On Ambivalence and Hope in the Restless Search for Community: How to Work with the Idea of Community in the Global Age

Abstract

Sociologists have been debating the idea of community for over a century with some continuing to suggest that it has no relevance in the contemporary world. Attempts to turn to other terms – such as ‘social capital’ – have not worked and many scholars have suggested that the desire for community has increased in a world of global insecurities. Gerard Delanty’s work on the communicative construction of community is the best attempt to unpack the contemporary meaning of the word yet he underplays the dangers of community and he stops short of contemplating the ongoing importance of place. This article extends Delanty’s conception of community formation by suggesting a distinction between ‘grounded’ and ‘projected’ communities. It draws on the author’s research to highlight the importance of working more thoughtfully with the idea of community. It notes that the sociology of community has failed to take account of more than 40 years of community development practice.