The term “community” is used very loosely. It is interpreted in different ways and used in different ways to have different meanings. In casual conversation, people often use the term “community” to refer to racial, religious, national, caste, linguistic, or professional communities, and sometimes to refer to humanity as a whole. Use it to. Limited Area Refers to Meaning In this sense, it is used to refer to a group or group, and in a broader sense it is used to refer to humanity as a whole.
Definition of Community
(1) Community is “an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence”. –R.M. Maclver
(2) Community is “the smallest territorial group that can embrace all aspects of social life”. –Kingsley Davis
(3) “A community is a group or collection of groups that inhabits a locality”. –Ogburn and Nimkoff
(4) Community is “a social group with some degree of “we-feeling” and living in a given area” –Bogardus
(5) Community is “any circle of people who live together and belong together in such a way that they do not share this or that particular interest only, but a whole set of interests”-Manheim
A community is therefore a geographical area in which there is a common center of interest and activity. Community is essentially a realm of social life. It is characterized by a certain degree of social consistency. Therefore, a community is a circle in which life is lived together. “Community” is an all-encompassing term. It includes all of our social relationships.
This includes numerous associations and institutions. Within the framework of the community, members can carry out economic, religious, political, educational, etc. activities. A community is therefore the overall organization of social life in a limited area. Examples: village, town, tribe, city, district.
Elements of Community
The main bases of community are: (i) locality, and (il) community sentiment.
(i) locality
A community is a local group. It always occupies a specific geographical area. Locality is the physical basis of a community. For example, even wandering tribes and nomadic communities have a place, even though their populations are changing.
A group of people forms a community only after they start living in a particular place. In contrast to societies, communities are more or less localized. Living together makes it easier to establish social connections and provides protection, safety, and security. This helps members promote and realize their common interests. Also, your physical condition has a big impact on your social life. Most communities are settled and derive a strong sense of belonging from the context of their place.
Locality remains a fundamental element of community life. However, in modern times, the connections between local communities are becoming weaker due to the development of transportation and communication. In fact, the expansion of communication itself is a condition of a larger, but still territorial, community. A region includes physical factors such as fertile soil, minerals, forests, fisheries, water resources, vegetation, weather, and climate. These factors shape and influence the lives of community members in many ways. In particular, it has a close impact on economic activity.
(ii) sense of community
Locality alone cannot form a group or community. Even if you live in the same area, you may not have contact information and may not be able to communicate. For example, people living in different areas of the city may not have enough social contacts. They may not have common views or common interests. A community is essentially a space of communal living with a sense of belonging. There should be a way of life, a communal life with an awareness of sharing the earth.
Community feeling means a sense of togetherness. Members need to realize that they are united and share common interests. The members are in awe. It means a kind of identification with the group. A community cannot exist without a sense of identity, a sense of recognition, a sense of life, and a shared common interest in life.
Other aspects of the community
(i) Stability
Communities are characterized not only by locality and sense of community, but also by stability. It is not a temporary group like a crowd or a mob. It is relatively stable. This involves permanent collective living in a specific location.
(ii) Naturalness
Communities usually arise naturally. It was not created intentionally. They are not created or produced by an act of will or planned effort. The individual becomes a member of it through birth itself. Therefore, membership is not optional. Community formation and development is voluntary. Of course, they don’t suddenly happen automatically.
(iii) community size
Community includes the concept of greatness. A community can be large or small. Small communities can be integrated into larger communities. Towns and villages can belong to larger communities called districts. Therefore, there is a community within a community. As a large municipality, a district may include smaller communities such as villages, towns, and tribes. Therefore, the term “community” is used in a relative sense.
(iv) Regulation of human relationships
Over time, each community develops a system of traditions, customs, morals, and customs. A set of rules and regulations that govern member relationships. a sense that they have something in common in terms of memories, traditions, customs, institutions, etc.
It shapes and defines the general needs of people to live together.
But in today’s era, the nature of community sentiment is gradually changing. Today’s men’s interests are diverse and complex. Their connection to their community gradually fades. In modern, highly industrialized urban communities, there is a severe lack of a sense of community.
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Definition of Community ?
Community is “an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence”. –R.M. Maclver
Elements of Community ?
The main bases of community are: (i) locality, and (il) community sentiment.
Reference Books
- C.N. Shankar Rao – Principle of sociology with an introduction to social thoughts
- Introduction to Sociology by Anthony Giddens
- A Dictionary of Sociology by John Scott
- Sociological Theory by George Ritzer
- Handbook of Indian Sociology by Veena Das
- Social Change in Modern India by M N Srinivas