America has many characteristics that make it the greatest country in the world. One of those characteristics is community life. From the beginning the people of America have always been able to form strong bonds with each other. The sense of American exceptionalism through community life is not just seen in small communities, the entire country has always been able to come together not only in times of need but in times of happiness and celebration as well. Community life has played a role in American history from the beginning, at times it was a benefit and other times it was a detriment, but America’s ability to form strong bonds has always been seen and will continue to set American’s apart from other countries in the future. Community …show more content…
I use this phrase to capture the odd combination of volunteerism, widespread charitable giving, and engagement in the community that was at the heart of American exceptionalism in the nineteenth century” (Murray 2013, 26). America forms bonds like no other country. Americans come together in times of celebration and morning, in good times and in bad. The people fight for causes they believe and support others in their times of need through charitable giving or even lending a helping hand in the community. Like no other country, Americans are always willing to form special unions. Perfect examples are the Boston marathon bombings, on a smaller scale, after the passing of a loved one, the community comes together to help the family in every way possible. The celebration of birthdays, weddings and even New Year’s Eve. The American people come together for political reasons, for equality and the fight against racism. The tragic event of September 11th is a prime example of the special bonds that American have for each other and their country. “Within less than two hours, life as we knew it, changed forever- not just for the people that lost a family member or friend, but for every single person across the globe. However, it is also the day when Americans came together as one nation, regardless of cast, creed or color, to stand up against unspeakable evil” (Dolasia 2014). September 11th was not the first time that Americans came together for their country, Americans have been working together to create and sustain this nation from the
A community is comprised of a group of goal oriented individuals with similar beliefs and expectations. Currently the term is used interchangeably with society, the town one lives in and even religion. A less shallow interpretation suggests that community embodies a lifestyle unique to its members. Similarities within the group establish bonds along with ideals, values, and strength in numbers unknown to an individual. Ideals and values ultimately impose the culture that the constituents abide by. By becoming part of a community, socialization...
The media continues to surround us with various advertisement to persuade us one way or another. Although they might be plain and simple to see, they always have an underlying message behind them. In particular, a great example that displays this is the advertisement “Sense of Community” with Dr. Jay Grossman. “Sense of Community” presents us with a poorly made picture of Dr. Jay Grossman in a dentist office treating a “homeless” patient. Some may assume that this advertisement’s purpose is to exhibit the noble deeds and great qualities that he has as a dentist, however, this is incorrect. In my opinion, according to some evidence that are made visible by the author, what he truly wants the audience to believe is how great being in the
In “Habits Of The Heart” Bellah et al write that “they attempt to follow Tocqueville and call it individualism”. This they say is the first language in which Americans tend to think about their lives, values independence and self-reliance above all else (Viii). Americans separate work, family and community, when in fact, these worlds must be combined. We are hiding in such "lifestyle enclaves," our isolated existence limits our ability to relate ourselves to a broader community. The virtue of community interaction lies in its ability to provide meaning to the frustrating mechanisms of politics and combat the "inevitable loneliness of the separate self" (Bellah et. al., 190).
In the article, “The Community Question Re-Evaluated”, the author Barry Wellman suggests that the change in nature of community is inevitable. Many people are stressful about changes their communities are going through such as loneliness, alienation leading to a “war of all against all.” They would often compare their modern times community to of their pre-industrial predecessors. However, inhabitants of contemporary societies should have less to worry about than their ancestors with ‘respect to the basics of human life.’ Instead comparing contemporary crime and political violence rates with the past, we should seek to gain deeper understand of how our community changes- “how the large-scale structure of social systems reciprocally affects the small-scale structure and contents of interpersonal relations within them.” The social changes in large-scale systems are suggested to be associated with the Industrial Revolution which affected the structure and operations of the community. Social commentators suggested that large-scales faced the impacts of industrialization, capitalism, imperialism, bureaucratization and technological developments which then dripped down onto the interpersonal relations. They noted that the large-scale reorganization of production has created new opportunities for community relations. For example, industrialization had reduced poverty and that working-class home ownership would heighten neighborhood communal bonds. Although the analyses are well debatable, Wellman believes that community may have changed in response to the pressure, opportunities and constraints of large-scale forces.
Global and local communities seek the greatest opportunities for prosperity and self-fulfillment, but there exists certain criteria that must be met in order to achieve those ends. The most successful communities incorporate the inherent values and virtues of a specific group of people. Communities ought to establish goals to be attained by their members, giving them a sense of cohesion and cooperation. Ideally, communities dictate a rule of law to lead them towards some elements of justice and mutual benefit.
Nash, G. B., Jeffery, J., Howe, J., Winkler, A., Davis, A., Mires, C., et al. (2010). The American people: creating a nation and a society. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education
A community is established when more than two people share the same values and through time this personal connection evolves into a fellowship governed by rituals, traditions, and a particular form of communication that when taken together makes a group of individuals whether living in a specific geographical area or connected by ideals so distinct that their distinguishing marks allow them to stand out from among the crowd. They do not just believe in something like an organization but they need each other to survive and thrive. A good example is the Old Order Amish Mennonite community wherein the community serves as source of identity, strength and provides the reason why they should sustain the community’s way of life.
...choose a more communal living and a better relationship with their local and online communities, and it is necessary to influence Americans to make better decisions and lead the world to a better future.
Community is like a Venn diagram. It is all about relations between a finite group of people or things. People have their own circles and, sometimes, these circles overlap one another. These interceptions are interests, common attitudes and goals that we share together. These interceptions bond us together as a community, as a Venn diagram. A good community needs good communication where people speak and listen to each other openly and honestly. It needs ti...
Our country has gone through so much tragedy, but we came together as a country to be here for one another. When the U.S. falls down when tragedy strikes, through a quilt, diversity, and a memorial tree, together as a nation we get back up on our feet. Our country has been through a lot even through the bad times, but we still stand strong together as a nation Our country is like a quilt. We are all different but we are still together as one. Our country is diverse, everyone is different and has different opinions or thoughts. When tragedy occurs someone always makes the best out of it, like planting trees for the children who died.
Should the most selfish elite individual take heed and meditate on the ideology behind community, he/she may awaken to the fact that many persons looking after one person has more advantages and a better survival rate than one trying to preserve one. The needs of the one will never outweigh the needs of the collective group. In the end individuality inevitably leads to self-destruction; therefore, commitment to community is a requirement for contemporary Americans and vital to its survival.
How would someone define the word community? A community could be anything. If one were to listen to an everyday conservation, the word community, would probably be used very little. The word community has multiple meanings, ranging from communist or socialistic society (Emerson) to the quality of appertaining to or being held by all in common (Oxford).
America is so-called “the land of opportunity”, which makes the country a whole. Being a whole displays a positive
A Community can be defined as a group of people who don’t just live in the same area, but also share the same interests, experiences and often concerns about the area in which they live. Often when individuals have lived on a street or in an area for a while they become familiar with each other and the issues surrounding them. Children often attend the same schools and grow up together, again sharing similar experiences. In some instances adults may work together, and quite commonly all community members will share the same doctors, dentists, hospitals, health visitors and other public services and facilities.
An impoverished man living on the outskirts of a neighborhood park walks through the forest and notices a block party. He thinks to himself, a “free” lunch. As the man strolls toward the party, he notices many people of all ages eating and talking. When he looks at the food on the table, his eyes’ yearn in hunger. He then comes across a sign reading “BLOCK PARTY, COMMUNITY ONLY.” Slowly his momentary happiness vanishes because he does not belong to this neighborhood community but part of the city. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word community means a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood). However, according to experts, “The word community itself changes coming to mean a group of like-minded people sharing common interests, when in the past it referred to a group of people of various skills and interests cooperating with one another in order to survive. Now we find and create communities based on geography, ethnicity, race, religion, class, and even language” (Shea, Scanlan, and Aufses). A community provides support and achieves a goal no matter what the cost.