Term
Community
What is a community?
Answer
Definition
A group of people living in the same area or sharing common interests, providing social support and belonging.
Societies can be categorized based on their foundational philosophical approach to the individual, their level of diversity, and their structural flexibility. Below are three key comparisons.
These systems determine how resources are produced, distributed, and consumed across society.
The distribution and concentration of power define these major systems of authority.
What is a community?
A group of people living in the same area or sharing common interests, providing social support and belonging.
Define culture.
Shared beliefs, customs, behaviors, language, arts, and traditions of a group.
What does intercultural mean?
Interactions and understanding between different cultures.
What is intracultural?
Shared traits and interactions within a single culture.
What are norms?
Unwritten rules guiding behaviour in a society.
Define social cohesion.
The degree to which society members feel connected and united.
What is social control?
Methods like laws and peer pressure to regulate behaviour and maintain order.
What causes social exclusion?
When groups or individuals are prevented from full participation in society due to poverty, discrimination, or lack of access.
What defines a society?
A large group living in a geographical area with shared culture and institutions.
What is a subculture?
A smaller group within society with distinct values and norms differing from the mainstream.
What are values?
Deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable.
Contrast collectivist and individualistic societies.
Collectivist societies prioritize group welfare; individualistic societies prioritize personal freedom and achievement.
Define homogenous society.
A society with similar cultural traits, language, and ethnicity.
Define heterogeneous/pluralistic society.
A society with diverse ethnicities, cultures, and languages.
What characterizes open societies?
Freedom of expression, movement, and social flexibility.
Define closed societies.
Restrictive societies limiting freedom and controlling information.
What is a command economy?
Government-controlled production and pricing of goods and services.
Define market economy.
Economies based on supply and demand with private ownership.
What is a mixed economy?
Combines government intervention with private ownership.
Describe traditional economies.
Economies relying on customs, barter, and subsistence production.
What is democracy?
Governance where power is held by the people through free elections.
Define monarchy.
Rule by king, queen, or emperor, either absolute or constitutional.
What is authoritarian/totalitarian governance?
Centralized control by a single leader or party with limited freedoms.
Define tribal/traditional governance.
Governance based on customs and elders, with communal decision-making.