I’ve just been reading an article which I think will be very important for the structure of my thesis, because it outlines the key elements of a sense of community. From what I have seen of my data, I think that where the learning goes wrong is when these elements of community go wrong.

McMillan, D. W. (1996). Sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 4, 315-325.

‘I view Sense of Community as a spirit of belonging together, a feeling that there is an authority structure that can be trusted, an awareness that trade, and mutual benefit come from being together, and a spirit that comes from shared experiences that are shared as art.’
Two points of reference are constant in sense of community theory – the member and the community.
Spirit (membership). Us separated from them. Emotional safety that encourages self disclosure and intimacy. Sense of belonging, and confidence and acceptance, and loyalty and entitlement. Friendship, connection with others, and an audience.  The first task of a community is to make it safe to tell ‘the truth’. Can a member tell their truth, can the community accept this truth safely and can they respond with courage? People disclose more when they feel safe. Boundaries These make emotional safety possible. Boundaries have benefits for members. They allay fears about who can be trusted. They define the logistical time and place settings of the group. Boundaries also distinguish the appropriate subject matter for group discourse. Sense of belonging The member acts on faith that they belong. They bond with those whom they believe want and welcome them. The community responds to the individual’s faith with acceptance. Paying Dues Communities need to test new members. They need to know whether a member will make available the time, energy and financial commitment to be an effective member. With rights and privileges come responsibility.
Trust (influence) Trust develops through a community’s use of its power. The community must solve the problems rising from the allocation of power. People must know what they can expect from each other. This involves the development of community norms, rules or laws. A community must have a way to process information and make decisions. Decision makers must have authority. Authority should be based on principle rather than person. Group norms allow members and authority to influence each other reciprocally.
Trade Members find ways they can benefit each other and the community. Bonding begins with the discovery of similarities. Perceive homogeneity facilitates group interaction. Once differences are discovered and needs and resources inventoried, then bargains can be negotiated. The medium of exchange in a community social economy is self disclosure. The most risky and valuable self disclosures involve the sharing of feelings. They begin by sharing feelings that they have in common, they then share positive feelings about each other. Once they have a base of understanding and support, they can begin to share criticisms, suggestions and differences. A community cannot survive unless members make fair trades with each other.
Art (shared emotional connection in time and space) Spirit with respected authority becomes trust, which is the basis of creating trade. Together these elements create a share history that becomes a community’s story symbolised in art. This point links in with history and with developing a shared language. Symbols, stories and other symbolic expressions represent the part of a community that outlives its members. Art supports spirit, and thus the four elements of community are linked in a self-reinforcing circle.