11/10/2014
Sense of Community
By Ferdinand P. Francisco
We are who we are because of the influence of the society. The way we act, move, talk, and express ourselves and our feelings and how we view life are predicated with the issues concerning the society we live in. In a secularized society, everyone is called to take part in a communal collective action which in so doing one may help accomplish communal “collective goal” (Tuomela, Raimo, Cooperation, pg. 26.) and consequently fulfills one’s personal goal. In this regard, sense of community is to be understood.
Concept of Community
The term “community” describes not only geographical location and boundaries but also describes type of human relationship. Community is defined as “a society or body of persons being in the same place, having the same rights, privileges and interests and acknowledging the laws” (Universal English Dictionary). Although there are several meanings of the word community, Wojtyla provides us a dynamic notion of the term community, “being or acting together with others”, which, according to Rolyn B. Francisco, “does not imply that the person is absorbed by the large group of people”. The expression “’acting together with others’ suggests that the human person is the subject of [such] participation”, Rolyn B. Francisco continues. Being a member of the society, a person becomes part of it (by virtue of belongingness).
Sense of Belonging
Maslow argues that “the need to belong was not just a desire, but a deep seeded and fundamental need”. As one of the fundamental needs, it has to be provided. Maslow defines belonging as “the need for acceptance, love and interpersonal relationship–– is surpassed only by the basic needs such as food, shelter and safety.” The community is the right place to interact with its members as well as the proper place to accept and be accepted. In his book Acting Person, Wojtyla emphasizes the notion that community plays an important role in understanding a person. It is in the community, Wotyla continues, “that a person reveals himself” and “fulfills himself”. It is in the community that one is drawn tremendously to act with others without being exhausted by his act. Thus, it is essential that the community should be conducive enough or at least a place motivating its members to act and participate. Further, the community has an important effect in shaping a person’s character.
Sense of Community
In the community, its members (the community of persons) should aim to establishing among themselves “sense of community” that can freely receive those despised by the society and therefore able to work with others as human beings who are conscious of their actions. James Michener writes, “Sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that member’s needs will be met through their commitment to be together”. This notion provides us a concept of sense of community as “one of the means”, according to McMillan and Chavis, that aims “to bring about the kind of world which we and others have dreamt”. Having a sense of community, our sense of belonging grows and our sense of responsibility becomes visible.A person having a sense of community has a personal conviction inherent to every member of the community that is participation. Participation is a dynamic effort which every member of the community has to contribute. In general use, participation means, “taking part in something or the condition of sharing in common with others” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/participation). It is in taking part in something a person let others have a share of his being and reveals himself through “deliberate action”. This is an act proper to man which gives emphasis on the deliberateness of an act. In other words, if a person performs an act which no one forces him to do so, it is voluntary, actus humanus. And the deliberateness of an act not only makes a person conscious agent but also actualizes potentiality to actuality.
Community and its Relative Concerns
“Does your going to school give you community?” Mitch Albom asks. Impliedly, he says that community is the right place for a person to belong. School plays an important role in the lives of the students. The school should give the students a place proper to learning. Whatever is being promoted in the school, whether direct or indirect, becomes part of the students, more so as members. In the same way, the concerns (cultures of indifference, pleasure, and prejudice) relative to institutional management will eventually affect the students’ rights for proper education. Institution and its stakeholders should be aware of whatever they implement. It will motivate students to act. Further, the effect and contribution of an institution as well as its philosophies to its members could be measured by the liabilities and productive assets it produces. Doctolero, in his article entitled “A Sign of Contradiction”, published by the Torch, Vol. 7 Issue no. 1, June- November 2012, pg. 19, writes, “these cultures (culture of indifference, pleasure and prejudice) influence us and developed through monotonous complacency, naivety and feebleness” is an alarming observation. These concerns (culture of indifference, pleasure and prejudice) must be addressed as immediately as possible.
Alarming it is that we already have these identified cultures which I think the students should be guarded from. This mentality “creates havoc” among the members of the society which consequently destroys the community. As members of the community who aim for common good (Nabor-Nery, Ma. Imelda, Philosophy of Man, pg. 263), I urge everyone to start contemplating on what really is our role as students and members of the community wherein we are asked to protect from the ideals that may cause its destruction. If the community is vulnerable, its members are divided. Division among the members of the community manifests weak sense of community and ineffective leadership. Failure to lead the community as one reflects plurality of ideals and absence of dialogue.DialogueDialogue is an indispensable tool to satisfy the needs of the community that “specifically helps deepen the interhuman solidarity,” Wojtyla writes, “even through opposition”. Through dialogue, the community renews itself, gives light to issues, and promotes active participation. Dialogue, therefore, gives community a progressive stance which upholds the good of all.After having read the article written by the president of the supreme council, I decided to write this article as a form of explication in the light of Carol Wojtyla’s Theory of Participation. The cry to lead others by example not by words is indeed exceptional. Doctolero writes, “the supreme council today aims to encourage the best in every student not only in academics but also in leadership through service and moral aptitude” (Sublime Torch, Vol. 1, Issue no. 6, pg., 23). There are three arguments which I think essential in understanding sense of community in relation to relative concerns stated in the article written by Doctolero.
Leading is unfounded without sense of community If there is an established sense of community, chances are:
Everyone realizes not only the meaning of being in the community but also sense of community,Everyone finds himself accepted. If everyone feels he is accepted and belong, chances are:Everyone takes part in a communal collective action and helps accomplish communal “collective goal”Everyone realizes and fulfills his personal goal.
The question is what then is leadership without first establishing a community in which everyone realizes not only the meaning of being in the community but also sense of community, and, where everyone finds himself accepted. Aware of his belonging, he possesses an attitude that steers himself “to dream more and not to be contented”. Because sense of community is not yet established, he fails to realize that he is part of the community and has a role to act upon. Consequently, he fails to relate himself because he himself is confused, alienated from the community and lost. He also takes for granted participating in an institutional activity “due to grave complacency”. I am convinced that the attitudes of “monotonous complacency, naivety, and feebleness” are not really the cause of these concerns (cultures of indifference, pleasure, and prejudice) but the result of the inability to establish sense of community.
Definition of participation by The Free Dictionary
