What Matters/Community

Community

A community is a group of people who have significant, positive social interactions. Citizen-to-citizen engagement, a focus on the well-being of the whole, and hospitality to all are the essential elements of a healthy community.

Extensive research strongly supports the conclusion that happiness is best predicted by the breadth and depth of one’s social connections.

Communities create social capital—trust, goodwill, and cooperation among people. Social capital provides many benefits including: improved education and children’s welfare, safe and productive neighborhoods, economic prosperity, health and happiness, and stronger democracy.

Engage with communities where you belong and can thrive and contribute.

Assignment:

• Identify the communities you belong to that require meeting face-to-face with other people. Consider work you do for a political party, civic groups, religious groups, sports clubs, work or school groups, informal social connections, volunteer efforts and other such activities.
  • List (privately) the people you have met through those communities whom: 1) you trust, 2) you would be comfortable asking for a favor, and 3) you would be happy to help out if they asked for a favor.
  • Thinking about your neighbors, how many do you know by name? How many have you accumulated social capital with?
• Increase social capital—trust and cooperation among community members—through your participation in those communities.
  • The Saguaro Seminar is a long-term research project aimed at significantly increasing Americans' connectedness to one another and to community institutions. You may wish to study their work and help to implement their suggestions.
• Engage with and strengthen your community.
• Strengthen and renew your friendships.

Suggestions for further reading:

• Block, Peter (2009). Community: The Structure of Belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. pp. 264. ISBN 978-1605092775. 
• Putnam, Robert D. (2000). Bowling Alone. Touchstone Books by Simon & Schuster. pp. 544. ISBN 978-0743203043. 
• (Evaluate the book: Better Together: Restoring the American Community. )
• (Evaluate the book: The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods )
  • and the associated website: http://www.abundantcommunity.com official