Communities

My definition of a community is a group of people that have something in common with each other that brings them together, whether it is physically or through some sort of medium. Interaction amongst the members should occur, but isn’t a requirement to be a part of the community, because there are many communities in which some members never interact or meet. For instance, a person who is a resident of a town means he or she is a member of a community; however, there is a slim chance that any particular resident knows every single other resident. Likewise, there may be a resident that doesn’t interact with any other members of the community, yet he or she is still a resident and member of the community because that particular individual has something in common with the other members, local residency. The larger the community, the more likely issues will arise amongst its members due to the greater variety in personal opinions and behaviors. In a community, such as a town or city, issues over taxes, utilities, infrastructure maintenance, and emergency services, among others, may arise. To deal with these issues, town and city hall meetings are usually open to the community to allow the public to voice their concerns and provide their input into the conversation. Residential communities usually try to attract new residents by lowering taxes, providing a sense of security, or with perks such as a booming economy and recreational attractions. Towns and cities benefit from a larger community membership in the form of a higher tax income which will support an improved infrastructure and better emergency and community services. However, with increased membership comes the risk of “bad apples” making things difficult for the other members of the community. This is another issue that communities have to deal with.