Musings on Good Community

... excerpted from a class blog post by ATXEquation student Cat Burr ...

In class we've been gaining some insight into the dynamics of a good community. Community is a collection of people who are gathered together by a common topic or area of interest. A great community is very action oriented and its members are all connected to each other. The members don’t just know each other, but they are all deeply tied. Each community has its own personality. We're also learning that great communities don't just happen – it must be organized in a way that creates and communicates certain standards and protocols. Many communities operate on social capital.

Market exchange is about de-personalization, while community and social exchange can be very personal. For example, a guest will generally bring a bottle of wine to a party as a way to contribute and say thank you to the host. This is a much more common and accepted tradition than, say, taking $20 dollars out of your pocket and handing it to the host. That's the difference between social exchange and market exchange, and it's this kind of distinction that separates a loose, disconnected community from a great community.

More to come on how communities form and connect to create scenes ...