Definition Essay – Defining Community How would someone define the word community? A community could be anything. If one were to listen to an everyday conservation, the word community, would probably be used very little. The word community has multiple meanings, ranging from communist or socialistic society (Emerson) to the quality of appertaining to or being held by all in common (Oxford).
Due to the many meanings of the word community, people have learned to substitute community for other words. Most of the definitions are common has in a society linked by common interests but, would you really say a buffalo community? Of course not, you would say a herd of buffalo. Unfortunately, community is really only used if someone were to be talking about where people live. Even the meanings of community don’t announce themselves when people use the word.
Working with a service agency (YouVote), community is used quite a bit. We worked a lot with the community of Michigan Sate University. Would Michigan State University students all have common interests? We all have the common interest to come here but, not common degrees, or classes. If it’s different at MSU would it be different everywhere else? In the 1971 Webster Dictionary the last part of the definition reads, or region linked by common interests. In today’s society most people living in a community aren’t linked by common interests. A lot of people have different interests, beliefs, and way they go about living their lives from their neighbors.
A more accurate definition, is, a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government (Dictionary.com). Now wouldn’t that definition be more suitable? It probably best describes most of today’s community actually. Take for example here at Michigan State. There are people most all different cultures, backgrounds, and sexual preferences (please don’t take to offense).
Communities are just, for the most part, made up of people who live around each other. They may not like each other, or be like each other but one common interest they do same is they all have dreams. The word community has been changed to try to relate to how people live together today.
