I studied sociology, and the thing I love about it, is that it encourages us to “deep it” in the face of those who say “it’s not that deep.” The foundation of this discipline is an approach to understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context. This is, to me, essential to understanding the world that we live in. It is not possible to solve humanity’s biggest problems through an individualized lens. We are a collective species, and are more and more connected everyday in the digital and globalized world we live in. This can feel overwhelming sometimes, at least for me. That’s why I’ve chosen to focus my efforts at an intracommunity level. Meaning, strengthening bonds in communities we already navigate and with people who share our values. Small changes are made every day with our neighbors. But, what is a community anyway?
In sociology, there is no singular definition of community but many theorists have created working definitions. Communities are often classified based on the purpose that brings them together, for example. These can be:
- Interest: People who share a common passion (like fandom spaces)
- Action: People trying to bring some kind of change (like political organizing groups)
- Place: People brought together by the coincidence of common geographical location (like your neighborhood)
- Practice: People who have the same profession or undertake the same activities (like a club softball team)
