“Community” as a Reference for American Minority Groups: A Theory of Unintended Negative Consequences

Abstract

The phrase "the _____ community" is commonly used in naming minority groups in the US, for example, the African American community or the Muslim community. The phrase carries some benefits in terms of voice, sentiment, solidarity and empowerment, and it is widely accepted as a respectful reference. However, I argue that its use and meaning also carry unintended negative social psychological implications for how some minority group members may view themselves within the larger society and how some non-minority group members may view persons who identify as members of minority groups. In this paper, I examine the meaning and entailments of the word "community" as a convention of naming. I argue that negative implications stem from ubiquitous discursive emphasis on in-group sameness and groupness, which are rooted in historical practices of distillation and homogenization of diverse groups and demonstrate and invite perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices, reinforce insider/outsider divides, and detract from personhood and social integration.

Powering the Future: An Integrated Framework for Clean Renewable Energy Transition

“…According to the sociological definition of community by Fuller and Scott (1999), communities can be defined based on their living situation, as residential or nonresidential communities; or based on shared activity, that is not limited to work, or sports, and covers other areas of life; or based on a shared collective action of common interest; or sharing a common identity. Communities can also be defined based on a place or geographical area that binds a group of people (Fisher, 2017). Accordingly, energy communities' definition can be summarized as communities that have a social relation, involved in decision-making for a common local benefit of living in a specific geographical area (Moroni, S et al, 2017).…”

Sense of Community in a Midwestern Construction Management Program

“…The smaller community is set apart from the larger society. Though criticized for asserting his own romantic memories of growing up in a small rural German community and oversimplifying the sociological theory (Fisher, 2017), Tönnies explored the dichotomous relationship of community versus society across several themes including personal characteristics. For instance, "if society was individualistic, community was commonality, shared enjoyments, shared possessions, shared friends, and common enemies" (1995, page 61).…”