Community: Meaning and Definition

COMMUNITY

Meaning of Community

The term community has been derived from two Latin word ‘Com’ and ‘Munis’ which means ‘together’ and ‘servicing’ respectively. It consists of a group of people with common and shared interests. The term is also used both in a narrower and broader sense. In a narrow sense community refers to Hindu or Muslim community but in a broader sense community may refers to a nation or world community. It also refers to a village, a town or a tribal community. When a group of individual or members of any group small or large live together and share a common life and have developed a strong sense of we-feeling among themselves they form a community. They enter into definite social, economic and cultural relations and have developed a sense of community consciousness which distinguishes them from others. A group of individuals or group of families living in physical proximity with each other in a definite geographical boundary constitutes a community.

Definition of Community

1. According to Maclver, “Community is an area of social living marked by a some degree of social coherence.”

2. According to Kingsley Davis, “Community is the smallest territorial group that can embrace all aspects of social life.”

3. According to Ogburn and Nimkoff, “Community is the total organization of social life within a limited area.”

4. According to Arnold Green, “A community is cluster of people, living within a contiguous small area, who share a common way of life.”

5. According to E. S. Bogardus, “Community is a social group with some degree of ‘we-feeling’ and living in a given area.”

6. According to G. A. Lundberg, “Community is a human population living within a limited geographical area and carrying on a common inter-dependent life.”