A community is a group of people who have a shared sense of belonging and identity around which they can coalesce.
Communities can be small, like a neighborhood, or large, like a global community. They may be geographically defined, or, defined by shared interests and beliefs. In general, they are support networks that provide a sense of security and comfort to the members. They can also be important places for networking and resource-sharing.
Examples include business, hobby, ethnic, religious, and sporting communities.
Examples of Communities
1. Business Communities
Type: Organizational
The business community is a group of people who have a shared interest in the well-being of businesses. This includes business owners, employees, customers, and suppliers.
We might also sometimes call this the entrepreneur community.
The business community can come together to promote the interests of businesses, or to advocate for certain policies. They may also provide resources and support to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
2. Caste Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A caste community is a group of people who share the same social status. In some cultures, castes have historically been very clearly defined over generations. Members of a caste would marry within their caste, find jobs within their caste, and socialize primarily with other members of their community.
Today, castes are not as prevalent, although social class solidarity still exists, and people from working-class backgrounds often come together to form political unions to advocate for their own interests.
3. City Communities
Type: Place-Based
A city can also be considered a community because all people within the city are united in their shared interest in improving or maintaining their city’s culture and livability.
A city is often administered by an organized political group such as the city council which acts as the decision-making hub for the community. Similarly, libraries, schools, and sporting groups act as meeting points for members of a city.
4. Countercultural Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A counterculture is a group of people who share a rejection of mainstream values. They may come together to form their own communities based on alternative values.
An example of a counterculture is the hippie movement of the 1960s, which rejected traditional values around work, materialism, and authority. The punk rock movement of the 1970s and 1980s also rejected traditional values, instead celebrating a rebellious and anti-capitalistic ethic.
5. Ethnic Communities
Type: Identity-Based
An ethnic community is a group of people who share the same cultural heritage. This includes shared traditions, language, and values.
Ethnic communities who are expatriates of their ethnic homeland will often coalesce in a specific neighborhood within a city. The quintessential example of this is the Chinatown neighborhood which emerges in most major world cities.
This is a place where Chinese immigrants often start out their new lives where they can communicate with other expatriates who can help them settle in to their new lives.
6. Farming Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A farming community is a group of people who share the common interest of working in agriculture. Small towns whose economies are largely dependent on farming are generally referred to as farming communities. They’re typically very supportive of one another and pitch in to give each other support, but also often skeptical of government regulation and interference.
7. Fundamentalist Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A fundamentalist community is a group of people who share the same rigid and literal interpretation of their chosen ideology and often live in isolated traditional economies.
One example of a fundamentalist community is the Amish community, which is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. The Amish reject many modern technologies and ways of life, instead choosing to stick to their centuries-old traditions. They often close themselves off from the outside world and are self-reliant.
8. Gated Communities
Type: Place-Based
A gated community is a planned community that is typically physically isolated from the surrounding area by a fence or wall. They often have security guards at the entrance to screen visitors and residents.
Gated communities are often seen as being very exclusive and elitist. They’re often criticized for their lack of social cohesion and sense of community.
9. The Global Community
Type: Organizational
The term ‘global community’ has been used since the intensification of globalization in the 20th Century. It highlights the fact that everyone in the world is interconnected in the era of globalization and has shared interests and the need for cooperation.
The need for cooperation among members of the global community has never been greater, as challenges such as climate change, poverty, and terrorism threaten the stability of the world.
The international community has responded to these challenges by developing institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank.
This term can also be used to highlight the emergence of one global culture as the world’s cultures have converged due to the globalization od ideas.
10. Hobby Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A hobby community is a group of people who share the same interests and hobbies. They often come together to socialize and enjoy their shared activities.
Examples of hobby communities include book clubs, knitting clubs, and chess clubs.
People who are passionate about their hobbies often have a great sense of community and camaraderie with other people who share the same passion.
11. Imagined Communities
Type: Identity-Based
An imagined community is a large social group, such as an entire nation, with shared characteristics. Despite their shared characteristics, the groups are so large that they may not ever meet one another in real life. These characteristics may include such things as a shared culture, language, history, religion, or ethnicity.
While members of an imagined community may never meet one another in person, they still feel a sense of connection to and solidarity with others who share their identity. This term was coined by Benedict Anderson, who believes imagined communities were made possible by the rise of print media.
12. Linguistic Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A linguistic community is a group of people who share the same language. They may also share a common culture and history.
Linguistic communities often have their own distinct dialects of their shared language. These dialects can serve as a marker of identity for members of the community.
For example, the French-speaking community in Canada has its own distinct dialect of French, known as Quebec French. The dialect differentiates them both from English-speaking Canada and French speakers in France.
13. LGBT Community
Type: Identity-Based
The LGBT community is a global group of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This group has become more visible in recent years as society has become more accepting of LGBT rights.
The LGBT community has its own culture and subculture, with its own music, art, fashion, and media. Pride parades and festivals are held in many cities around the world to celebrate LGBT culture.
14. Multicultural Communities
Type: Place-Based
A multicultural community is a group of people from different cultures who live and interact with one another in the same area.
Multiculturalism is the philosophy that multiple cultures can coexist peacefully and harmoniously in the same society. Multicultural communities often have a rich tapestry of traditions, customs, and beliefs.
15. Philanthropic Communities
Type: Organizational
A philanthropic community is a group of people who are dedicated to promoting the well-being of others, often through charitable work.
Philanthropic communities are often formed around a cause or social issue that members are passionate about. For example, there may be a community dedicated to fighting poverty, or one that works to promote education in developing countries.
Members of philanthropic communities often have a strong sense of social responsibility and altruism.
An example of a philanthropic community is the effective altruism movement.
16. Political Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A political community is a group of people who share the same political beliefs or ideology and who have come together to leverage their power in numbers.
Political communities can be local, national, or international in scope. For example, within a nation, a political community may form a political party such as the Green Party, the Democratic Party, or the Republican Party.
Internationally, it may take the form of a bloc of nations such as the Soviet bloc, the European Union, or the Arab League.
17. Regional Communities
Type: Place-Based
A regional community is a group of people who share the same geographic region.
Members of a regional community are brought together by their common interest in the security and prosperity of the region in which they live. It may be a small area such as a county or a large area such as the nations of the Asia-Pacific region that come together to meet agreements on trade and ocean management within the region.
18. Religious Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A religious community is a group of people who share the same religion.
Members of a religious community often have strong beliefs and values that bind them together. They may also share a common culture and history.
Religious communities can be local, national, or international in scope. For example, the Catholic Church is a global religious community with members in nearly every country in the world. But we might also consider a local parish church to be a religious community as well which is both a self-standing community of people and a small group within the larger Catholic family.
19. School Communities
Type: Place-Based
A school community is a group of education stakeholders affiliated with a school, typically students, staff, and parents. The parents and community committees within schools are influential decision-making bodies where the community can come together. The school principal is the executive leader of the community.
School communities might come together to make decisions about the teaching methods the school will use, the teachers they will employ, and the new infrastructure projects that may be necessary.
20. Sporting Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A sporting community is a group of people who share a love of a particular sport.
Examples include the swimming, golfing, football, and baseball communities.
There may also be close-knit fan groups who feel connected to the players. For example, the fans of the Seattle Seahawks call themselves the “12th man” and consider themselves to be an important part of the team.
21. Subcultural Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A subculture is a group of people who share the same values, beliefs, and practices that differ from the mainstream culture. They differ from countercultural groups because they’re not directly opposed to or in conflict with the dominant culture.
Examples of subcultures include the gamer subculture, the skater subculture, and the hip hop subculture.
22. Tribal Communities
Type: Identity-Based
A tribal community is a group of people who identify with a tribe. In North America, these are indigenous tribes who come together to continue their traditional culture, language, and arts.
The largest Native American tribes are the Cherokee, the Navajo, and the Sioux.
23. Workplace Communities
Type: Organizational
A workplace community is a group of people who work for the same organization.
Historically, when people would work within the same manufacturing firm for the entirety of their careers, people’s identities would revolve around their workplace. A substantial percentage of the town would be employed by the company and they would become a cohesive social group.
Today, with the decline of manufacturing in the developed world, workplace communities have been diluted, people tend to drift between workplaces more regularly, and they identify more with hobby or values groups than workplace-oriented groups.
Examples of Online Communities
24. Blogging Communities (e.g. Medium)
Type: Virtual
With the rise of the internet, communities have developed online. Disparate people would find people with shared interests and chat online about those interests. One example is the blogger community, who would follow each other’s blogs, comment on their new posts, and support one another’s development as a writer.
25. Fandom Communities
Type: Virtual
With the rise of mass media, people have begun to form communities around their favorite TV shows, movies, and celebrities. These fandom communities can be extremely passionate and have been known to organize themselves to support their chosen object of affection.
One example is the Sherlock Holmes fandom, which has been known to create new works of fan fiction (unauthorized stories based on the original work) and produce their own movies and TV shows.
These communities tend to get together on online forums.
26. Forum Communities (e.g. Reddit)
Type: Virtual
An online forum is a website where people can have discussions about a variety of topics. Forums are organized into categories and sub-categories, and the users can post new threads or reply to existing ones.
One example is Reddit, which has communities for every imaginable topic, from video games to parenting to news.
27. Social Media Communities (e.g. Twitter)
Type: Virtual
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have also given rise to communities. People use these platforms to share news, photos, thoughts, and experiences with their friends and followers.
These platforms are also used by celebrities and public figures to connect with their fans.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of the different types of communities that exist. There are many more, and new ones are forming all the time.
Communities provide support, connection, and a sense of belonging for their members. They can be an important part of people’s lives and important support networks.
Today, with the rise of the internet, it’s easier than ever to find and connect with people who share your interests, no matter where you are in the world.
Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]
I really appreciate your teaching style. Using lay language and examples really helped me to focus on the various types of communities.