A local community has been defined as a group of interacting people living in a common location. The word is often used to refer to a group that is organized around common values and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household. The word can also refer to the national community or global community. The word "community" is derived from the Old French communauté which is derived from the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad term for fellowship or organized society. A

sense A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the world through the detection of stimuli. (For example, in the human body, the brain which is part of the central nervous system re ...

of community refers to people's

perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...

interconnection In telecommunications, interconnection is the physical linking of a carrier's network with equipment or facilities not belonging to that network. The term may refer to a connection between a carrier's facilities and the equipment belonging to ...

and

interdependence Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems, i.e. cohesive groups of interrelated, interdependent components that can be natural or human-made. Every system has causal boundaries, is influenced by its context, defined by its structu ...

, shared responsibility, and

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

goal A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ...

s. Understanding a community entails having knowledge of community needs and resources, having respect for community members, and involving key community members in programs.

Benefits of local community

The author Robert Putnam refers to the

value Value or values may refer to: Ethics and social * Value (ethics) wherein said concept may be construed as treating actions themselves as abstract objects, associating value to them ** Values (Western philosophy) expands the notion of value beyo ...

which comes from social networks as

social capital Social capital is "the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively". It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships ...

in his book ''Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.'' He writes that social capital "makes an enormous difference in our lives", that "a society characterized by generalized reciprocity is more efficient that a distrustful society" and that economic sociologists have shown a minimized economic wealth if social capital is lacking. Putnam reports that the first use of the social capital theory was by

L. J. Hanifan Lyda Judson Hanifan (February 12, 1879 – December 11, 1932), better known as L. J. Hanifan, is credited with introducing the concept of social capital. Robert Putnam in his book, ''Bowling Alone'' (2000) credits a 1916 paper by Hanifan as the fir ...

, a practical reformer during the

Progressive Era The Progressive Era (late 1890s – late 1910s) was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States focused on defeating corruption, monopoly, waste and inefficiency. The main themes ended during Am ...

in the United States of America. The following description of social capital is a quote from L.J. Hanifan in Putnam's Book: ;Employment Putnam reported that many studies have shown that the highest predictor of

job satisfaction Job satisfaction, employee satisfaction or work satisfaction is a measure of workers' contentedness with their job, whether they like the job or individual aspects or facets of jobs, such as nature of work or supervision. Job satisfaction can be ...

is the presence of social connection in the

workplace A workplace is a location where someone works, for their employer or themselves, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the workplace is one of ...

. He writes that "people with friends at work are happier at work." And that "social networks provide people with advice, a bonus, a promotion, and other strategic information, and letters of recommendation." Community engagement has been proven to counteract the most negative attributes of poverty and a high amount of social capital has been shown to reduce crime. ;Local community and health "Social connectedness matters to our lives in the most profound way." -Robert Putnam.Putnam, Robert D. (2000), p.326. Robert Putnam reports, in the chapter ''Health and Happiness'' from his book ''Bowling Alone'', that recent public research shows social connection impacts all areas of human health, this includes psychological and physical aspects of human health. Putnam says "...beyond a doubt that social connectedness is one of the most powerful determinates of our well being." In particular it is face to face connections which have been show to have greater impacts then non-face to face relationships. Specific health benefits of strong social relationships are a decrease in the likelihood of: seasonal viruses, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, depression, and premature death of all sorts. ; Online initiatives There are online initiatives to improve local community's like LOCAL (www.localchange.com).

Community sustainability

Sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

in community programs is the capacity of programs (services designed to meet the needs of community members) to continuously respond to community issues. A sustained program maintains a focus consonant with its original goals and objectives, including the

individuals An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own nee ...

, families, and communities it was originally intended to serve. Programs change regarding the breadth and depth of their programming. Some become aligned with other organizations and established institutions, whereas others maintain their independence. Understanding the community context in which programs serving the community function has an important influence on program sustainability and success.LaFond, A. K. (1995). Improving the quality of investment in health: Issues on sustainability. Health Policy and Planning (Suppl. 10), 63-76.Sustaining Community-Based Programs for Families: Conceptualization and Measurement Jay A. Mancini, Lydia I. Marek. Family Relations, Vol. 53, No. 4 (July, 2004), pp. 339-419. See table:

Local economy

According to

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a U.S. state, state in the Northwestern United States, Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first President of the United States, U.S. p ...

Sustain South Sound In sound and music, an envelope describes how a sound changes over time. It may relate to elements such as amplitude (volume), frequencies (with the use of filters) or pitch. For example, a piano key, when struck and held, creates a near-immedi ...

organization, the top ten reasons to buy locally are:
Top Ten Reasons to Buy Local
'',

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, USA. # To strengthen local economy: Studies have shown that buying from an independent, locally owned business, significantly raises the number of times your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms—continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. # Increase jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally in the United States of America. # Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character. # Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This means contributing less to greenhouse gas emissions, sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution. # Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses. # Keep your community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun—all of it makes our community home. # Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. # Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in the community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community's future. # Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community. # Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Local Community Human geography Localism (politics) Sociological terminology Types of communities Urban studies and planning terminology

Benefits of local community

Community sustainability

Local economy

Suggested reading

See also

References