Community, in the social sciences, is a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs and who may live in the same area. The community ranks second only to the family among the oldest and most basic human institutions. Members of a community are linked by emotional bonds. They share a sense of belonging and feel an obligation toward other members of the group.
Since the earliest times, human beings have banded together in groups for companionship, help, and protection. The first communities consisted of small groups of people who inhabited a specific territory. Most of these communities were isolated and self-sufficient. Members of the community identified themselves strongly with the values and attitudes of the group. Membership in the community tended to be stable, and many people lived in the same group throughout their lifetime. Such traditional communities still exist in many rural areas.
The history of society includes a decline in the importance of the community. Large numbers of other institutions have taken over its functions. These institutions include schools, corporations, and regional and national governments. The community has not disappeared, however. Members of modern communities may not live in the same place. Instead, people from different areas may form a community on the basis of ethnic or racial origin, religious or political beliefs, occupation, friendship, or shared interests.
The term community has a different meaning in biology. Biologists define a community as a group of plants and animals living together in the same area and depending on one another. For example, scientists might study a desert or a swamp community.
