You may know the word Community as the popular tv show on NBC or maybe this word sounds more significant to you? As this tv-show’s name indicates , Community is about a group of people , in the same place or area, living the same kind of life, who struggles with the same problems. The tv show is about college students studying in the fictive city of Greendale. They must juggle with money, popularity, sports and exams. This is what unites them and makes them a college community. In a more etymological definition, Community means »
- The district or locality in which such a group lives.
- A group of people having common interests: the scientific community; the international business community.
- A group viewed as forming a distinct segment of society: the gay community; the community of color.
- Similarity or identity: a community of interests.
- Sharing, participation, and fellowship. »
My definition: For me, a community is a group of person sharing the same interests in which each member feels a sense of belonging towards it. It is not something frozen in time, the community evolves with the culture and the departure /arrivals of members.
The community is situated in a specific area ; it can be local or international. Also, one community can include smaller communities but, in general, they all share the same characteristics.
Example: Marie lives with her mom and dad in a beautiful little city house. It is one community. She attents the local high school (community number 2) Her pals are Sacha and Maria (community number 3), but they are a part of a different group of friends ( community number 4) . She plays soccer with the cosmos (community number 5) and she volunteers in an elderly center (community number 6). She lives in Granby (Quebec) (community number 7), etc… It goes on and on, and her community enlarge.
You may notice that she is involved in her community and it develops her sense of belonging to her community and its relations with other members. She’s an active citizen. She’s not in her room, talking to nobody. She goes out, learns everyday a little bit more on her community, asks questions about what goes on and tries to make changes about bad situations. To me, she is a good example of an active citizen. From roman times, civil rights and obligations have changed. In term of law, the voting is not obligatory, in my opinion, I believe it is a civic obligation. It is one of my duty, but I also have to take care of the members of my community and be aware of what is happening in my community. In return, I have the right to security and support from my community.
To finish this little reflection, I encourage you to be aware of people around you and be involved in this beautiful thing, called a community.
The interaction between you and other communities.
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