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The traditional definition of community is, a community is a group of people that reside together in a geographical location and share the same interest, attitudes and goals. A community is a group of people who come together for the same goals.
Pfortmüller (2017) argued that, the traditional definition of community is outdated. He said for most of us, our village or neighborhood is not our key definer of identity or fellowship as we have shifted from being traditionally born into a community to now choosing our own communities and expressing our identities through them. For instance now we have the LGBT community. Pfortmüller claimed that the traditional definition, “share common attitudes, interests and goals” was too broad and vague and lacked a sense of relationship so he attempted to redefine community. He said, “we need to update what community means in today’s world”. And maybe we’ll have to find ways to differentiate between different kinds of communities. He defined community as a group of people that care about each other and feel they belong together. Where a group of people equates to being human, care about each other equates to relationship and feel they belong together equates to shared identity.
Communitarianism
Communitarianism is a philosophy that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community. It’s overriding philosophy is based upon the belief that a person’s social identity and personality are largely molded by community relationships, with a smaller degree of development being placed on individualism. Communitarianism is a philosophy that is in contrast with liberalism/individualism. Communitarianism places communal rules and values above individual opinions and rights.
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In traditional African societies, a great value was placed on the community. For traditional Africans, it is the community that makes one a person. Only by following communal values can one achieve/attain the status of a person. This is not to say they don’t regard ‘non-persons’ as human beings. So children, and adults who fail to follow communal rules are human beings but are not regarded as persons yet. As enforced by Menkiti, personhood is something an individual could fail at. He said, “ personhood is the sort of thing which has to be attained, and is attained in direct proportion as one participates in communal life through the discharge of the various obligations defined by one’s stations”.
As humans, we cannot always be by ourselves, we need to have social interaction with other people to be ‘complete’. Although a bit restrictive on individual rights, communitarianism as a whole provides a sense of security to the members of the community. The relationship between individuals and the community in communitarianism can be compared to a dense forest. As single trees, they are on their own braving all weather individually but together, they form a forest providing shade for each other and protecting themselves from the rain and other elements.
Liberalism
In liberalism and individualism, the individual is not identified by the community but by personal traits and characteristics. This philosophy is mostly found in Western cultures. It is the concept of each man for himself where individuals use personal traits to identify themselves such as, “I am …”. This concept strongly emphasizes on self independence and self reliance. Individual rights and autonomy are priority to communal goals. And although this philosophy strives to make each individual independent and work towards their own goals, it has also made the individuals more selfish and self centered. In individualism, the individuals have unlimited freedom to do whatever they please without it affecting others. Individuals also learn to improve themselves as they take on challenges. But on the other hand, individuals have become self centered only thinking of making themselves better without caring about the consequences on others. Like in the case of communitarianism where individuals make sacrifices for each other for the community as a whole, individualism lacks that team spirit.
Relationship Between Individual and the Community
Communitarianism as a whole provides a sense of security and social welfare to its individuals but restricts freedom and individual rights. Individualism emphasizes self independence and reliance leading to self improvement but lacks close knitted relationship with its individuals. “Each individual is part of a larger community. Family, neighbors, tribe, village, city, country and the world form a larger community in the life of every human being. At the same time full human potential cannot be reached if individuality is suppressed by society”. In anyway due to globalization and cross-cultures, “The contemporary Africa is witnessing a subtle encroachment of western styled socio-political cum economic individualism. This indiscriminate assimilation of value has invariably led to the gradual eroding and bastardization of her once cherished communal approach to life “ (Ezedike,2006).
For contemporary African polity, the best nature of relationship between individuals and the community is the integration of some of the elements of communitarianism with some elements of individualism. As humans are social beings, the individual needs the community just as the community needs the individual. Growing up, the individual picks up knowledge and learn the culture of the community which would help him later in life to make sound decisions for himself.
In contemporary Africa, to achieve the desired relationship between individuals and the community/society, we have to adopt elements of individualism such as individual rights, freedom, and justice and integrate it into our communal way of life.
References
- Pfortmüller.F (2017), what does “community” even mean? A definition attempt and conversation starter. Retrieved on 15th June 2020 from https://medium.com/together-institute/what-does-community-even-mean-a-definition-attempt-conversation-starter-9b443fc523d0
- Wikipedia. Communitarianism Retrieved 16th June from https://en.w.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communitarianism
- Menkiti.A.I , Person and Community in African Traditional thought. Retrieved on 16th June from http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/mrossano/gradseminar/evo%20of%20ritual/african%20traditional%20thought.pdf
- Nanzer.P , To Give Individual Rights and Community Responsibilities. Retrieved on 15th June from http://www.learningtogive.org/resources/individual-rights-and-community-responsibilities
- Ezedike.E (2006), Individualism and community consciousness in contemporary Africa: A complementary reflection. Retrieved on 17th June from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sophia/article/view/38655
