ABSTRACT
The concept of community is fundamental to the practice of community development. It is, however, a term that is mostly ill defined, and which is often used as a vague generic (and sometimes meaningless) label that is attached to people. It is essential for community development workers to understand what a community is, and what it is not, and to be clear in their practice which real communities they are working with (and who is included in this grouping). We look at how:
There is a continuing myth that communities functioned better in the past
Many so-called communities today are defined by planners on the basis of administrative convenience
Community is a product of self-identification with a group based on culture, not by administrative structures
Communities function through deploying a range of cultural rituals and reinforcing activities
There is no such thing as a meaningful overarching community – we all live and function through our own set of micro communities
Community development workers need to identify the various micro communities to which people belong. They are the basis for building social capital and creating more integrated networks of people
Community development practice can only be effective if we are clear on what we mean by ‘community’ and understand the nature of the real relationships between people.
