Q:3 What do we lose by not living in communities? What do we gain?

Q&A With the Public Professor – 1.3

Reinhardt: People who live in communities, and they do exist in other parts of the world, have certain benefits that they often cherish.  A community can provide a sense of belonging and even help give purpose to life.  A community member is familiar with the people around them, as well as the expectations for how to behave and what to believe.  At the same time, however, Community rules and expectations can be restrictive.  Since a community demands a certain amount of loyalty and obedience, it tends to squelch assertive individualism, something that many modern Americans celebrate and cherish.  Members of a community lack the freedom and liberty to do and say what they want, lest they face serious consequences; communities not only have rules, but they also have ways of enforcing them.  And that kind of atmosphere can promote provincialism, close mindedness, and xenophobia.  So for all of the positives that come out of living in an actual community, there are also restrictions and potential problems.  In short, it’s a mixed bag, so we should avoid knee jerk reactions that put communities up on a pedestal or condemn them out of hand.