community

a group of people living in a particular local area

"the team is drawn from all parts of the community" common ownership

"they shared a community of possessions" a group of nations having common interests

"they hoped to join the NATO community" agreement as to goals

"the preachers and the bootleggers found they had a community of interests" a district where people live

occupied primarily by private residences (ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other

A community is an amalgamation of living things that share an environment. The individual living beings can be plant or animal; any species; any size. What characterizes a community is sharing and interaction in many number of ways. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs and a multitude of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the degree of adhesion within the mixture, but the definitive driver of community is that all individual subjects in the mix have ''something'' in common. This is even true in biological communities.

The nature of community - In biological terms, natural communities are formed based upon relationships. Whether surviving in salt water, fresh water or atop a geological substrate, living things of common species are attracted to each other, at least long enough to procreate, or the species would be no more. More often than not, communities of animal species obey a built-in mandate to gather together. The rules of community that are found in nature have preserved life on this planet to this day and will most likely stay in place for some time to come.

The need for community - Since the Civilizationdawn of civilization, humankind has progressed through a series of struggles against what is known today as the human condition. Blood, bone, tissue and lymph wrapped in a single vulnerable layer of skin is the human frame when we leave the womb. At that instant, we begin to feel the constant fifteen pounds per square inch of Earth's atmosphere on our ears. We remain in need of a continuous supply of air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and (depending on latitude and social timidity) clothes to wear. We get tired and have to sleep, preferably on something soft and dry. We must from time to time clean our skin and our teeth. We are continually attacked by microscopic creatures, bothered by insects and possibly bitten by beasts. We are subject to harm by falling or getting burned, cut, or bruised. Some of us are born with defects and diseases or get them later on. This is the condition, common to us all.

The context of community - From the days of the hunter-gatherer culture, individual humans have learned that there is strength in numbers and that sharing work and resources can be a good thing. The Latin root ''munus'' or gift, brings into the meaning of community the aspect of giving of one's self to others. Related etymology for ''munere'' expands the meaning to included something prized, precious and worth defending. It is the same root as used for the word ''munitions'' (defences). Sharing in this "defencecommon defence" incorporates a balance between self-interest and shared-interests within and among members of a group and is a crucial factor in community formation. When enough participants in a group develop an attitude of caring for the well-being of the whole, or the common good, the prospect of community is present.Whatever drives people to cooperate and collaborate in the first place, is not quite as important in the context of community as what makes them continue to associate. Resilient connections between and among people are what is important in the formation of viable communities. Successful efforts by a mix of participants tend to attract the attention of other less connected individuals who may seek to join the group that is succeeding. This tendency, akin to !Herd_behaviour#The_concept_of_ herd_behaviour_as_applied_to_h uman_societies_.28crazes.29herd behavior in animals, is called !Self-organization#Self-organiz ation_in_human_societySelf-organization.Over time, some parts of humanity have progressed steadily toward more complex forms of organization and control. anthropologyHunter/gatherer tribes settled around seasonal foodstocks to become agrarian villages. Villages grew to become towns and cities. Cities turned into city-states and nation-states. The fact that commerce, industry, government and human institutions become ever larger and more complex suggests that humans, particularly those who are conversant with the rules that drive these complexes are themselves driven toward aggregation, amalgamation, and consolidation. When this increase in social capital reaches critical mass, innovations in social networks can begin to work toward a higher context through an inescapable cultural awareness of others. This phenomenon is generally called the emergence of collective consciousness.

The processes of community - It can be intuitively reasoned through subjective experience that we've all shared, regardless of culture, social classclass, religion or any other determinant, that we grow to learn who we are chiefly through contact with others. This is a progressive development which is as universal in Human experience as any single sociological component can be - the ''process'' of identification. A human being is born with a mind and a set of inherited traits. Without going into the argument of heredity with environment, it is reasonable to accept that the habits and behaviors that a person grows into are largely a function of the community group behaviors that prevailed through that process. That is the first process of community.As an individual grows into an adult another process occurs. That being a progressive accumulation of facts, truths, and hopefully insights which all move together through the process of realization. It is during plateaus reached along this progression that cognitive structures are formed, attitudes toward the local world, the society viewable from within personal scope, and an understanding of how people relate one to the other and within the context of community. This process is called socialisation.So, identification, realization and socialization brings an individual into a position of making choices about who he or she will socialize with and under what conditions and circumstances. From the perspective of the individual, selecting or deselecting groups to join is yet another process - the process of association. When associated individuals develop the intent to give of themselves to the group and maintain all of the processes from identification to association they begin to bring into practice the first process of true community - the process of communication.

Problems of community - As communities form, so usually develops a collective consciousness and a set of mores. These serve to add cohesion, harmony and continuity to a group, allowing it to grow, sometimes to a gargantuan size. Once a critical mass of people adopts a set of mores and develops a collective consciousness it becomes a society. Participation is no longer optional for the individual. Behavior is now a function of being required or compelled to conform to the norm rather than choosing to give of one's self. This condition is sometimes thought of as the status quo.A natural outgrowth of stagnant societies and large organizations is an increased propensity in individuals and factions to deviate from the norm. When enough individuals and factions decide that deviation can be a good thing, a new community can form as a subculture within the society. This can be good for the society by creating dynamics that enhance the social experiences and improve the well-being of the whole. A moderate form of this occurrence is called a social movement, while a radical form is called a revolution.Individuals and factions can decide to form alliances intent on repressing deviation, eliminating or containing subcultures, enforcing the status quo or even oppressing or destroying the parts of the society that do not suit them or fit into their idea of what the society as a whole is to represent. In both tiny communities and massive societies, problematic conditions arise involving the emergence of leaders. Leadership is a civic phenomenon that may introduce a high level of hierarchy. The structure of this hierarchy plays a key role in determining the characteristics of the whole. The community will effectively present to the larger world this personalitycollective personality.

The sense of community - Continuity of the connections between leaders and leaders, leaders and followers, followers and followers is vital to the strength of a community. Members, both leaders and followers, individually hold the collective personality of the whole. With sustained connectivityconnections and continued conversations, participants in communities, regardless of degrees of inclusion, develop emotional bonds, intellectual pathways, enhanced linguistic abilities, and even a higher capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving. It could be argued that successive and sustained contact with other humans might help to remove some of the tensions of isolation, due to disenfranchisement, thus opening creative avenues that would have otherwise remained impassable. Conversely, sustained involvement in tight communities might tend to aggravate tensions in some individuals. But, in many cases, it is easy enough to distance one's self from the ''"hive_mindhive"'' temporarily to ease this stress. In fact, psychological maturity and effective communication skills may well be a function of this ability. In nearly every context, individual and collective behaviours are required to find a balance between inclusion and exclusion; for the individual - a matter of choice; for the group - a matter of charter. The sum of the creative energy and the strength of the mechanisms that maintain this balance is manifest as an observable and resilient sense of community.

The spirit of kämyün&te - If the sense of community exists, both freedom and security exist as well. The Community then takes on a life of its own, as people become free enough to share and secure enough to get along. This is the spirit of community.

See also -

Community (disambiguation)

Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

Sense of community

The Campoverde Social Club
The Campoverde Social Club is Vancouver's friendliest European-style lounge. A place where events are hosted nightly, where the only rule is that you are not allowed to ignore people, Campoverde hsa become the de facto way of meeting new people in the city of Vancouver. With over 400 members, Campoverde is the place to meet people and do some serious networking. Whether for business networking, social networking or just to enjoy the company of new people, Campoverde has something for everyone. It provides a cozy living room feel where people find a way to connect with others in their own city. A great place to visit if you have recently moved to Vancouver or are looking to expand your social circle! OR, use it to host corporate functions, birthday parties, client appreciation nights, or any sort of holiday celebration. Please join us in making Vancouver the friendliest city in Canada! www.campoverde.ca
http://www.campoverde.ca/

Powerful Intentions Law of Attraction Community
Powerful Intentions is a unique Online Community composed of people from all walks of life who have the following things in common: -Believe in the Power of Intentions, - Were somehow Attracted to be here - Want to connect with Positive like minded people - Enjoy a little Spiritual Incorrectness - Magnetized by Abraham-Hicks and The Secret
http://www.powerfulintentions.com

Portail Fomoire - Formori Portal
Site principal de la Communauté Fomoire, groupe culturel librement inspiré du mythe des Fomoires et dédié à l'ensemble des cultures disparues.
http://www.fomoire.org/

The Register-Mail Online
A Copley newspaper serving west-central Illinois.
http://www.register-mail.com/

Sarasota Baptist Church
One Church, Two Locations, One Mission...to reach the gulf coast for Christ.
http://www.sarasotabaptist.com/

C.R. Student.Community C.R. Student.Communications C.R. Student.Compass for College of the Redwoods, Eureka CA
Resources useful to College of the Redwoods students and others, including Message board, Redwoods College directory, and communication services.
http://www.crstudent.com/

Cupertino Community Services
Cupertino Community Services, Inc. (CCS) is a private non-profit, community based agency that has been providing direct assistance and referral services to the community for more than 30 years. Founded in 1973 by three public health nurses, the Cupertino Roundup became incorporated as Cupertino Community Services in 1976. The organization provides a continuum of basic needs, family services and housing services including: information and referrals, food, clothing, shelter, affordable housing, financial assistance, and case management. CCS serves the West Valley communities of Cupertino, West San Jose, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga. Please come in and visit and learn more about how CCS can help you and those in need in our community.
http://www.cupertinocommunityservices.org/

Burntisland Online
Burntisland, Fife: current affairs, photographs, history
http://www.burntisland.net/

Groupboard
Interactive website tools for education, business and fun. Add whiteboard, chat, games, message boards, voice-over-ip conferencing and web conferencing to your site by simply copying a few lines of HTML code.
http://www.groupboard.com/

Despierta Argentina (NGO)
An Argentina NGO dedicated to strengthen the leadership of social leaders and their organizations teaching and applying Appreciative Inquiry. The mayor project is Imagine Argentina, which brings the community into dialogue and jointly constructs a positive future image and a vision for the country.
http://www.despiertaargentina.org/

Jazz Explorium
Home World of Freelance Percussionist, Community Musician, Composer, DrumCircle & Music Workshop Facilitator - Steve Ball : Participate - Create - Celebrate a Mission & Philosophy
http://www.jazzexplorium.net/

MANY COMMUNITIES; ONE HUMANITY
Scans of each page from a free monthly newspaper. The world's monthly newspaper online. International news and breaking news. Latest news and analysis, political commentary and opinion. It's FREE.
http://www.uthayam.net/

Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union
A united student community to witness for Christ
http://www.oiccu.org/

SilverOrder Clan
SilverOrder clan born in 1998 by the fusion of the two greatest Starcraft Italian Clan: Zentradi and StarMiles. Based on the ancient Enzian Religion, the Clan lasts trough the century to carry out its destiny, early prophecied by the four elemental scrolls. The community now count more than 100 members and growning. -Honor, Pride and Discipline-(cit. The Enziano)
http://www.silverorder.com/

aqua4you - Aquaristic Online Magazin
All about fish, waterplants, equipment and problems with your aquarium. Additional a great community with forums und many other activities.
http://www.aqua4you.de/

InsiderEntertainment.com
InsiderEntertainment.com ~ the premier creative online manual for metropolitan individuals seeking entertainment and enjoyment in their professional, social and cultural endeavours.
http://www.insiderentertainment.com/

SphynxCat's Real Vampires Support Page
This is a support site for real vampires, those who think they might be real vampires, or those knowing someone who might be a real vampire, even someone who's just curious about this whole real vampires stuff. Included here are pages with support information, anecdotes, advice, articles, and more. It is my belief that everyone needs a starting point somewhere, and someone to say they're not alone...
http://sphynxcatvp.nocturna.org/

WKTV Community Television
Looking for some fun? You came to the right place! Where else can you produce your own ideas, see what's going on in your community, and volunteer in community television? Answer: WKTV, thirty years of great programming and greater memories. Check out the links above and join the fun!
http://www.wktv.org

Marrakech, Inc.
A private non-prifit human services agency based out of Woodbridge, CT. We provide a wide variety of services to children and adults with disabilities.
http://www.marrakechinc.org/

Dienstleistungen für den Arbeitsmarkt
Regionales Netzwerk für arbeitsmarktorientierte Dienstleistungen
http://www.community-halle.de

My Crazy Dream
A good collection of writing, news, articles, and such put together by a close, but welcoming community.
http://www.mycrazydream.net/

Kremlins
Russina Hockey Club in Toronto, Canada
http://www.kremlins.ca/

THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS MAGAZINE
Newsinsight.net is the country's leading interactive public affairs magazine on the net. It publishes exclusive debates, special reports and features on issues related to politics, policy, business, defence and community. Newsinsight.net has an eclectic and growing readership in India and abroad. It is read by policy makers, the top corporates and government bodies. The site is exceptionally popular with researchers at reputed marketing, management, information technology, and policy-research institutes. Several internationally-reputed universities/ institutions in India and abroad recommend it.
http://www.newsinsight.net

TeleTet.org
Large funny community with lots of pictures, games and videos
http://www.teletet.org/

U2 russian community
news, articles, fanclub
http://www.u-2.ru/

3 Metri sopra il cielo
La Tana in un gesto più di mille parole.Conoscersi è un gioco da ragazzi
http://www.latana.org/

ArtistsInk
We are committed to unprecedented service to enhance the ability of artists to exhibit artwork worldwide. We are working to expand the availability of artwork and designs to art buyers everywhere. Our dedication will allow a growing web within our society to one of the most respected traditions done in the world.
http://www.artistsink.net/

Common Purpose
Common Purpose runs educational programmes and activities for leaders of all ages, sectors and backgrounds
http://www.commonpurpose.org.uk

Adventure in Himalaya
Adventure travel including treks, camps, mountain biking, rafting in Himalaya
http://www.himalayan-adventure.com/

Ipswich Community Church
ipswich community church, ICC, a charismatic church, which currently meets at Thurleston School and regularly runs alpha and youth alpha courses, kids klub and mother and toddler group.
http://www.icchurch.co.uk/

Virtual Homes
Directory of virtual community web sites providing virtual visits, tours of cities and towns. Real estate, demographic, school and relocation inoformation as well as MLS searches are provided.
http://www.virtualhomes.com

Ascension
Official Website of the Bavarian Melodic Death Metal Band Ascension.
http://www.ascension-net.de/

Promise House Christian Community
A description of Promise House intentional Christian community in Coventry UK, part of Jesus Fellowship Church and the Jesus Army.
http://promisehouse.org.uk/

The Virtual-Real World of Watchers
This site consecrated to the Сommunity of Watches, which was described by Sergey Lukianenko in his books and shown in the film «Night Watch» («Nochnoy Dozor»). Here you can find much interesting information about books, movies, music and many other subjects concerned to the World of Others. In the section called «Twilight Zone» there are some news about the movie «Night Watch» and the forum, where you can meet good interlocutors to discuss in English all the problems you are interested in.
http://www.dozorny.ru/

we make you successful
Leading infoportal for IT-Startups with more than 600.000 tips and links.
http://www.hannoverstartup.de/

tonsonde - cologne chunky breakz
homebase of cologne/ berlin based underground breakbeat crew
http://www.tonson.de/

r-evolución
Diseño Gráfico Latinoamericano
http://www.r-ev.net

Parking Network
Parking Network is worlds'largest online information source on parking B2B.
http://www.parking-net.com/

John Carling
You have to see the John Carling web site and its many secret areas, 3d games and design work in the community!
http://www.johncarling.com/

Christian Life Community (Malta) / Komunita Hajja Nisranija
The official site of CLC Malta (Komunita' Ħajja Nisranija - KHN) forming part of the World Christian Life Community (CLC or CVX), an international lay movement. CLC is made up of small communities, organised into larger communities regionally and nationally, together forming the World Community.
http://www.clcmalta.org/

Enrico Cantarelli Community
Enrico Cantarelli website and hobbies. Many travel experience, holidays and Motorbike travel.
http://www.enricocantarelli.it/

Ashton Court Festival
Bristol's best-kept secret - a fantastic outdoor festival held every summer featuring Two outdoor stages showcasing the best of local bands with national headliners to finish. The Bigger Top featuring souly, funky, hip-hop, jazzy bands. The Global marquee featuring a unique mix of modern and traditional music from around the world. A Performing Arts marquee featuring dance, poetry, comedy and theatre. The Acoustic marquee. A large kids' area. Blackout, a marquee featuring experimental film and music Plus over 150 stalls selling foods and crafts from around the world, three Event bars and fairground rides.
http://www.ashtoncourtfestival.com/

Portal der Magie
Willkommen im Portal zur Magie.
http://www.magieportal.com

The Official Website of Behshad Hastibakhsh
Behshad Hastibakhsh, 35, is an award winning Political Scientist by training, Marketing & Public Relations Specialist by experience, Public Speaker and published Writer with passion.
http://www.behshadh.com/

Der HiFi - Treffpunkt mit HiFi-Forum, Heimkino-Forum, HiFi-Galerie, HiFi-Links
Tipps und Infos rund um HiFi und Heimkino, HiFi-Forum, Heimkino-Forum, HiFi-Ratgeber, HiFi-Tipps, HiFi-Community
http://www.hifi-privat.de

Our Town Casper Magazine
Casper's community based, family oriented, just plain out fun, Our Town Magazine
http://www.ourtowncasper.com/

PurePressure
Purepressure is a trendy company organizing parties in the urban and eclectic scene in Holland. Visitors of PurePressure parties come from Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, England etc. The company behind the succes of PurePressure is Double-O Productions.
http://www.purepressure.nl/

Old Fire Recovery Group
Citizen led organization dedicated to recovery from the 2003 California Firestorm
http://www.oldfirerecoverygroup.org/

The Boogie North Website
What started as a party in 1992 has evolved into a way of life. The boogie preserves one of the vanishing musical genres, the jam session. YEAH BABY! BOOYAH SKIDADDY...
http://www.theboogie.com/

Papachunks.com
Need something big and heavy!? Check papachunks.com for all your entertainment needs!
http://www.papachunks.com/

The Amanatee Group
Amanatee Business Development and Personal Innovation for Process and Growth.
http://www.amanatee.com

Rice-Cafe
Rice-Cafe aims to be the voice for the Asian-Canadian arts community. By providing artists with the opportunity to showcase their work, and themselves, we hope to increase public awareness of the talent that exists within this community and in doing so, create new opportunities for Asian-Canadian artists.
http://www.rice-cafe.com/

The Outsiders
Relax and meet new friends, discuss life, music, books, art or poetry. Find some more discussions or help with your pc-problems. Present your Websites in our Showroom or write some funny Storys for our Website too. Write a review or take a look in our music-, film-, hardware or gamereviewdatabase. Your're welcome to find a german site and forum to spend your time there.
http://the-outsiders.net

BDSM-aktuell
Bei uns erwarten dich Diskussionen und Informationen zu BDSM und thematisch verwandten Bereichen im Forum. Für den direkten Austausch finden sich immer nette Gesprächspartner im Chat. Bei uns herrscht eine lockere Atmosphäre, in der aber auch ernste Themen nicht zu kurz kommen.
http://www.bdsm-aktuell.de

Your Online Information Directory to Markham, Ontario, Canada
Providing up to date information of exciting annual events, festivals, movies, clubs, attractions, and a comprehensive business directory of over 1000 web sites of Markham, including help to job agencies and 25 top job search engines for employment.
http://www.guidingstar.ca/

Community of Science
Network of scientists and their institutions geared toward publicizing research, collaboration, & funding opportunities - from Johns Hopkins Univ.
http://www.cos.com/

drkoop.com, Inc.
Develops and operates interactive website offering users comprehensive healthcare information and services. (Nasdaq: KOOP).
http://www.drkoop.com/

Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Dedicated to supporting and advancing teaching and learning by working collaboratively with faculty, administrators and district-wide groups.
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/

Europese Unie
Geeft toegang tot persmededelingen, wetgeving, informatie-fiches en wordt verspreid door de Europese Unie en zijn instellingen.
http://www.europa.eu.int/

CORDIS - Servizio comunitario di informazione in materia di ricerca e sviluppo
Presenta attività, programmi e progetti finanziati, guida ed informazioni di base, servizi interattivi, banche dati, news.
http://www.cordis.lu/

Borland Community
Devoted to all aspects of the Borland developer community.
http://community.borland.com/

American Association of Community Colleges
Features academic resources, community college finders, research, and publications for higher education administrators and students worldwide.
http://www.aacc.nche.edu/