ABSTRACT
Social workers often speak of “community” in their work, and it can mean different things to different people, depending on the context in which the word is used. Communities exist, ideally, to help promote the health, safety, and well-being of their members and to meet members’ needs. Warren specified five main functions of communities that help to support members. These functions revolve around socialization; social control; social participation; mutual support; and production, distribution, and consumption. Community membership and participation are avenues through which members are socialized. Children, for example, learn roles, rules, norms, and cultural values through their parents and families, but they also learn them from other members of the community, such as their peers, teachers, religious leaders, and the media. Different sectors of communities share, pass along, and reinforce beliefs, customs, teachings, traditions, and behavioral expectations. Socialization can be thought of as one way to control human behavior and create conformity or social control.
