3. Community Flashcards
SENSE OF COMMUNITY
- refers to the feeling of belonging that results from experience of community (positive and negative interactions)
- focuses on the experience of community rather than its structure or physical features
- it involves feeling that members belong, are connected to each other, and believe that their needs will be met through their involvement in the group
COMMUNITY
- a group of two or more people who share social relationships through either living geographically close to one another and/or being in regular contact with people who have shared ideologies or similar interests
- eg. Bendigo community
INSTITUTION
an established and structured pattern of behavior (eg. customs and laws), or a relationship that is accepted as an important feature of society (eg. the institutions of marriage and family)
- There are a vast array of contemporary communities. They include:
- geographical communities (eg. local neighborhood)
- cultural communities (eg. ethnic group such as Indigenous groups)
- community organizations (eg. charitable organizations such as the Lions Club)
- interest-based communities (eg. comprising of people who share a common identity other than location and who often interact regularly such as Land Care environmental group)
- intentional communities (eg. formed with purpose of providing social and/or practical support for a group such as a retirement village)
- internet communities (eg. Facebook)
- Why did Ferdinand Tonnies (1855 - 1936), Max Weber (1864 - 1920) and other sociologists become interested in communities and their purpose in broader society?
It was during a time of significant social change in Europe and America caused by industrialization and urbanization (i.e. in cities close to places of work). These processes had an enormous impact of people’s daily lives.
- Why was the Industrial Revolution so influential to the change in community?
The Industrial Revolution (1760 - 1850) refers to a very significant change that redefined the way society was structured and it has had a lasting impact on the modern world.
It transformed society economically (moving from agrarian farming economy to a manufacturing economy), technologically (from manual to mechanical labour), and socially (from rural to urban life, and changing control over labour processes and gender relations).
- What did Ferdinand Tonnies study?
In the late 19th century, the German sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies (1855 - 1937) studied how life in the new industrial cities differed from life in rural villages.
Tonnies’ work reflects an admiration for the way that Gemeinschaft groups maintain social cohesion, and a concern about the loss of these forms of community.
FERDINAND TONNIES THEORY OF COMMUNITY
Tonnies introduced two concepts that reflected the contrast between very different social experiences.
The German word Gemeinschaft (community) refers to relationships on a community-level that are cohesive, close and long-lasting, and in which people are closely tied by kinship (family) and tradition (eg. rural farming communities).
Tonnies used the word Gesellschaft (society) to refer to relationships on a societal-level that are individualistic and impersonal. Gesellschaft is used to describe post-industrial and urban relationships, where people are more anonymous, private and busy (eg. corporate workplaces).
What are the key features of a Gemeinschaft community?
- bonds among people are intimate and personal
- based on strong social ties, tradition and personal relationships
- descriptive of rural life
- people know each other, share interests orientated toward collective community
- shared identity
- family ties are strong which provides unity
What are the key features of a Gesellschaft community?
- bonds are practical and impersonal
- association of people with weak social ties, considerable social diversity and impersonal relationships
- descriptive of urban life
- people largely motivated by self-interest which can result in disunity
- few common values or shared identities
- tradition and custom are no longer binding forces; individuals choose to participate
What did Emile Durkheim suggest about community?
Durkheim agreed with Tonnies but thought that modern communities had strong social bonds and organised themselves ‘organically’. This was as opposed to traditional communities which were a little more rigid in roles and structure, more ‘mechanical’.
What are the features of traditional communities?
- geographically based
- strong family ties
- conservative (values and structures)
- vulnerable to changes in social attitudes and technological advances
- easily affected by government policies and urbanization
- culturally homogenous
What are the features of modern communities?
- interest-based
- loose-knit (only connected by the activity or interest that they have in common)
- not geographically based
- eg. sporting clubs
- cope well with change (and movement)
- assisted by advances in technology and urbanization
- socially diverse
The common features of both traditional and modern communities are:
- sense of belonging
- identity
- security
- social interaction and participation
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
- equipment and machinery that is used to store and/or distribute information
- allows for immediacy of information, improves efficiency and is enjoyable for individuals to participate in
- eg. computers, mobile phones, Internet
