What Is a Community?

To understand how one’s work is related to one’s community, it helps to understand what a community is and why they form. There are basically two parts to the definition of community. The first part of the definition states that a community is “A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.” The second part of the definition describes a community as “A group of people having common interests. To me, this means that along with the two definitions, there are mainly two different reasons for which communities form. According to the first definition, one reason communities form is because people find themselves in a common location as other people, unintentionally, and it is natural that each person and their work becomes a part of a community. A clear example of this would be in jails. Most people don’t go to jail because they want to be part of the community in jail. They got sent there because they were believed to be guilty of committing crimes. They then find themselves in a common location as others and in order for their community within the jail to be functional; they must take on jobs and responsibilities. While being incarcerated, people need to eat, so a cook is needed. Some people would need to take on the responsibilities of cleaning laundry. They would need people to take out the trash and clean the halls. A law librarian is even needed to help defend inmates. Eventually, as responsibilities are filled a community forms. While not all examples are as clear as this, many communities form in this way. A child is born into the place which their parents live, and until they are an adult, they are included as part of that community. People can find themselves in communities for many reasons but the first definition describes location as being the common factor between the members.
The second definition defines a situation where communities are intentionally formed over a common goal or interest. An example of this would be a