Humans, by nature, are social creatures, which is very important in understanding human behavior and society. Unification into various groups has, for thousands of years, helped people in the process of survival. The notion and essence of communities, so widely used today, have constantly been changing, forming communities, states, and diasporas. Today, the word community is more often used to describe a group of people united by a particular idea or hobby with something in common that would allow them to be separated from the rest of society. It is essential to understand that the same person can be a member of several communities, and he may not know the existence of people who share his tastes and interests.
The existence of different communities is essential when considering the progress of human values. A vivid example of the usefulness of different communities can be considered the flash mob “Me too,” created within the feminist community to support the victims of rape. It was the fact of the existence of a large number of people who had gone through the same experience that made this flash mob so famous. Victims stopped being afraid and gradually began sharing their stories more. It is one of the most important values of modern communities. They allow people to understand that many others like them in the world, some of whom have already solved their problems and can help others. Also, the existence of such communities gives a person confidence that they are normal. Everyone has their deviations and oddities, which people often consider oddities. Still, the existence of whole associations of people with similar tastes lets people know that they are normal and should not hide from the world.
Speaking of communities, first of all, we should talk about various social communities united by a specific ideology or value. I have been most influenced by the global liberal community, which puts the individual’s freedom at the center of its values. Liberalism emerged during the increasing value of human life and the increasing importance of human rights (Dworkin, 2017). The idea that people should not be locked into public opinion and should not be discriminated against and oppressed was very much in harmony with my inner sense of justice. Social movements and ideologies, the feminist community, the American Democrat community, and many others are worth mentioning. All of these communities are very large and aim to spread different ideas. Much of my value system, as well as my worldview, is built based on these movements as well as the words of their representatives. It determines my political and economic views and attitudes towards people and animals.
Continuing the theme of communities, it is worth noting the various communities of interest. They became ubiquitous after the spread of social networks around the world, which made it possible to find like-minded people from the other side of the globe. Any work of fiction, song, movie, series, or anime has a community of fans who discuss the topic of their famous works and organize various festivals and contests. In Japan, a cosplay culture has emerged, the essence of which is that fans dress up like any characters and have their gatherings (Malisi, 2017). These communities vary in size, focus, and goals, but they all have in common that they also impact a person’s personality. Communicating within communities of those who love Japanese anime, communicating within communities or fandoms on various games somehow influences a person’s behavioral traits, manner of communication, and outlook. People often identify Korean RPG fans as patient and DOTA 2 fans as aggressive and nervous (Malisi, 2017). Although these are just stereotypes about people, they are often related to the genre of a particular game and generally reflect the atmosphere in the community.
Each community has its own communication rules and attitudes toward certain events, people, and processes. Such communities have a unique socialization function, as they allow people with common interests to communicate, discuss their attitudes toward certain news related to their community, and make new acquaintances. Moreover, in these communities, it is possible to hear different interpretations of the books one has already read or movies one has seen. Often, talented members of various communities become involved in adding to the story they have come to love. It manifests in millions of amateur art, skits, manga, covers, and memes. Among such communities, the most significant influence on me was the community of fans of the Steven Universe, an animated series about the values of freedom, human rights, and dignity. The various people I talked to in that community increased my understanding of the cartoon series, and the heated discussions about the various plot twists had me philosophizing for hours on end about why it was so unique. The anime community also has a very different atmosphere and social rules because Japanese animation culture differs from American or European culture.
Finally, another large group of communities worth mentioning is the group of communities of professional interest. These are various associations of talented artists, musicians, engineers, programmers, and other professionals. These communities are beneficial because they contain oodles of different tricks and the experience of more competent professionals. In such communities, people share their knowledge and skills, which undoubtedly affects the industry’s overall development. It is also worth understanding that communities are limited to a particular locality or the entire world among the representatives of any professional estates. The most influential of these communities for me was the American Musicians community, which consisted of people involved in jazz. In this community, music trends and consumer tastes were often brought up, various masterpieces were discussed, and people shared their experiences in writing music. This inspired me to study music theory and changed my thoughts about consuming music.
So there are a considerable number of different communities in the world. They can be different in their focus, the number of participants, how they communicate, and how they are localized. Nevertheless, their existence allows people with common interests to communicate more, offer ideas for developing industry or genre, realize their potential, or share their experiences with others. The accessibility of Internet communities which the development of the Internet and social networks has given humanity, has made even the most elitist or, on the contrary, narrowly specific public. Regardless of their citizenship, people worldwide can communicate with those who think like them.
Moreover, people have access to more in-depth knowledge in the topic they are interested in, receive support from other society members, and often implement projects that would be very difficult to imagine without the help of many people. Different communities fight for justice worldwide, advocate for the poor, and protect nature. Other communities may be aimed at popularizing art or as a general platform for creativity. All this is part of the modern accessibility of information, allowing a person to feel less lonely and feel a sense of belonging to a society or movement, creating a sense of security and confidence.
References
Dworkin R. (2017). Liberal community. In Sexual Orientation and Rights (pp. 133-158). Routledge. Web.
Malisi, S., Suharsono, S., & Setiawan, S. (2017). Language and identity in online gamer community. Journal of English language and literature, 8(617), 10-17722. Web.