Thoughts about community membership

Being a member of a community, be it social, organized or self-created involves understanding yourself as an individual in relation to a community of others. For better or worse, we are each a part of many communities over a lifetime. Granted, some may be more desirable than others, but nevertheless, we are born to parents, raised in a geographic space, and belong to organizations often before we are ever conscious of what this affiliation actually means. Furthermore, we have a role in that community with labels and titles and we are defined by how we portray ourselves AND how others reflect back to us. Identity is both created and perceived. In Henry Jenkins paper, Interactive Audiences, he looks at communities as defined by Levy 1) organic social groups, 2) organized groups, and 3) self-organized groups.

The traditional association to community is a fascinating concept and has been explored at length by psychologists, anthropologists, and any number of other disciplines. However, the question is whether a community actually changes once it is self-selected by common interests rather than propinquity. What happens when a social network is possible without “geographic constraints?”

I can see this argument going either way, and not being an avid member of an online community I do not consider myself an expert, however I will venture to share my observations. It seems to me that the most shocking moment might just be the realization that an eclectic taste is likewise shared by others who are equally passionate about the topic. And it doesn’t matter what it might be. A young neighbor of mine recently started a no cussing club at school. It received enough attention that he put it online and within four months had over 2000 members in his club. It went international and just as kids all over the world were flocking to join others kids were drawn to it to mock or destroy the club.

But the question is, are these groups inherently different than other social groups? On a surface level I would say, yes. Online communities are different than other affiliations because the barrier to join is only online access. However, at a core level everything I know about these communities mirrors traditional associations. The truly deep social networks often know about intimate details in one another’s lives and offer support, encouragement and drama, just like any other network. One other major difference however might also be the ability to leave a network like this with significantly less tangible repercussions.   

Another interesting issue in this exploration is the role of identity in these spaces. In some ways, identity can drastically vary, changing appearance, physical ability, and behavior. I have heard some notable scholars dismiss issues of identity, and am not sure why this is not a more interesting subject. I personally find identity very intriguing and am looking forward to building upon my “alternate identity” in virtual MTV.