Community as Place

By Ryan Leveillee
Nonprofit Studies Program, Rhode Island College
Providence, Rhode Island

Community is very much connected to the place it is, and what the place includes. For example, a neighborhood or town might have distinct landmarks, streets, schools, or natural surroundings. The community of West Warwick is characterized by the mills. The community of Exeter includes a farm like, rural historically with a suburban feel today community. Every town and neighborhood has its own distinct features that identify that place and make it distinct in the community.

Some features of places that are communities are known only by local people and practically unknown by people not from that community. For example, anyone in the Tiogue Community in Coventry knows what Gelina’s (an ice cream place) is. It is a distinct landmark. Those outside Coventry might never have heard of it, and those outside the state certainly never would even know this ice cream place is significant to people in that area of Coventry. Sometimes places in community are well known by those even in other countries. The Statue of Liberty is known internationally as a feature of community in New York City. Sometimes features are known at various state or regional levels, but not much outside there. People in Southern New England usually know the significance of the Newport Mansions in Newport. Those outside this area would only find out about it when coming to Rhode Island, or searching for tourist destinations.

One of the reasons I like place as a metaphor for community, is that “place” can have many meanings having to do with space. Place can refer to a specific inch, with other inches away being other places on a floor. Place can also refer to a town, a state, a country, or even a galaxy if one wanted. For example, “In the place called the Milky Way, there are many stars.” Place can be broad or specific, local or international.

Community also is this same way. Community usually defines a local place, an environment where people are physically close to each other. We are in fact in multiple communities at the same time. I am in the community of “the area near Coventry High School,” but also of the town of Coventry. I live in the community of Kent County, and also in the community of Rhode Island. The way I speak, and live, is determined by a lot at the town and state levels. I also live in the New England community known for it beautiful seasons, temperate climate, and forest landscape. My accent and vocabulary at any time can be determined by my own town (there are subtle but existent differences in speech from town to town), my state (a distinct accent), my region, and my country.

My community is also the United States. The Unites States is a community. It is a very large community and I have yet to see most of it. At any given moment, just as much as I am influenced by my town’s environment, my state’s customs, and my regions identifications, I am influenced by the country I live it (quite heavily, I am sure).

Many have spoken of a world community. The world as a community is true, as we all depend on each other internationally at some level for our survival. I have yet to see most of the world, but I am definitely influenced by the world around me. I cannot escape from the influences of the features of the international community.

Community is not always a place, but a less specific kind of grouping. Community is also a time, a cohort. I am part of a community of college students worldwide, of 20 somethings, and of young adults. My place in community at all levels (local to international) is influenced very much by time. Language also is part of my community not specific to place. I am part of a community of English language speakers worldwide, and of a dialect community regionally.

If there happens to be life of our own intelligence or greater on other planets, there would certainly be community in the place these planets are in, even the universe. Community is all about how we live in society, and this exists from all levels from the room I sit in (the next room over is a different community), to the town I live in (the room next to me is in this community, but the next town is not), and the state I live in (the next town is a part, but the next state is not). Nonetheless, we are certainly part of what could be called a place, or existence, as community that includes all living things of the past, present, and future that exist anywhere in the universe. Since place as a metaphor for community can refer to any size of a geographic area, from a room to a universe, it connects all unique levels. One is always, at any given time, in many places, and therefore many communities. I am at the same time a Rhode Islander, New Englander, and on up to intelligent life form in the universe. In the times to come, community will expand as a place, as it does as people grow both in a lifetime and in the species’ lifetime, and will include more and more a universal characteristic. Community as place defines so many things simultaneously. These things together (town, state, country, world) plus the individual, plus unique DNA and experiences, bring a great thing. Community as a place, with the many meanings of “place” bring about the many different kinds of people, each one part of a community, and yet each one an individual.