A community is a social system with spatial and temporal aspects that involves relationships between individuals. It includes people, shared culture, and interdependence. A community is defined as a concentration of individuals in a physical location that share characteristics, customs, and work to meet common needs. Researchers study communities using different theoretical approaches including viewing the community as a place to live (qualitative), a spatial unit (ecological), a way of life (ethnological), or an arena for social interaction (sociological).

1. COMMUNITY
What is a community?
- deals and includes the spatial (space) and temporal (time) aspect where it
shows relationships. A structured social field of inter-relationship unfolding
through time
- it is not territorial but an enduring temporal patterns of co-existence and a
time ordered progress of individuals from birth to death including roles
performed and status defined by the individual of that community
Spatial people (roles, status, situation and characteristics)
resources (bio-physical, social and economic condition)
Temporal relationships (inter and intra)
culture (norms, beliefs, language, artifact, etc.)
Environmental factors (Setting factors)
1. personality (looks at individual)
2. culture (consider the individual and the community)
3. ecology (bio-physical situation and condition)
4. demography (characteristics and profile of the community)
5. time (influence change)
Community considers and includes the following:
- physical concentration of individuals
- a social system with a varying social relationships, social interactions and
social structure
- with similar characteristics sharing the community resources
- have sense of belongingness and unity
- meeting the common needs of the each or majority of the people
Community
– is a physical or socio-psychological concentration of individuals which
is considered a social system having social relationship, social
structure and social interactions acting to different activities with
similar characteristics, habits, customs and mutual interest to share and
meeting common needs.
– It is composed of people, functions (specialized and interdependent),
common culture, conscious of their unity and belongingness and act
collectively in an organized manner
Social Basis of Community
1. tradition – associated with the customs, beliefs and pratices which were
established in the olden times up to the present time
2. individualism – own will being of individuals also considered as the free will of
people in the community
3. communality – is the shared experience
4. interdependence – related to power structure within the community

2. Analyzing Communities
Theoretical Approaches to Community Analysis
The study of communities varies according to level. These levels point out the
nature and direction of analysis by researchers in the social sciences (sociology and
anthropology)
1. simple level – this is a personal observation and individual interpretation
a. Partial or “keyhole” view of their community
b. Need for objectivity
c. Exercise of greater care in describing what one sees
2. self-survey – group of community people and the consultant observe and analyze
aspects of community
3. social science research – includes a more formal analysis of the community
through different approaches
a. qualitative approach – community as a place to live
b. ecological approach – community as a spatial unit
c. ethnological approach – community as a way of life
d. sociological approach – community as an arena of social interaction