The lens of community

Abstract

When asked what community we belong to, how do we respond? Do we define community in terms of our family, faith, profession, or geographic area? Many define communities in terms of space or place (MacQueen et al., 2001). I live in a city, I live in the suburbs, or I live in a rural community. For each member associated with these communities the identified categorization has meaning in terms of relationships that unite the community. Community is a structure, it’s a place, it’s a defined space, but community can also transcend space (Weil et al., 2012). It can be the place where we belong. Where we make meaning. Communities of meaning or those based on shared beliefs, shared experiences, or shared ethnicity also tell the story of the people in the community. The profession of social work differentiates itself from other helping professions with its focus on the person in the environment (Kondrat, 2013). What is the interaction between the environment and the individual? More specifically, what is the relationship between the community and the individuals in that community? We articulate this perspective as the person in environment orientation, but it is really the recognition that it is imperative to understand the interplay between the people and their communities. Community members are impacted by communities experiencing crises whether environmental, racial, economic, or because of an external force like gentrification. The most well-meaning individuals in those places cannot be separated from the trauma of poverty, discrimination, pollution, or war, and the resulting restrictions on life and barriers to meeting basic needs. In general, this issue observes our interaction with communities in three ways, as places that call us back and have meaning in our lives, as vulnerable places where external entities can disrupt or have disregard for community, and as “labs” of sorts where students and young people are recognized as vital members of the community with agency and voice who can engage with communities to impact programs and policies and create a vision for improved futures. This issue opens with an article by Sears et al. (2022) that highlights the resiliency of the Appalachian region in Kentucky where geographic and ontological communities intersect. They examine the interplay between Appalachian roots/identity and the rural isolation of residents. Rather than focusing on the commonly held stigma or deficits of the region as the primary lens, the authors choose to explore why young adults stay. The article speaks to resiliency, commitment to place, and what it means to call a community home. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PRACTICE 2022, VOL. 30, NO. 2, 105–108 https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2022.2077598