characteristics. They have a common way
of life and pursue some shared goals because they are residents of a specific
area. Similarities in language, culture, traditions and many other areas are
seen among the members. Similarities in these areas are what lead to the
emergence of a sense of community.
(5) Wider Ends
A
community's goals are greater. Members of a community work together towards a
variety of goals rather than the accomplishment of one specific goal. These are
typical for a neighbourhood.
(6)
Naturalness
Communities
are arranged organically. It is neither a result of human volition nor a result
of a political decision. It develops on its own. People joined the group at
birth.
(7) Total structured social life
Total
organised social life is what distinguishes a community. It implies that all
facets of social life are included in a community. So a community is a tiny
version of society.
(8) A
Specific Name
Every
community is known to the outside world by a certain name. By that moniker,
members of a community are also recognised. For instance, residents in Odisha
are referred to as odia.
(9) Legally Inactive
Because it
is not a legal person, a community has no legal standing. From the viewpoint of
the law, it has no rights or obligations. It is not a product of local
legislation.
(10) Community
Size
The size of
a community determines how it is categorised. It could be enormous or little. A
village is an illustration of a tiny community, while a country or perhaps the
entire world is an illustration of a large community. Both types of communities
are necessary for maintaining human life.
Community Definition sociology
