Making Sense of Community

Most of us Planetizen readers were inadvertently complicit in killing the term "sense of community." Scott Doyon points out where we go from here.

1 minute read

March 1, 2016, 11:00 AM PST

By Hazel Borys

"Let’s start at the beginning. Sense of community is a legitimate thing. Or at least it was, until people like me got ahold of it.

"To explain: In 1986, social psychologists David W. McMillan and David M. Chavis published their theory on what they termed 'sense of community' — the feeling we experience when engaged in the meaningful pursuit of connection with others. Here’s how they summarized it:

"Sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together."

Doyon goes on to talk about how the marketers' spin took over and misapplied the term. And where we go from here.

Credit: http://www.plumdeluxe.com/

FULL STORY: Making Sense of Community

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 in PlaceShakers

Community / Economic Development Social / Demographics Urban Development North America Resilience Scott Doyon Sense of Community View More

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