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Online Communities Of Place: Community Analysis

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Communities of Place
When most people think of community, they primarily think about it in terms of geography (Jankowksi & Prehn, 2002; Tonnies, 1957). Yet, even within this classic idea of community, researchers have understood that people simply living near one another is not enough (Jankowksi & Prehn, 2002). Within communities of place, there are three elements that make up community: geographic locality, interest, and emotional attachment (Wilmott, 1986). The ideal situation for the development of community ensues when both a place and attachment occur in combination, and connection to community is strongest when at least two of the three elements of community, as defined by Wilmott (1986), exist (Crow & Allen, 1994).
The defining traits …show more content…

In the digital era, local and global spaces are inconsequential because of technological tools (de Moragas Spa, Domingo & Lopez, 2002; Howley, 2009). Social interaction is one of the primary terms that help define community (Bell, 1979). Even within digital communities, shared location is one potential identification point for members of a community (Hollander, 2002). The hybrid community is an interesting combination because people tend to engage more online with those with whom they have offline relationships, and hybrid communities do allow bridging within groups and potential bonding within groups in terms of social capital (Ellison et al., 2011). There are similarities between community media and digital community networks (Hollander, 2002). Online community can serve as an alternative to the traditional public sphere; it can be a place for members of a physical community to discuss issues that are important locally (Murillo, 2009). Community journalism online acts in the same way as print outlets, with both providing members of a community with a location where they can share the important elements of life, including births and deaths (Murillo, …show more content…

It seems as more information has become available, people have felt less need to develop the close bonds of community. Yet, as traditional communities decline in modern life, new types of communities will emerge in their place (Delanty, 2003). This is because community is important in the basis of modern social relationships (Delanty, 2003). The Internet has taken over as the new public sphere, and its role as the public sphere connects with social media’s ability to facilitate discussions and create engagement among users (Dahlberg, 2001; Papacharissi, 2000). Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the number of virtual communities and other structures that have formed online; some researchers have questioned if the Internet will reinvigorate the democratic process (Bimber, 1998; Johnson & Kaye, 1998). There remains concern about if information online has the same ability to promote activity among the population that print does (Hoffman, 2006). However, it is unknown if these digital tools are the structures needed to help people reconnect with one another. The media have traditionally sought to inform and engage the public, so it is now time to discuss the media’s role in creating

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