The complexity in defining community
No half-serious talk on Community investment talk can start without at least the attempt to define “ What is community?”. An accepted mathematical definition for a community is yet to hit the literature. Existing definitions are conceptual, and vary from very formal to loose, depending mainly on the structure of the underlying network. Some of the definitions are also constructive, the result of algorithmic steps. To sum up, I’ll save you reading the next couple of paragraphs, there is no definitive answer.
Joke aside, embracing the complexity of the task at hand, let’s take a big breath together and remind ourselves what my Sanskrit teacher will say “one cannot swallow an ocean, but we can learn to swim in it”.
Back to basics, the primary definition that will appear in the Oxford language dictionary is :
- “a group of people LIVING in the same place”, or “ having a particular characteristic in common”,
- “The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common”.
Ha! Geography seems to matter. Voilà a reassuring point, especially for a talk at a Co-living summit, Community is an essential component of the business of sharing living spaces.
Now, from an etymological perspective, it is a combination of two Latin words “com” which means together and “munis” which means to serve. Therefore, the combination points to the sense of “we” that resides among those “who serve together”. From a sociological perspective, human beings need to live in a community, not only because it is primary to our survival but because it is also essential for our thriving. We are deeply wired to be part of one or multiple ones, as the complexity of our beings increases with time. You know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child ” well, apparently in 2022 it takes multiple villages to raise that same child. Each community has a particular role to fulfil each particular need.
However, what we have found in our research is that many people tend to have difficulty defining it, perceiving it, let alone expressing its benefits. If they have it, then it’s so weaved in them they might not even identify with it “what community?”. Almost like talking to a fish about water, if they don’t have it, it’s like talking to a fish about air, both seem to resemble one another yet oh, so different. People associate it with an emotion, a feeling, or a sense of belonging, defined by relationships with mutual benefit, caring, or sharing. As you probably already know, scientists can’t agree on what emotions are so imagined when speaking of community. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, there is no definitive answer.
With the arrival of the internet age, the definition keeps on expanding, it has clearly moved past the idea of the unity of territory. There is great debate on the minimum number of people to the maximum one that can form a community. There is a growing body of research that suggests there is a tapped number we humans can hold close relationships, or in person, tapped to 150 people. Yet depending on perspectives and purposes given to the said communities, or close relationships, and associations we make, those numbers can vary greatly reaching communities of millions. The component of time that is required to build as well is up for discussion. It must have a certain permanence, it is not just a group of people getting together for let’s say a concert. It is generally appreciated that communities become stronger the more they are “used”, with time.
We have had clients operating a successful business for more than 10 years which at their core is a “network of professionals with personal affection” that still wouldn’t dare to call themselves a community. While we have had clients that hosted a one-week retreat, and feel very confident in calling themselves a community, one that transcends anything else they have ever experienced, if I may add, including other more familiar “coliving experiences” they can relate to, such as their first year in a dorm at the university.
Thus, another layer to this ambiguous definition.
We quickly realized the attempt of defining can feel overwhelming, intangible, and elusive. All things we are not quite comfortable feeling when speaking of investments. No, when speaking of investments, we prefer numbers, especially if they have a great ROI. Never admitting intangibles or emotions might by leading our decisions.
Yet, we at GroundInn, believe is precisely in this ambiguity, in the complexity of defining what is community, what is that unified body of individuals to your business, is where lies the major untapped potential, its major grand asset. Not a barrier.
But again, we believe business is about people. We believe in the importance of social capital and alliances. Even if your business were to be fully automated and run by machines, its purpose is to serve people, and better their quality of Life. Ideally for all beings and environments. This belief is even more rooted when designing shared spaces and will help you pierce through relevance.
Or what does the famous “co-” that appears in front of every space to be shared stand for anyway? If not for community.
Originally published by Marta Rocamora González at https://medium.com on May 17, 2022.
