UNDERSTANDING HOW COMMUNITIES WORK

 Communities do not sprout up for no reason.

 “there must be a sufficient reason for its existence” –

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
 According to Mc Millan and Chavis (1976), sense of community
is a feeling that members have of belonging , 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.
 THE FOUR (4) FACTORS
MEMBERSHIP INFLUENCE

INTEGRATION AND FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

1. MEMBERSHIP

 The feeling of belonging or of sharing a sense of personal relatedness.

This concept includes the following contributes :

 Boundaries
Emotional Safety
A sense of belonging and identification
Personal community
A common symbol system
BOUNDARIES
- how do people become members and what are the boundaries keeping others out.

- requirements are usually proof of residence and payment of corresponding fee.

EMOTIONAL SAFETY
- create TRUST and a feeling of SAFETY
A SENSE OF BELONGING AND
IDENTIFICATION
- members feel that they are welcome, fit in and that is our community.
A COMMON SYMBOL SYSTEM
- a logo representing the community.
2. INFLUENCE

 A sense of mattering.
 Members feel that they are influencing the community and the
community having influence over its members
3. INTEGRATION AND FULFILMENT OF
NEEDS

 It means that by becoming a member of a community, the

member gets what he/she hope to get by joining.

 This reinforces the idea that one’s community, like ay other

product, need to solve a problem/concern for its members to
make it worth their time and contribution.
4. SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

 Members will have a history of experiences together while they

are in a community – they will talk about weddings, baptism,
birthday celebrations, school and sports activities that they
shared together.
EVALUATION

Does your community have these four factors?

Explain your answer.