In some cases it is a place, or environment, that displays certain social characteristics, that can be identified and described. Community is also something that is felt and has an emotional or affective impact (Day, 2006, p. 31). It is a set of human interactions and behaviors that have meaning and expectations among its members. Members of a community base their actions on shared beliefs, meanings, expectations and values (Bartle, 2007). The concept of community has changed over time to meet the necessary expectations of individuals who belong to the community. Community was once based on political ties and was a contractual relationship between individuals (Delaney, 2010, p.1). During the Enlightenment, the idea of community referred to the immediate world of meaning, belonging, and everyday life (Delaney, 2010, p.2). Due to the rationalization of society it can be argued that the idea of community is disappearing and that at some point in the future communities will no longer exist. Whether this is due to a physical change in the person, such as where one works or lives, or to a change in social models in which individuals no longer feel the need to belong to a community, is a problem.
tags