Mike,

While not necessarily widely used in anthropological literature, a
definition you might find interesting that I've used in the past comes
from Bender's book Community and social change in America. (Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins University Press 1982).

Bender¹s definition: A community involves a limited number of people in a
somewhat restricted social space or network held together by shared
understanding and a sense of obligation. Relationships are close, often
intimate, and usually face-to-face. Individuals are bound together by
affective or emotional ties rather than by a perception of individual
self-interest. There is a Œwe-ness¹ in a community; one is a member.
(1982, 7-8)

Cheers,


On 4/20/12 5:26 PM, "mike strutt" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Dear Histarchers,
>
>So what is your favorite anthropological definition of community (a
>citation of the originator would be appreciated)?  What is your
>definition of community among an enslaved population? Would it be
>different from the above, or different from say an immigrant group living
>in a new country? Ideas as well as definitions welcome. Looking for ways
>community is defined in terms of who is part of it, or not. . .



Todd A. Hanson, Ph.D.
Environmental Programs
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
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