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In biological terms, a community is a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. In sociology, the concept of community has caused infinite debate, and sociologists are yet to reach agreement on a definition of the term. Indeed, one can find 94 discrete definitions of the term even as early as mid-1950s. Traditionally a "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 organised around common values and social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household. Wider meanings of the word can refer to the national community or global community. Communis comes from a combination of the Latin prefix com- (which means "together") and the word munis probably originally derived from the Etruscan word munis- (meaning "to have the charge of").^[1]

German sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies distinguished between two types of human association Gemeinschaft (usually translated as "community") and Gesellschaft ("society" or "association"). In his 1887 work, Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft, Tönnies argued that Gemeinschaft is perceived to be a tighter and more cohesive social entity, due to the presence of a "unity of will."^[2] He added that family and kinship were the perfect expressions of Gemeinschaft, but that other shared characteristics, such as place or belief, could also result in Gemeinschaft. Gesellschaft, on the other hand, is a group in which the individuals who make up that group are motivated to take part in the group purely by self-interest. He also proposed that in the real world, no group was either pure Gemeinschaft or pure Gesellschaft, but, rather, a mixture of the two.

During their growth and maturation, people encounter a variety of individuals and experiences. Infants first interact with their immediate family, then with extended family. As they mature, children interact with the local community, first in school and later through work. They thus develop individual and group identity through associations that connect them to life-long community experiences.^[3]

As people grow, they learn about and form perceptions of social structures. During this progression, they form personal and cultural values, a world view, and attitudes toward the larger society. Gaining an understanding of group dynamics and how to "fit in" is part of socialization. Individuals develop interpersonal relationships and begin to make choices about whom to associate with and under what circumstances.^[3]

Community Subcategories Community Articles WHY SASHA'S FIERCEST SHOULD LET ANOTHER DREAMGIRL SHINE... WWW.GRINDMODECONNECT.COM by van reyes Jan 06, 2009 Finally, a sense of normality begins to return after the holidays. Don’t get me wrong – it’s nice to let your hair down and relax after working all year. It can even be good to see family members, but, as soon as you begin to lose track of what day i... Your list building can also be the foundation of your own vibrant online community! by JATINDERPAL Singh Dec 15, 2008 When I first started online marketing I kept hearing the so-called gurus shouting "The Money Is in Your List!" Up until that time the only list that meant anything to me was probably my grocery list. However, as I quickly became familiar with web mar... E-learning Community - learn through vast information repositories by Alfie Corey Dec 02, 2008 E-learning Community is a social site that offers ample information to knowledge seekers. It is a way of enhancing their knowledge online, learning, sharing and socializing to increase their friend circle unhindered. E-learning community is an... Businesses Promote Their Products Via Special Events by Mike Selvon Nov 26, 2008 Small and large scale businesses usually hold promotions for their products and services. This is one way of a putting out a marketing or advertising ploy. To reach and connect with the public, with the goal of introducing or promoting their products... Social Networking Website Kerchoonz Receives £250,000 Investment by Eric de Fontenay Aug 10, 2008 The Scottish Co-investment Fund, a £45 million equity investment fund set up by Scottish Enterprise, made a £250,000 investment into UK-based multi-media company Kerchoonz. Scheduled for beta launch this September, Kerchoonz.com is a social n... Social Networking - The Moggl Community by Ayesha Yon Mar 28, 2008 Social Networking has become a well known concept in todays society. With many thriving networks to choose from, finding the perfect in may be hard. Moggl is a nifty new service which encourages making new friends. With little effort, Moggl ... Online networking site - the smarter way to socialize by Maggie Tran Feb 22, 2008 Social networking sites play a vital role in making new friends online or re-discovering an old friend after many years. People get the opportunity to meet like minded individuals thus making long lasting online friendships. Here is where the online ... Know how to capitalize by social networking by Victor Abarca Feb 20, 2008 I have been doing some research on how we can capitalize on social networking. I have been hearing a lot that social networking is one of the potent ways to give exposure to online businesses. There are quite a few benefits that businesses can get ou... Increase Traffic to your blog- Community Building-Social Bookmarking and Networking by Constantine Sivenas Dec 26, 2007 There are a few things that you can do to increase traffic to your blog. To achieve high volumes of visitors, readers and subscribers does take time, it won’t happen over night, but it’s not impossible. Even if you have great content you can... Friendswin University the New Web 2.0 Online Community for Online Businesses by James Cobb Nov 30, 2007 Friendswin University professional online business learning sites aim to meet the need for social networking training and support. Friendswin University has created an interactive, online social environment for networking, online marketer, and home b...