Sense of community
From Geography
The concept of community can be used in two ways. One way is the territorial and geographical notion. Examples are our neighbourhoods, towns or cities. The second way is relational and is concerned with the character of human relationships without a reference to space. McMillan and Chavis (1986) give us a definition of sence of community which contains four elements. The first one is membership (the feeling of belonging or sharing that you’re related). An important reaction on membership is the exclusion of other people: who does and who does not belong to the group? The second one is influence (a sence of mattering, the group you belong to matters to its members). The third one is reinforcement or integration (you will receive your needs because of your membership in a group). The fourth and last element is shared emotional connection (the feeling and belief that the members of the group share and have shared history, time, places and experiences). Through these elements, McMillan and Chavis have determined a definition of sence of community: ‘… a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together.’ (McMillan, 1976, in: McMillan & Chavis, 1986). It can be said that sence of community is an powerful force in our culture. The power of a group can also be used in a bad way, for example the intimidation or attack of people who do not belong to the group. Sence of community drives people closer to each other, which can result in the arise of subgroups. This can increase the chance of social conflicts.
Literature
McMillan, D.W. & Chavis, D.M. (1986). Sence of community: a definition and theory [Electronic version]. Accessed on 9 October 2012.
Page created by Rosalie Koen on 9 October 2012.
