ABSTRACT
This chapter will equip readers with the knowledge and skills required to create meaningful connections with the community. A community is a social group in which individuals have one or more things in common. These individuals could be living in the same place and facing challenges and opportunities associated with that place, or they could be a subpopulation with a shared culture and way of living. There is diversity and variability within any community. Some years ago, a group of public health researchers asked various people what community means to them. The emerging consensus was that a community is a group of people with diverse characteristics who share social ties and common perspectives, and who engage in joint action. Common perspectives could involve identities, values, beliefs, and shared challenges. Community-driven research requires not only multiple sources of expertise but also a large amount of flexibility and creativity in bringing people together to exchange knowledge and perspectives.
