Putting Community in Place

Abstract

Community' is a term which is used widely and loosely. People often speak of such things as a 'rural community', a 'migrant community', the 'gay community', 'gated communities' and even 'the community of scholars'. Belonging to a community is seen as overwhelmingly positive. Threats to community are viewed as bad, often implying a loss of social capital. Erosion of community is interpreted by some as a cause of social problems as atomised individuals lose feelings of belonging, are set adrift from social pressure, and pursue self-absorbed goals. The title of Robert Putnam's 'Bowling Alone' vividly captured something of the fear which surrounds the breakdown of community. Governments and citizens are frequently exhorted to create 'stronger communities' in order to counter the erosion of social capital. 'Community development' is thus a worthy field of study in academia and an important area of policy development. In short, communities seem to have 'miraculous properties', leading one media commentator to ask 'who but some sort of sociopath could have anything bad to say about communities?' before going on to observe that 'Community has become a cult, an object of warm-and-fuzzy ritual worship for politicians of all stripes, academics and the rapidly expanding new class of social commentators.