Introduction
A community is a group of people who live together in a social setting regardless of the diversity in terms of backgrounds such as social, spiritual, educational, ethnic, economic, political, etc. They are able to communicate effectively and work as a team towards a routine interest. Members of a particular community should be able to have a common geographical location, interest, characteristics, history and culture, globalization, and virtual setting.
Geographical Location
These types of communities have nothing in common other than the location which binds together the people living around them. This type of community is defined by the boundary from which its members reside. Thus, places such as towns, cities, urban centers, workstations, places of worship, learning institutions, and markets fall into this category. However, people who form this kind of community do have habitual ties based on cultures, beliefs, attitudes, and shared access to resources and services. They always have enhanced social interaction and close communication that brings their members together toward a shared goal.
Interest
In terms of interest, the people from this kind of community normally come together to share their concerns over such policy concerns, discrimination, lack of employment opportunities, poverty, inequality in education, and segregation. They congregate to tell their story or what makes them unique when compared to their surrounding communities (Redirecting, n.d.). The assemblies can help members advocate for many things including fighting for their rights to education, land, housing, food, and inclusion into the political processes of their countries. In most cases, if they fail to join hands, their interest is always ignored or defined for them by people who do not understand their problems (Redirecting, n.d.). This category could include those from different races or ethnicities, residents of a certain place, and individuals working in a specific organization.
History and Culture
People who form or fall into this form of the community have a distinct identity. They traditionally include sub-cultures, ethnicities, races, religious groups, multicultural individuals, and global civilizations. It impacts people’s lives and shapes their individual group behavior. In most cases, the members are born in the same environment, grow together, learn about their traditions, and get experience in their social systems. Further, they have both individual and collective recognition through linkages that connect them to life-long adventures. Their unique feature is the recognition of their ways of life dictated by certain norms, rules, myths, and even rules (Dscovr, 2020). History and culture create a sense of belonging to its members and everyone feels like they are part of shared values and it is the source of pride for each member (Dscovr, 2020). Furthermore, the traditions are the fabrics that bind and hold its members together.
In the ancient days, communities defined by specific cultures would have a focal point of reference in the form of administration that was ruled by chiefs or kings. In the modern setup, different groups of races or ethnicities in most parts of the world, do coexist and live together as one nation (Dscovr, 2020). They are united by the same aspirations and goals despite their diversities and form a government to preside over their affairs.
Global Community
Due to the ever-changing nature of the world and the interconnectivity in terms of transport and communication systems, the human landscape has changed completely. The world is now open for everybody (Dscovr, 2020). Therefore, the interaction levels of people across the world have equally expanded. Thus, individuals are now capable of being part of multiple communities since there are no limitations on whom they meet, share ideas, and socialize with. This has created room for people across the world to move from one point to another, work in different places, and live far away from their places of birth among different races (Dscovr, 2020). Globalization has given way to bigger and better communities that are diverse in cultures, language, education, and gender but live together.
People from various cultures form a community, learn each other’s values, and begin to understand and appreciate their differences. It makes members have a sense of responsibility to one another irrespective of variations in social norms (Forgeard, 2021). Lastly, a global community mixes individuals with different talents, life experiences, and professions, so it gives members the advantage of tapping from the pool of several experts for advice on issues affecting them.
Virtual Setting
There are virtual communities that are growing faster because of technological advances. Constituents always converge in technological space, where they usually link with each other, tap into friends’ narratives, and encounters and build long-term associations Dscovr, 2020). They can as well be called e-communities because they are groups of people who mostly interact through communication media such as telephone calls, emails, and instant messages. In addition, their interactions are common on social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram among others rather than face-to-face. Many of these types of communities are formed for socialization, educational, professional, sports, and business purposes. One distinct feature of this community is that the host, who is usually the owner of the digital site has control over the structure of how their members can build these relationships with each other.
Conclusion
A community is a category of individuals who live together or interlink in social places regardless of the differences in terms of backgrounds such as social, spiritual, educational, ethnic, economic, and political. Firstly, they could be defined as geographical members who find themselves sharing common places such as towns, cities, urban centers, workplaces, places of worship, learning institutions, and markets. In most cases, those bonded by location normally have ties in terms of shared access to resources and services. Secondly, a community could equally be formed with those who have a common interest that they intend to pursue to advance their welfare. Thirdly, individuals with a distinct identity in terms of culture, history, norms, and traditions have been regarded as a community of particular sub-cultures, ethnicities, races, religious groups, multicultural individuals, and global civilizations. They have both individual and collective recognition through linkages that connect them to life-long adventures, and their traditions become the fabric that binds and holds its members together.
Additionally, the rapid growth of sophisticated transport and communication systems across the world has created global and virtual communities. Individuals from one section of the world can easily travel and meet with others from different parts of the world. Thus, enables an individual to be part of diverse groups since there are no limitations on whom they share ideas and socialize with. Likewise, people now use digital space to connect with each other, tap into friends’ stories, and experiences and create lasting associations.
Reference List
Dscovr. (2020) A brief history of community. Web.
Forgeard, V. (2021) ‘What is global community?’ Brilliantio. Web.
Redirecting. (n.d.) Rules of redirecting: Community of interest. Web.