Raymond Williams: On Community

The complexity of community thus relates to the difficult interaction between the tendencies originally distinguished in the historical development: on the one hand the sense of direct common concern; on the other hand the materialization of various forms of common organization, which may not adequately express this. Community can be the warmly persuasive word to describe an existing set of relationships, or the warmly persuasive word to describe an alternative set of relationships. What is most important, perhaps, is that unlike all other terms of social organization (state, nation, society, etc.) it seems never to be used unfavourably, and never to be given any positive opposing or distinguishing term. (76)

Williams, Raymond. “Community.” Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Revised Edition. NY: Oxford University Press, 1983.

{Michael Benton—-for this reason the connotations of the term “community” can be used to give a positive polish or spin to groups/organizations. We must always think of what community excludes or prohibits—the often masked processes of community (except for those who are excluded or prohibited) and how a call to community can be used in negative ways.}