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bePART

ONE: BENEDICT ANDERSON

1. What does Anderson mean by saying that a nation is imagined, limited and sovereign?
Anderson means that a nation is a recently new concept that is less meaningful than what most
people believe. A nation is limited to society’s imagination, therefore Anderson does not think a
nation should be used as concretely. Anderson also mentions that not all members of a nation
are truly connected, so the nation is limited.
Anderson means that a nation is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation
will never know most of their fellow members, meet them, or even hear them, yet in the minds of
each lives the the image of their communication. Anderson says they are limited because even
the largest of them, encompassing perhaps a billion living human beings, has finite, if elastic,
boundaries, beyond which lie other nations. They are imagined as sovereign because the
concept was born in an age in which enlightenment and Revolution were destroying the
legitimacy of the divinely-ordained, hierarchical dynastic realm.
We think Anderson is saying that a nation only consists of what one imagines it to be.
Therefore, a nation is limited and sovereign to the degree of which one imagines it to be.
Anderson means there are no clear boundaries between different nations, a group of people
who have a common goal and brief, using the same management ways, organizations. And
there is no limit to the human mind.
Anderson means that a nation is imagined because we do not know most of the members. It is
limited because it has a finite boundary. It is sovereign because the concept was born in an age
in which Enlightenment and Revolution were destroying the legitimacy of the divinely-ordained,
hierarchical dynastic realm.

2. What does the idea of an “imagined community” do for our working definition?
The idea of an “imagined community” adds more flexibility and makes the definition more broad
than it was before. Because like Anderson stated, we can be part of communities where we
have never even met some of the other members. It’s almost as if everything we are apart of is
a community because they can be imagined.
Adds more flexibility to other perspectives and does not restrain locations, time, place etc.
We are not restrained to a particular group of community. According to Anderson’s definition of
“imagined”, it is almost impossible for us to meet and be familiar with everyone in the
community. Therefore, we do not feel like we have to be super engaged or familiar with a
community to feel belonged to the community.
The idea of an imagined community changes our definition by explaining that there are different
levels to membership of a community. One is able to come up with a personal and flexible
definition of community that best applies to their personal life.
The limitation of this community is not about the external manifestation of things.We can do
everything, because in the” imaged” community our behavior is unlimited.

PART TWO: YUVAL-DAVIS

In this section, answer all that you can, and note any questions that you may
have.

1. What is Yuval-Davis’s critique of intersectionality? (8-10)

This author thinks that intersectionality should not be just for marginal groups. She thinks
that it should be open to everyone that is willing and that it could be used for a
framework.

She believes that intersectionality is not just people in multiple margins of society, but as
all members of society and it should be used as a framework for social stratification.

Believes that intersectionality shouldn’t be limited to marginal groups of society and
should encompass all members of society. And that it should be used as a framework to
analyse social hierarchy

Yuval-Davis explains that intersectionality should not be limited to those who are on
multiple margins of society. It is more multidimensional and inclusive than others
definitions. Intersectionality should include all members of society, as said by
Yuval-Davis.

2. Why is it important that categories are not universally visible/given value? (pp. 8-9)

The problem with a category is that not only does it define who is included, but also who
is not included. The unincluded people may feel left out due to the inclusivity of a strict
and defined category.

Having a universal definition or belief of who belongs to certain groups/categories, many
people would be left out because of the limited nature of a definition.

If a category is defined then it can leave people out of it that may feel like they should be
a part of it or want to be a part of it. When a category is defined too much/given value it
can become too strict and exclude people.

When creating a definition, it is creating a boundary of those who belong and those who
do not. Categories should be all inclusive for those who identify and feel like they belong
if they wish to be a member of said category or community.

3. What does ‘belonging’ mean and what are the tensions inherent in it? How does this
differ from ‘politics of belonging’? (10)

Belonging is how you are feeling. If you feel like you belong in a place, group or
whatever it may be you feel safe and cared for. Political belonging is more of an outside
view of what being a part of a group means. People are sometimes just put into certain
communities by others because of a trait while the person may not feel that they are
actually a part of that group.

Belonging is about an emotional attachment, about feeling “at home”. However, it is important to
recognize that feeling “at home” does not necessarily only generate positive and warm feelings.
It also allows the safety, as well as the emotional engagement to be, at times, angry, resentful,
ashamed, and indignant.

A sense of belonging refers to emotional attachment, about feeling “at home”. The politics of
belonging refers to the fact that people’s emotions surrounding ‘home’ can differ drastically
based on location, environment and overall experience.

Belonging means feeling “at home.” However, not everyone feels the same way about “home”
therefore there may be individual tensions associated with the feeling of at home. One may
associate home with pressure, resentment or other negative feelings. The politics of belonging
is different because it is less about a personal, inner feeling. Furthermore, when looking at the
politics of belonging, boundaries are often spatial whereas a feeling at home has less to do with
physical space.

Belonging is an inner feeling that the subconscious brings you a sense of a place. Belonging is
a subjective feeling.Political attribution is an external one that requires objective judgment.

4. What does Yuval-Davis mean by the ‘scaling of belonging’? (12)

The three different parts of the scale are social locations, identifications and emotional
attachments, and ethical and political values. People can feel more or less belonging to various
groups along the scale depending on who they are and what they believe.

She discusses that there are many layers to define belonging, and it can mean different things
to different people. The layers can be broken down into social locations, identifications and
emotional attachments, and ethical and political values. All three connect, but are important to
analyze on their own.

The scaling of belonging represents that belonging can be felt differently depending on one’s
identities, beliefs and values. Saying that one belongs or does not belong fails to represent
human complexity.

‘Belong’ has many different ways and different objects of attachment. Thus, ‘scaling of
belonging’ means people can have different ways of humanity and identification in many ways.

She divides all the belongings into three parts. We can define whether we have a sense of
belonging and we can judge them by these three parts.

What are social locations and how does this relate to intersectionality as you understand it? (12)

Social location is more of a term that describes certain societal locations in which people of
similar views and ideas can belong to the same place or status. Status can be defined hierarchy
in terms of this definition. Through this hierarchy, intersectionality can relate to one’s identity.

Social location does not mean the physical location of people but rather their social and
economic locations. Some examples of these are sex, race, class, nation, or age group. These
are some aspects that impact weight in power relations within their society.

Their social locations are more just who they are born as and when. These social locations can
put a person in various communities depending on who they are and when. With these social
locations people are put in certain places on the axes of power.

Some examples of social locations include sex, race, class, nation, age group, kinship group,
certain professions, etc. These are people’s social and economic locations, which tend to have
certain positionalities along axes of power that are higher or lower than other such categories.

5. What are ‘identities and emotional attachments’ and how do they differ from social
locations? Why is the plural (‘attachments’ rather than ‘attachment’) important? (14-15)

Identities are narratives we tell ourselves about who we are, including personal attributes or
membership in various groups. Social location can influence our narratives, but it does not make
up our narratives. Identities are always growing and shifting, so attachments to certain ideas,
places or people, can change.

Identities and emotional attachments are each individuals personal narrative, these narratives
extend past belonging to communities. The identities include but are not limited to personality
traits, aspirations, and body image, differing identities from social location. The level of
attachment may vary and may also be emotionally attached to just more than one thing
throughout phases of your life.

Identities and emotional attachments are relational narratives. They capture how not every
belonging is important to people in the same way and to the same extent. The plural is
important because one has many attachments that are central to who they are. A person cannot
be described as just one thing.

Identities are people’s stories that tell others who they are. The stories often relate to what
others think about a certain group/community/identity. She explains that identities are a process
and they are ever changing because people change and learn more about themselves. These

identities can shift in different times and situations. It is important that attachments is plural
because a person can have multiple attachments and feel they are a part of many different
identities.

6. How does performativity come into play here? What does she mean when she says that
the construction of identity is in a ‘perpetual state of becoming’?

Performativity is the actions and commonalities of those actions between people that bring them
together to form a community. These actions have to be repeated in order to be considered a
part of said community. The phrase ‘perpetual state of becoming’ means that it is a constant
process in forming one’s identities depending on surroundings and other aspects.

Performativity is used to link individuals to collective behaviors. Constructing identity is
continuous, and depends upon repetitive actions. One cannot be defined based on a single
thought or experience, because that would fail to acknowledge that identity considers a whole
person and not just a single moment in time.

Performativity is repetition that associates with certain cultures/spaces, therefore bringing
together individual and collective behavior and contributing to one’s own identity narratives and
attachments.

Performativity in a community relates to the actions and decisions that the group makes. It
represents their values and goals as a group, which upholds the feeling of belonging to the
community. How the group interacts with the challenges over time shows their group dynamics
and determination. Identity is reflective and constitutive, which requires a perpetual state of
becoming. This means constructing one’s identity, authorization and contestation. This in turn
plays a role in the group’s power dynamics and order.

7. How do ethical and political values come into play? [note: this does not refer to individual
ethics] (18)

Ethical and political values play a role in analyzing a community, or group of people rather than
an individual. As the article mentioned, belonging is concerned with the ways identities and
attachments are assessed and valued by self and others.

Ethical and political values come into play when we are talking about community as a whole.
Politics dictate certain groups within a given community and these groups create a smaller
subset in the community that people can be a part of. Ethics describe the struggle in a group,
that is dictated by politics, when it comes to decision making and talking about issues that need
to be addressed.

Politics can play a role in defining certain groups of a given community, and based off of these
groupings of people who share some values, hierarchies can be created that determine power
dynamics

Ethical and political values come into play with belonging when the community as a whole is
addressed. The group must decide on whether one thing is good or bad. Politics can hold power
in a group, which determines the group dynamics. Politics and ethics describe the struggle of
community and the decisions that are made within the group.

8. Reflect on the section: How do these three scales impact each other

The three scales impact each other because individuals are at the base of any collective group.
What an individual does and believes can impact their community and their community can
mold new or modified beliefs. The three scales work together to form a full identity. When one
scale is modified or impacted, that scale impacts an entire person. When an entire person is
impacted, the other scales are reached.

Based on the three scales, an individual can obtain a more holistic identity. One scale may
overlap with another on a day to day basis, so a lot of varying aspects in what defines someone
and their communities influence someone’s identity.

All three of these scales shape a person to who they are and may provide an explanation of why
they are members of certain communities. These three scales are something that are integrated
amongst each other constantly involving and we may encounter decisions that influence these
scales daily.

These three scales can impact each other because a person may align with different identities
and emotional attachments because of their social locations. Their social locations can also
influence their performance. Some people may want to align closely with their social locations
and have identities that may relate to that while others may have identities that do not align
closely with their social locations.

9. How do the politics of belonging interact with these elements of personal belonging?
(19-20)

The politics of belonging interact with elements of personal belonging because when people
identify with specific elements of personal belonging they can be put in a certain community
whether they identify with that specific community or not. This can be a way for people to keep
these boundaries around people that identify with a certain group, keep mediated relations on
domination within society and creates impersonal relations of power.

The politics of belonging involve not only the maintenance and reproduction of the boundaries of
community of belonging by the hegemonic political powers, but also their contestation,
challenge and resistance by other political agents. The politics of belonging interact with the
elements of personal belonging by sort of being broader. For example, if one has a sense of

political belonging they may not agree with everything in those politics, so that would transfer to
an element of personal belonging.

The politics of belonging include struggles around the determination of what is involved in
belonging to a community. It is dialogical and encompasses contestations both in relation to the
participatory dimension of citizenship as well as in relation to issues related to the status and
entitlements such membership entails.

The politics of belonging interact with the power of political projects and symbols. To make
symbolic power of belonging, politics empowers alternative theoretical approaches such as
feminists. Also, symbolic power builds strong boundaries of belonging which all the political
projects of belonging examined “imagined communities”.

SECTION THREE: Edit or add to the working definition

Your definition of “community”: Communities are groups that share a commonality or
commonalities (beliefs, interests, space, goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic.
These heterogeneous groups contain different levels of attachments, and the level of
attachment determines trust, care, etc.; this is also impacted by size (though this is not
necessarily the main determining factor). Individuals can be members of multiple
communities.

Communities are based on what an individual identifies with and does not need validation from
anyone else to consider themselves part of the community. Some communities are based on
personal feeling and people may belong to a community without already knowing it.

Every way a person identifies you could consider them a part of a community. Even if that
community is very broad and big, then they would be considered to a part of an imagined
community. For example, the community of this county, this continent, this planet. We are all
apart of these large imagined communities.

Identity influences the communities to which we feel we belong because of personal narratives.
By universally limiting or defining communities, we inevitably exclude people who may feel to be
a member of a particular group.

Community in itself has a very flexible definition. It could range from our external characteristics
(e.g. individual attributes, body images, etc.) to our internal thoughts and beliefs (e.g. ethical
and political values).

Creating a Study Guide for Crenshaw’s Essay on Intersectionality

In your groups, work to answer the following questions about your section. The goal for
this activity is twofold:

1. You should include information that will allow students who have not looked at
your section in-depth to understand the important aspects;

2. You should complete this study guide with the goal of redefining ‘communities’ in
mind.

To complete today’s work, do the following:
1. Answer the General Questions , selecting a particular font/color for your group (so

your answers are distinguishable from those of the others. Note that questions 1
& 5 are most important for overarching definitions (they’re explicitly asking you to
create or build on working definitions) and questions 2, 3 & 4 ask you to think with
these working definitions and consider how they will work in this classroom/in
your writing over the semester.

2. Using specific examples from the section you’re working with, answer the
questions from the Focused Questions section assigned to your group. For this
section, your answers will stand alone, so they need to be complete and clear for
people who have not looked in-depth at the section of the article.

3. Using the new information from the Crenshaw piece, alter or add to the class’s
definition of community (copied above)

You can assign specific questions to particular group members, but you should review
and revise your answers together.

You can look at other groups’ answers to their questions to help build on your own.

Part 1: General Questions

1. What is “intersectionality”?
Social categorizations applying to a group of people that can lead to discrimination due to being
a part of that group
Two or more groups that one can identify with that can overlap and interact.
Interconnected nature of social categories that can range from, but are not limited to, class,
race, and gender that are applied to individuals and groups. Intersectionality can overlap
different categories.
The state of social categories (race, class, gender, sexuality) being interconnected creating an
overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Different aspects such as gender, race, sexuality, class of your identity play a role in daily life.
Social categorizing can result in discrimination and generalizations.

2. How does intersectionality impact our understanding of people and groups?
Intersectionality allows to see similarities and differences between the groupings and that leads
to the creation of these groups.

Intersectionality makes our understanding of people and groups more difficult and complex, as
there are more avenues that people can be on/ a part of
It’s not necessarily a good thing, but one may be able to judge or stereotype a certain group or
person based on their intersectionality.
Intersectionality helps identify common traits in a person based on what groups they may
belong to. It helps us get a well-rounded understanding of a person but also can lead to
stereotyping.
Intersectionality impacts our perception of people and groups by placing generalizations on
them based on their identities.
3. Another theorist, Oluo, argues that, among other things, “intersectionality forces
people to interact with, listen to, and consider people they don’t usually interact with,
listen to, or consider” (79). How do you see that working in a writing classroom?
It mixes people from different majors into a single classroom and makes it so it is easier to
interact with people outside your major. Otherwise we get stuck in the other group with people
from our same major and classes.
In a writing classroom, there are people from different majors and backgrounds. We are working
together when we may not have otherwise shared our opinions and ideas. This is an opportunity
for all academic programs to collaborate.
This works in a writing class because many different types of people are brought together, but
they all come from a diverse background and upbringing and in order to complete tasks we
have to be able to work with these different individuals.
Being flexible and understanding of the personal experiences a writer portrays through their own
writing (that may be different to your own)
In a writing classroom, students provide different perspectives based on their backgrounds
(hometowns, majors, lifestyle). So the intersectionality plays a role in our understanding of each
other.

4. Crenshaw uses intersectionality to address a problem she sees in identity politics
and social justice work. What is this problem and how does this concept address it? How
would this concept work outside these frameworks? How would it work in a classroom
discussion?
The problem addressed in this is that there is a problem in identity politics and that it often
encourages differences to be ignored. Outside of the groups explained in the reading, this
applies to any grouping of people and the differences between them. In a classroom discussion,
this could be any amount of differences and the recognition of those to where some differences
get ignored on purpose or not
The problem is that there is violence against women of color- racism, sexism, and
marginalization work together to create this issue. The concept is flexible in the way that it
depends on the intersectionality categorizes each group and society’s response to them.
Intersectionality in a classroom would facilitate discussion because it brings together differences
and opens communication between them.
The problem with identity politics is that it frequently conflates or ignores intragroup differences.
You are able to address this problem in accepting that there are many different levels of

involvement in a certain group (or community) and you should not make judgements about that
individual because of a group they chose to be involved with. In a classroom setting it is
extremely important to keep an open mind about everyone and not judge individuals.
The problem with identity politics is the existence of intrinsically negative frameworks in which
social power works to exclude or marginalize those who are different. It is addressed by
highlighting intragroup differences instead of ignoring them. Expecting different achievements of
students in the classroom based on their groups rather than their ability.
The problem in social justice work and identity politics are violence against women of color.
Marginalization and discrimination leads to violence due to predispositions to a certian group.
Depending on the scenario and setting, it may fluctuate some, but for the most part
discrimination still exists. In classroom discussions, people are more open minded towards
others than in a political setting.

5. Using Crenshaw’s conclusion (pp. 1296-9), explain how intersectionality can be
used to complicate and critique ideas of communities.
Intersectionality can complicate the ideas of communities as starts to create more divides and
essentially begins breaking apart a community based on those
Intersectionality complicates communities because it says categories are socially constructed
into delegating power unevenly, causing a hierarchy of communities.
Intersectionality provides a basis for reconceptualizing different groups such as race and gender
as a coalition between two superficially opposing groups to find ways to identify and support
each other. Groups often only see differences rather than similarities because of the social
construct and inequalities of power distributed ultimately weakening a community.
Intersectionality complicates the idea of communities because one may identify in so many
different ways, care about many different things, and have so many interests, that someone can
be involved in many different communities.
Crenshaw concludes that intersectionality is more fluid than one may think. This results in
communities becoming more complicated and heterogeneous.

Part 2: Focused Questions

Structural Intersectionality (Crenshaw, pp. 1245-51) Questions

1. What is “structural intersectionality”?
Structural Intersectionality is the purposeful creation of a divide based on any number of
classifications

Structural intersectionality is the ways in which the location of women of color at the intersection
of race and gender makes our actual experience of domestic violence, rape, and remedial
reform qualitatively different than white women.

2. How does this differ from political and representational intersectionality?

In political and representational intersectionality, there isn’t necessarily a purposeful creation of
these divides. Rather, it eventually gets solidified after a period of time that makes these divides
appear.

It is different in the way it is set up compared to political and representation intersectionality. For
example, there are many different barriers, such as language and cultural, that set structural
intersectionality apart from political and representational intersectionality.

Political Intersectionality (Crenshaw, pp. 1253-82) Questions

1. What is “political intersectionality”?
Political intersectionality results in faults in the system such as institutional racism.
Based on one’s intersectionality identities, scenarios in politics are viewed differently .
Also, anti-racist groups can further marginalize and suppress women of color by using
narrowely focused strategies.

Political intersectionality is a tool used by people in power as an advantage to remain in
power. Political intersectionality is used to remedy one issue while still exploiting
another issue.

2. How does this differ from structural and representational intersectionality?
Political intersectionality differs from structural analysis by not being defined by
location, but by political power. This idea also differs from representational
intersectionality by defining individuals beyond stereotypes.

Structural intersectionality results in women of color not getting their needs met as compared to
racially privileged women. Representational intersectionality is how women of color are
(mis)represented in media. This can lead to further stereotyping.
Representational Intersectionality (Crenshaw, pp. 1282-1295)

1. What is “representational intersectionality”?
How images and impressions are too broadly formed by the narratives we assign to race,
gender, etc (more simply put as stereotypes) do not account for the differences among
members of one community to another and therefore inaccurately represent individuals

2. How does this differ from political and structural intersectionality?

Rather than having to do with the divisions of the communities based on classifications or the
political policies of a given group, representational intersectionality has to do with the
implications of broad stereotypes assigned to groups.

New Definitions of Community:

Communities are groups that share a commonality or commonalities (beliefs, interests, space,
goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic. These heterogeneous groups contain different
levels of attachments, and the level of attachment determines trust, care, etc.; this is also
impacted by size (though this is not necessarily the main determining factor). Individuals can be
members of multiple communities, so it is important for group members to be accepting of
people in their groups even though some of their other ideas may be conflicting. If someone is
involved in your community and is part of another community, be open minded about their other
communities and identities.

Communities are groups that share a commonality or commonalities (beliefs, interests, space,
goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic. These heterogeneous groups contain different
levels of attachments, and the level of attachment determines trust, care, etc.; this is also
impacted by size (though this is not necessarily the main determining factor). Individuals can be
members of multiple communities. Within the communities, there can also exist smaller sub
communities due to a number of traits

Communities are groups that share a commonality or commonalities (beliefs, interests, space,
goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic. Individuals can be members of multiple
communities, whether or not those identities are outwardly visible to others. Being a part of one
community does not detract from the attachment or membership one has to another community,
but can influence the relationship one has with that community and/or their own self.

Communities are groups that share a commonality or commonalities (beliefs, interests, space,
goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic. These heterogeneous groups contain different
levels of attachments, and the level of attachment determines trust, care, etc.; this is also
impacted by size (though this is not necessarily the main determining factor). Individuals can be
members of multiple communities. Communities often include both horizontal and vertical
linkages of power and involvement.

Communities are groups that share a commonality or commonalities (beliefs, interests, space,
goals, identities, etc.), but are not monolithic. These heterogeneous groups contain different
levels of attachments, and the level of attachment determines trust, care, etc.; this is also
impacted by size (though this is not necessarily the main determining factor). Individuals can be
members of multiple communities. Intersectionality can further represent one’s identity and
communities. It can build layers and expand one’s communities.

SECTION 1: DEFINITIONS BASED ON INDIVIDUAL READINGS
When your group completes SECTION 1, move on to SECTION 2.

Pfortmüller, “What Does Community Even Mean? A Definition and Attempt at
Conversation Starter”

How Pfortmüller defines “community”:

– a group of people that care about each other and feel they belong together
– Shared goals are not enough.. Internal goal is more important than external

Human
Relationships
Shared Identity

– Mutual feelings and beliefs, with equal relationships of human interaction
– Not based on just location
– Chosen by the individuals

How this definition differs from Chavis & Lee:

– Just about communities of people and people can live in different communities
– Formal and informal institutions
– Meeting common needs
– Choose your community

Chavis & Lee, “What is Community Anyway?”

How Chavis & Lee define “community”:

– Care about each other to have a real community.. Build relationships
– Need for organization in community
– Community is identity

– Form and maintain communities to meet common needs
– People know who is and isn’t part of their community. Community is less chosen, you

can be born into the community.

– Different communities for different.
– Communities integrated within communities

How this definition differs from Pfortmüller:

– Says you don’t need a goal to be in a community
– Has a common goal or needs
– Chavis & Lee differs by stating community is less chosen, can be born into it

SECTION 2: GROUP DEFINITIONS OF “COMMUNITY”
After unpacking how the individual authors define community differently, work together as a
group to come up with what you think is the best definition in the space below. Label your
definition with your names.

Note: There is no particular length requirement here, so your definition can be as short or as
long as is necessary to encompass all the elements you think are important.

Adam, Sam, Adam, Jared, Leo

A group of people brought together because they share similar interests, beliefs, or goals.

 
Eleanor, Elli, Daryl, Josh, Melissa, Yujin

Community – A group of people one chooses in which they feel like they belong and trust other
members but don’t necessarily have the same goals.
 
Sam, Katie, Mitch, Matt, Isaiah
Community- a group of people that share commonalities (beliefs, interests,
goals)
 
 
 
 

SECTION 3: CLASS DEFINITION

Short Assignment 2
Personal Narrative (2 pp.)

In approximately two (2)* double-spaced, typed pages, write a personal narrative that explores the following, based on
the ice-breaker from the start of class on Thursday, January 30th along with readings from the first three weeks:

o Describes four (4) communities that you’re a part of and that you feel form important parts of who you are/how
you see yourself;

o Explains why some are more important than others in terms of your own self-definition (in other words, which
communities do you feel are most central to who you are?); and

o Unpacks the heterogeneity within these communities (in other words, what differences within the community
can you discern? Are there aspects that you feel not included in even if you’re a part of the larger community? Are
there conflicts or differing perspectives within a given community?).

Goal: This assignment should help define your own positioning, and reflect on how the people, pasts, places, things, and
interests that you hold dear shape how you approach the world. As we all read, understand and contribute to the world
from a particular perspective, it’s important to understand one’s own intersectional perspective before engaging with,
critiquing and adding to that of others. In terms of writing, specifically, your goal should be to create a cohesive narrative
that nonetheless addresses these disparate elements in a conversational tone.

Structure: You can shape your assignment however you’d like to fulfill these requirements. Some options: divide your
paragraphs by the specific communities you’re discussing; use one paragraph to define the communities, one paragraph
to explain their relative importance, and one paragraph to unpack their internal complexities.

Models: We’ve not read narratives yet, but some examples for tone and style are in week 5 if you want to glance ahead:
Clarendon, “Keeping the Faith” and Allen, “Why I Went to Auschwitz” are both examples of personal narrative writing
focused on making particular points (rather than exploring an experience in general).

Due: Thursday, February 13th in hard copy

Note: This assignment will be used in a short peer workshop in class aimed to get you comfortable with
workshopping other students’ work. Though you won’t be asked to verbally share your work with the class as a
whole, this does mean that another student will be asked to read what you write (rather than this being a
privately submitted document), so keep that in mind as you choose what to write! Ideally, this class will be a
space where you can feel comfortable sharing pretty much anything, but I understand that it’s early in the
semester so we’re all strangers still — and I don’t want you to end up being asked to share something you’d
rather keep private! Feel free to use your journal as a place for more private analyses, as only I will read it, or
you’re welcome to select a portion of the assignment to be workshopped if there are elements you’d rather not
be shared.

*For this course, note that page limits are suggestions. I believe you’ll need around 2 pages to unpack all the things you’re
asked to discuss at a decent (though quick, as these short assignments are meant to be unpolished, speedy writes) depth;
it’s absolutely fine if you need more space — but be self-critical about the space you need. Plan to meet the page minimum

Adapted from Virginia Schwartz

Weekly Journals (10 of 12 possible weeks)

This assignment is very open. Your goals and purposes are up to you, and they may change from week to week or over the
course of the term.

Your target is to submit two (2) full pages, which should become easier over time (and will likely be easier for certain
weeks than for others).

These journals are for my eyes only, and you will never be asked to share them with the group.

Some options:

• You can write to me (commenting on our readings, the class, something that stuck with you, a problem that
you’re having, etc.).

• You can unpack and respond to things that are referenced but not discussed in the readings (Googling events,
terms or names mentioned but not dwelt upon, etc.), thus deepening your understanding of the readings.

• You can write more to yourself (in the way you would typically use the word “journal”).
• You can use these as notes for the readings to prep for discussion/to make connections throughout the semester

(or between this class and others).

The only real requirement is that you directly address the week’s class in some way (reading, discussion, etc.).

The idea here is that you’re writing to learn, using a specific, private form of writing to process your thoughts and
feelings for the week. If you naturally incline to professional writing, you might analyze something; if you prefer more of a
freewrite, that’s great too. Try to be clear and specific, and explain general statements to make them more meaningful. In
other words, don’t just mention or gloss over ideas and skip to the next thing, but try to use specific examples and
explanations to engage in each of the things you discuss.

This means that while you may write about pretty much anything, your goal should be to engage deeply with what you’re
writing rather than to fill up space. If you get stuck, you can respond to any of the thinking questions posted on Canvas
every week for specific readings.

No matter what style you choose, these are more for you than for me. They should go in your portfolio at the end of each
unit after I return them to you. Ideally, they will form a picture of your thoughts for the unit and the course.

Note: Though these are private, you can use them as brainstorming for things you want to bring up in discussion.

These journals are:

• Due every Thursday at the beginning of class in hard copy (or via e-mail if you are absent) starting in
week 3

• Typed in 11- or 12-pt font and double-spaced (if you’d prefer to handwrite these this is fine, but they then need
to be 2.5-3 pages)

• Your name should be on each journal, but they don’t need a title or anything fancy

2020/2/5 What Is Community Anyway?

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/what_is_community_anyway 1/4

Communities Creating Health, presented in partnership with
Creating Health Collaborative, is a series on how the design,
implementation, and evaluation of interventions in health can
align more closely with what communities value. #creatinghealth

FOLLOW THIS
SERIES

Communities Creating

Health

Health

What Is Community Anyway?
Our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify, understand, and strengthen the
communities they work with.

By David M. Chavis & Kien Lee May 12, 2015

“Community” is so easy to say. The word itself connects us with each other. It describes an experience

so common that we never really take time to explain it. It seems so simple, so natural, and so human. In

the social sector, we often add it to the names of social innovations as a symbol of good intentions (for

example, community mental health, community policing, community-based philanthropy, community

economic development).

But the meaning of community is complex. And, unfortunately, insu�cient understanding of what a

community is and its role in the lives of people in diverse societies has led to the downfall of many well-

intended “community” e�orts.

Adding precision to our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify,

understand, and strengthen the communities they work with. There has been a great deal of research in

the social sciences about what a human community is (see for example, Chavis and Wandersman,

1990; Nesbit, 1953; Putnam, 2000). Here, we blend that research with our experience as evaluators and

implementers of community change initiatives.

http://www.pstamber.com/exploring/

https://twitter.com/hashtag/creatinghealth

https://ssir.org/communities_creating_health

https://ssir.org/articles/category/health

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00922689

https://ssir.org/

2020/2/5 What Is Community Anyway?

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/what_is_community_anyway 2/4

It’s about people.

First and foremost, community is not a place, a building, or an organization; nor is it an exchange of

information over the Internet. Community is both a feeling and a set of relationships among people.

People form and maintain communities to meet common

needs.

Members of a community have a sense of trust, belonging, safety, and caring for each other. They have

an individual and collective sense that they can, as part of that community, in�uence their

environments and each other.

That treasured feeling of community comes from shared experiences and a sense of—not necessarily

the actual experience of—shared history. As a result, people know who is and isn’t part of their

community. This feeling is fundamental to human existence.

Neighborhoods, companies, schools, and places of faith are context and environments for these

communities, but they are not communities themselves.

People live in multiple communities.

Since meeting common needs is the driving force behind the formation of communities, most people

identify and participate in several of them, often based on neighborhood, nation, faith, politics, race or

ethnicity, age, gender, hobby, or sexual orientation.

Most of us participate in multiple communities within a given day. The residential neighborhood

remains especially important for single mothers, families living in poverty, and the elderly because their

sense of community and relationships to people living near them are the basis for the support they

need. But for many, community lies beyond. Technology and transportation have made community

possible in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago.

Communities are nested within each other.

Just like Russian Matryoshka dolls, communities often sit within other communities. For example, in a

neighborhood—a community in and of itself—there may be ethnic or racial communities, communities

based on people of di�erent ages and with di�erent needs, and communities based on common

economic interests.

2020/2/5 What Is Community Anyway?

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/what_is_community_anyway 3/4

Just like Russian Matryoshka dolls, communities often
sit within other communities. (Photo by Community

Science)

When a funder or evaluator looks at a neighborhood, they

often struggle with its boundaries, as if streets can bind

social relationships. Often they see a neighborhood as the

community, when, in fact, many communities are likely

to exist within it, and each likely extends well beyond the

physical boundaries of the neighborhood.

Communities have formal and informal
institutions.

Communities form institutions—what we usually think of as large organizations and systems such as

schools, government, faith, law enforcement, or the nonpro�t sector—to more e�ectively ful�ll their

needs.

Equally important, however, are communities’ informal institutions, such as the social or cultural

networks of helpers and leaders (for example, council of elders, barbershops, rotating credit and savings

associations, gardening clubs). Lower-income and immigrant communities, in particular, rely heavily on

these informal institutions to help them make decisions, save money, solve family or intra-community

problems, and link to more-formal institutions.

Communities are organized in di�erent ways.

Every community is organized to meet its members’ needs, but they operate di�erently based on the

cultures, religions, and other experiences of their members. For example, while the African American

church is generally understood as playing an important role in promoting health education and social

justice for that community, not all faith institutions such as the mosque or Buddhist temple are

organized and operate in the same way.

Global migration has led to an assortment of communities based on people’s needs and desire for that

sense of trust, belonging, safety, and caring for each other. For example, one group of new immigrants

may form a community around its need to advocate for better treatment by law enforcement. Another

group may form a community around its need for spiritual guidance. The former may not look like a

community, as we imagine them, while the latter likely will.

https://ssir.org/images/blog/Russian_Matryoshka_dolls

2020/2/5 What Is Community Anyway?

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/what_is_community_anyway 4/4

The meaning of community requires more thoughtfulness and deliberation than we typically give it.

Going forward, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers must embrace this complexity—including

the crucial impact communities have on health and well-being—as they strive to understand and create

social change.

David M. Chavis, Ph.D. (@chavispower) is the Principal Associate and CEO of Community Science and is

internationally recognized for his work in the implementation, support, and evaluation of community and systems

change initiatives. The primary focus of his work has been the relationship between community development and

the prevention of poverty, violence, substance abuse, and other social problems, as well as the design and implementation of

community capacity building systems.

Kien Lee, Ph.D, is the vice president and principal associate of Community Science where she specializes in issues

a�ecting communities that are racially, ethnically, or culturally diverse. She brings more than 15 years of research

and evaluation experience to this work, as well as expertise in the integration of immigrants, strategies, and

programming for racial equity, the reduction of health disparities, and the development of cross-culturally competent

organizations

Con�icts of interest: None declared

If you like this article enough to print it, be sure to subscribe to SSIR!

Copyright © 2020 Stanford University.
Designed by Arsenal, developed by Hop Studios

http://twitter.com/chavispower

http://www.hopstudios.com/

2020/2/5 What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter

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What does “community” even mean? A de�nition
attempt & conversation starter

Fabian Pfortmüller Follow

Sep 20, 2017 · 7 min read

https://medium.com/@pforti?source=post_page—–9b443fc523d0———————-

https://medium.com/@pforti?source=post_page—–9b443fc523d0———————-

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2020/2/5 What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter

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Salad community, anyone?

More community building content at www.together.is

While shopping for groceries a few weeks ago, I picked up a pack of salad and flipped it

around to learn about its origin. Immediately something caught my attention: my salad

was inviting me to join its “Facebook community”.

If even my salad has / is a community, what does “community” even mean?!

“Community” has a definition problem
As someone who works with communities on a daily basis and has studied hundreds of

them over the last couple of years, I sense a lot of confusion. The term is used as a catch-

all phrase for anything that has to do with a collection of human beings, from the very

tangible to the very abstract.

I see 2 problems:

1) Most “communities” are not real communities
I get the sense that the term “community” is really hot in the

advertising/marketing/sales/startup/event space, because it alludes to more than just a

transactional customer-company relationship. But most of the “communities” I come

across, are in my opinion not actual communities. I hear the word being used, when

really the authors mean a series of monthly events, a Facebook page, a group of

customers that has loyalty towards a specific brand, a yearly conference, all customers of

an e-commerce brand, social media followers, everyone who uses Twitter, people who

happen to vote the same way, etc.

2) The dictionary definition is vague and outdated
Here is how the dictionary defines “community”:

http://www.together.is/

2020/2/5 What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter

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I think the traditional definition of community is outdated. It is mostly based on

shared location: “a group of people living in the same place”. That’s what community

used to be, historically. But for many of us, our village or neighborhood isn’t anymore

our key definer of identity or fellowship. As this article in the Atlantic points out

beautifully, we have shifted from, traditionally, being born into a community to, now,

choosing our own communities and expressing our identities through them.

I think the traditional definition is missing a key piece. “A feeling of fellowship with

others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals”: this part comes

closer to modern forms of communities. Everyone in it has something in common.

However, I think it’s too broad and vague. I have so, so many attitudes, interests and

goals that I share with other people. But that doesn’t mean yet that I’ll feel a sense of

community with them. For that, it needs relationships. More on this piece below.

We need to update what “community” means
With the traditional definition being somewhat outdated and the term being used

broadly by marketers, brands, entrepreneurs, event organizers, social media managers

etc. in so many ways, I think we are missing out on the true power that “real”

communities can have.

We need to update what “community” means in today’s world. And maybe we’ll have to

find ways to differentiate between different kinds of communities. As there is no singular

https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/532518/

2020/2/5 What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter

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figure of authority in this space, I imagine this will best happen as a series of

conversations among community builders. To kick off this conversation, I offer an

attempt at defining “community”:

Community = a group of people that care about each other and feel they belong together.

Let’s take that apart:

“A group of people”: in the end of the day, a community always exists of humans.

That seems obvious at first, but I see a lot of use of the word that is dehumanized and

abstract: “the marketing community”, “the international community”, “the St.

Clarke’s Streets community”, the “AirBnB community”. In the end, we are talking

about real humans with real lives, real stories, real hopes, real dreams.

“that care about each other”: this is in my opinion the absolute core of a

community. The individuals in a group are not just random strangers, they have

relationships with each other. They give a shit about each other. They care more

about the people in this group than about the average person they meet on the

street. This is where the magic of a community happens. When people care about

each other, they develop trust. And trust unlocks collaboration, sharing, support,

hope, safety and much more. While most organizations in the world optimize their

performance towards external goals, communities optimize for trust.

“feel they belong”: communities address one of the most fundamental human

needs: we want to be loved, we don’t want to be lonely and we want to know that we

belong somewhere. Real communities give us this sense of home, this sense of

2020/2/5 What does “community” even mean? A definition attempt & conversation starter

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family, this sense of “these are my peers”. This is my tribe, this is where I belong. In

this group, I am being accepted for who I really am.

“together”: a community gives people a sense of shared identity. We are together.

The sum is bigger than the individual parts. This shared identity matters, because it

takes the group beyond individual, 1:1 relationships. It turns strangers into trusted

peers through a proxy effect: even though I don’t know you, I trust you more than

the average person because we are part of the same community, we share the same

identity. Many of us express our interests, ambitions and goals through the people

we spend time with — communities become part of our identity.

What about a community having a common goal /
purpose?
I see a lot of community definitions that are a version of the following:

A community = a group of people that care about the same goal.

In my personal opinion, this definition does not qualify as a community, unless these

people have trusted relationships with each other. Why? Because there are so many

things in the world where people come together with a shared goal / purpose / attitudes

/ interests: project teams, companies, political movements, etc. They are groups of

people that care about the same goal, but they are not communities.

I argue we need a way to differentiate those goal driven channels from groups that are

heavily relationship based aka communities.

Why does this matter? It matters, because ultimately project teams, companies and

political movements optimize for an external output (aka whatever their goal is). But

communities, in my opinion, optimize for something else: the relationship and trust

among themselves. I think the two entities have very different impact in the world.

Communities, of course, can still have shared goals as well. One way to look at that is to

differentiate between the internal purpose of a community (we take care of each other)

and the external purpose (we have a collective goal). I believe that every community

needs to have an internal purpose first to truly function as a community. Without trust

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and relationships, it becomes a project, an initiative, a movement. But maybe

communities with internal purpose are powerful channels to have external purpose?

How do YOU define “community”?
I’d love for this to be a conversation starter and would LOVE to hear what “community”

means to you. If you leave comments or message me, I’ll make sure to collect all the

answers and report back. Thank

you!

— — — this article was first published on the Together Institute website

Looking for more community building resources?

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together, this might be for you. Sign up here.

Other community building content you might enjoy
Consistency creates trust — a simple & neglected community design principle

From Me to We — the shift in behavior I see in powerful communities

There are two ways to show up in a community: as a consumer or as a co-creator.

8 ways to empower people to show up as active co-creators in your community

Key to understanding communities: the centralized to distributed spectrum

9 ways to turn recurring events into a community

http://together.is/what-does-community-even-mean-a-definition-attempt-conversation-starter/

http://www.together.is/

http://community-canvas.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1867548043497484/

http://eepurl.com/c9Y0cj

http://together.is/consistency-creates-trust-a-simple-neglected-community-design-principle/

http://together.is/from-me-to-we%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8athe-shift-in-behavior-i-see-in-powerful-communities/

http://together.is/there-are-two-ways-to-show-up-in-a-community-as-a-consumer-or-as-a-co-creator/

http://together.is/8-ways-to-empower-people-to-show-up-as-active-co-creators-in-your-community/

http://together.is/key-to-understanding-communities-the-centralized-to-distributed-spectrum/

http://together.is/9-ways-to-turn-recurring-events-into-a-community/

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The world needs less gatherings, summits, conferences, events, meet-ups…

Here is a list of all articles I’ve written on community.

Get in touch
Have thoughts and feedback on the writing above? Or are you looking for a speaker for

your next event? I’d love to hear from you — message me at fabian@together.is — thank

you!

Community Community Building Impact Social Entrepreneurship

About Help Legal

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https://medium.com/tag/community-building

https://medium.com/tag/impact

https://medium.com/tag/social

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For assignment 1, I underlined in the Wisconsin madison community and the Seattle community. I don’t know the meaning of these two parts, because these two are place names. I remember that the definition of Community in those two short stories is not simply that I am in Where I lived is what community I joined. These two parts give me the feeling, which can be summed up as “I lived in Beijing, he gave me a very important meaning, everyone has the same goal” “I am in Shanghai Having lived, he was a very important part of my experience. Living in Shanghai has brought me a lot of positive influences. ”It feels more general, and in fact, I feel that where I live, it is far-fetched to live in which community. Because, in addition to living here, what is more meaningful is what is done here, and there does not seem to be a saying like Seattle community? For example, the Beijing community and the Beijing community are strange. Then I hope to delete the madison community, and write less, you can add one, just write a story. For example, I participated in a domestic volunteer, it is a team organization community, and the people inside are enthusiastic Or something, then what have we done, we go to poor places to teach, etc. This community makes me feel that I have achieved my social value. Then the Seattle community wrote more, that is, “First, the Seattle community is one of the communities that seem to be more critical because it forms the basis of human behavior.” I feel a bit too exaggerated, that is, It is important because it forms the basis of human behavior, because this is equivalent to writing yourself, and the writer can edit it. For example, the Seattle community is important because I have studied here for two years, and these two years are also my first arrival in the United States, so It has a great impact on me, and how important it is. For example, I met a lot of like-minded friends here. We have a common goal. Then Seattle has a cultural color and is the capital of art. I went to many art galleries. I am more interested, so I now prefer to design some artistic posters. In summary, I hope that the author wrote some specific content. Don’t say it very broadly, this community has improved my body and soul. This place is also relatively well-known, so it is important to me.

For assignment 2, I felt that the content was okay, but it was a bit blunt. I felt that the contents of the first three topics were repeated, and then my own understanding was relatively small, mainly one topic was written in four or five lines. Like repeating the original content of the article, can you reduce the number of subtitles, and then choose to write one of the topics more clearly and deeply?

COMMUNITY
5

Introduction

A community is a unified group of people with a common goal residing in a particular geographical location. In most instances, a community comprised of people from the same origin and share similar values. A group of people within a society have shared norms that govern the relationship among members. Over the past few years, I have been part of different types of communities with different characteristics. Each kind of community I have been part reflect the goals in wanted to achieve. Being a member of these communities have had varying impacts on my life and experience. The following are some types of communities that I have been part over the past few years.

Wisconsin Madison college community

Wisconsin Madison community is a form of community that I have enjoyed being a member. It is a learning association where members share the same interest or passion for achieving academic goals. This association has gradually changed my life because it enables me to achieve my educational goals and objectives to better my life. It has provided avenues for me to explore different educational opportunities as a way of meeting a common interest. As such, it was significant to be part of this group because it enables me to achieve my goals.

Chinese student community

The other community that I have been a member is the Chinese student community. The primary purpose of this association is to execute certain activities to initiate changes in the current circumstances. As a Chinese student studying in the United States, I joined the Chinese students association to help me promote Chinese cultural practices. This form of a community provided me with opportunities to put my plans in action to make the intended changes among members of the group. Besides, this form of association positively impacted my life because it gave me room to accomplish new goals (Epstein, Sanders, Sheldon, Simon, Salinas, Jansorn & Hutchins, 2018).

Computer science student community

Currently, I am a member of a practice community known as computer science student community to help me achieve my professional goals. It is a form of society which is comprised of people of the same profession or perform similar roles. As part of the community, I worked hard with my colleagues jointly to achieve career goals. In addition to attaining career goals, this group enables me to gain more experience in my line of a profession (Lee, Kim, & Kim, 2011).

Seattle community

The last type of a community that I have been a member is the Seattle community. I have been part of this community because I am a member group of people brought together by geographical boundaries or regional differences. While pursuing my college course at Seattle, I encountered different experiences that have positively impacted my life my learning American cultural practices. Seattle community significantly changed my life because it enabled me to learn useful skills and ethical norms of relating to each other.

Importance of community

Among the four types of communities that I have been a member, some are more important than others. First, the Seattle community is one of the communities that seem to be more critical because it forms the basis of human behaviour. It enabled me to learn important moral values, creating good relationships among members (Wellman, 2018). As such, it was a pleasure to be a member of this community because it enabled me to acquire excellent ethical skills. Additionally, the Seattle community was the origin of all my achievements because it helped me to learn guiding principles that can allow me to be part of other communities. Thus, it is superior to other forms of communities.

Secondly, Wisconsin Madison college community is also another essential form of society which significantly impacted on my interest. Generally, people from different backgrounds sometimes come together to achieve a common goal. In the process, as a member, we formed a common interest to meet at the end. Therefore, this community was vital because it enabled me to accomplish my goals by encouraging one another as well as giving mutual support to each other (Wellman, 2018).

Differences within communities

Typically, each type of society has several features due to the purpose of its formation. First, a significant gap between the Seattle community and computer science student community that I noted is that the former mainly focuses on moral behaviours of its members. It equipped me with ethical values that can enable me to have good relationships with other people. On the other hand, the practice community mainly focuses on helping to achieve professional goals. It aimed at ensuring that I adhere to the professional code of standards (Wellman, 2018).

Besides, an essential thing that I noted was left out when discussing these communities is the interrelationship between different types of groups. Understanding the relationship among these types of communities is vital because it assists in establishing standards of aching the goals of each community.

Usually, many conflicts exist within each type of community. The leading causes of conflict within communities that I was a member is a conflict of interest. In most instances, members of the communities I was a member had different interests, thus leading to differences in thoughts and opinions. Competition is another critical cause conflict that I noted as part of a community. For example, a computer science student community comprises of professionals who work to achieve various goals. In the process, competition erupts, thus causing conflicts among students (Wellman, 2018).

References

Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Sheldon, S. B., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Janson, N. R., … & Hutchins, D. J. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Corwin Press.

Lee, D., Kim, H. S., & Kim, J. K. (2011). The impact of online brand community type on consumer’s community engagement behaviours: Consumer-created vs marketer-created online brand community in online social-networking web sites. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(1-2), 59-63.

Wellman, B. (2018). Networks in the global village: Life in contemporary communities. Routledge.

COMMUNITY
5

Introduction

A community is a unified group of people with a common goal residing in a particular geographical location. In most instances, a community comprised of people from the same origin and share similar values. A group of people within a society have shared norms that govern the relationship among members. Over the past few years, I have been part of different types of communities with different characteristics. Each kind of community I have been part reflect the goals in wanted to achieve. Being a member of these communities have had varying impacts on my life and experience. The following are some types of communities that I have been part over the past few years.

Wisconsin Madison college community

Wisconsin Madison community is a form of community that I have enjoyed being a member. It is a learning association where members share the same interest or passion for achieving academic goals. This association has gradually changed my life because it enables me to achieve my educational goals and objectives to better my life. It has provided avenues for me to explore different educational opportunities as a way of meeting a common interest. As such, it was significant to be part of this group because it enables me to achieve my goals.

Chinese student community

The other community that I have been a member is the Chinese student community. The primary purpose of this association is to execute certain activities to initiate changes in the current circumstances. As a Chinese student studying in the United States, I joined the Chinese students association to help me promote Chinese cultural practices. This form of a community provided me with opportunities to put my plans in action to make the intended changes among members of the group. Besides, this form of association positively impacted my life because it gave me room to accomplish new goals (Epstein, Sanders, Sheldon, Simon, Salinas, Jansorn & Hutchins, 2018).

Computer science student community

Currently, I am a member of a practice community known as computer science student community to help me achieve my professional goals. It is a form of society which is comprised of people of the same profession or perform similar roles. As part of the community, I worked hard with my colleagues jointly to achieve career goals. In addition to attaining career goals, this group enables me to gain more experience in my line of a profession (Lee, Kim, & Kim, 2011).

Seattle community

The last type of a community that I have been a member is the Seattle community. I have been part of this community because I am a member group of people brought together by geographical boundaries or regional differences. While pursuing my college course at Seattle, I encountered different experiences that have positively impacted my life my learning American cultural practices. Seattle community significantly changed my life because it enabled me to learn useful skills and ethical norms of relating to each other.

Importance of community

Among the four types of communities that I have been a member, some are more important than others. First, the Seattle community is one of the communities that seem to be more critical because it forms the basis of human behaviour. It enabled me to learn important moral values, creating good relationships among members (Wellman, 2018). As such, it was a pleasure to be a member of this community because it enabled me to acquire excellent ethical skills. Additionally, the Seattle community was the origin of all my achievements because it helped me to learn guiding principles that can allow me to be part of other communities. Thus, it is superior to other forms of communities.

Secondly, Wisconsin Madison college community is also another essential form of society which significantly impacted on my interest. Generally, people from different backgrounds sometimes come together to achieve a common goal. In the process, as a member, we formed a common interest to meet at the end. Therefore, this community was vital because it enabled me to accomplish my goals by encouraging one another as well as giving mutual support to each other (Wellman, 2018).

Differences within communities

Typically, each type of society has several features due to the purpose of its formation. First, a significant gap between the Seattle community and computer science student community that I noted is that the former mainly focuses on moral behaviours of its members. It equipped me with ethical values that can enable me to have good relationships with other people. On the other hand, the practice community mainly focuses on helping to achieve professional goals. It aimed at ensuring that I adhere to the professional code of standards (Wellman, 2018).

Besides, an essential thing that I noted was left out when discussing these communities is the interrelationship between different types of groups. Understanding the relationship among these types of communities is vital because it assists in establishing standards of aching the goals of each community.

Usually, many conflicts exist within each type of community. The leading causes of conflict within communities that I was a member is a conflict of interest. In most instances, members of the communities I was a member had different interests, thus leading to differences in thoughts and opinions. Competition is another critical cause conflict that I noted as part of a community. For example, a computer science student community comprises of professionals who work to achieve various goals. In the process, competition erupts, thus causing conflicts among students (Wellman, 2018).

References

Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Sheldon, S. B., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Janson, N. R., … & Hutchins, D. J. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Corwin Press.

Lee, D., Kim, H. S., & Kim, J. K. (2011). The impact of online brand community type on consumer’s community engagement behaviours: Consumer-created vs marketer-created online brand community in online social-networking web sites. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(1-2), 59-63.

Wellman, B. (2018). Networks in the global village: Life in contemporary communities. Routledge.