Tuesday 23 August 2011

What is community?

In previous posts I have argued that  'community' is a chameleon word and for the need to be very careful in its use, particularly when making funding applications.  In a given geographic area it is often claimed that there is a community of geography, when on closer inspection it is apparent that people in an area have little in common.

It should be obvious that an individual will belong to a number of communities.  A white male, living in rented accommodation, supporting the local football club, working in a factory and relaxing in his local pub belongs to a different set of communities to a black female, an owner-occupier, attending the local theatre, working in a supermarket and relaxing at home. The fact these two people might live in the same street does not per se make them part of the same community.  They might have an interest in common, for example if their children attend the same school.


It is too easy to lump people together and claim they are a 'community'.  This might explain why community centres are used by only a very small proportion of the residents of the area it is intended to serve.  The users form their own community and the challenge is to encourage non-users to become part of a centre's community.

At this juncture I will throw in an idea.  Suppose we have 30 people .  Analysis shows that all share three things in common: all are white, send their children to the same school and watch the local football team.  Does this turn them into a community?  We then take another 30 people: all black, all send their children to the same school as the white individuals and they are all interested in athletics.

The one thing in common is the schooling of their children.  They may form a community in this regard, but not in any other respect.

So, if we take a given geographic area should we define community by ascertaining common denominators?  If we do, is there an heirarchy of denominators, some of little importance, others of significance? 

The conclusion I draw is that we should seek to escape from the use of the word 'community' and home in on the identification of the number of people faced with the same issue(s).  The use of the word 'community' is not helpful, indeed it slipshod. 



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