PS282 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Urban Sprawl, Interpersonal Ties, Social Capital
Document Summary
Work, gym, dog owners, sports teams, online communities, school clubs, etc. City blocks, neighbourhoods, small towns, cities, rural regions, etc. Based not on choice but on geographic proximity: relational community. Defined by interpersonal relationships among and between people. Internet-based groups, student organizations, mutual help groups, religious congregations, workplaces, etc. Advocacy organizations, labour unions, political parties, community associations: choice and geographic community. Levels of analysis (levels of community: micro-system, organizational, localities, macro-system. The sense among community members of personal investment in the community and of belonging to it. Common symbols: help define boundaries and identify members. Personal investment: often not monetary; investment of time, energy. Sense of belonging and identification: influence. Both the power that members exercise over the group and the reciprocal power that the group exerts on members. The more cohesive the group, the greater its pressure for conformity. Vertical relationships between individuals and the overall community: integration and fulfillment of needs.
