Psychological Sense of Community: Theory, Research, and Application

Abstract

The idea that we belong to communities and that these communities provide benefits and responsibilities is one that has gained a growing appreciation in the last decade. As a reaction to the urbanization faced by many people, globalization, cross-national forms of media and their impact on cultures, physical and social isolation from family and friends, and a growing fear of change and the unknown, images of community, belonging and support have become paramount. However, what is actually meant by community, how a community functions, and what are the benefits and costs of community membership has not necessarily been well explored. This chapter provides an overview of the chapters in the book Psychological sense of community: Research, applications, and implications (2002) edited by A. T. Fisher et al. In this book, the chapters explore a series of different types of communities--moving from the basic idea of shared physical location all the way to virtual communities of the Internet. The ways in which the communities operate, positively and negatively; what people get out of them and what they have to put into them; and the notion of being members of more than one community at one time are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)