Dossier Community 1 - Things We Cannot Manage Alone

We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower.” This observation, delivered so poetically by Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century BCE, is true to this day: humans are social beings. From the moment of his birth, Marcus Aurelius preferred to be social. Whether starting a family, working in teams, going to the pub, singing in a choir, or playing team sports, “Social relationships lay the foundation for personal identity and our sense of connectedness with others. This gives rise to positive emotions in an upward spiral relationship“, explains psychologist Andrew Kemp of Swansea University.
The principle of a community of solidarity with common values is considered the foundation of a successful society. Community cohesion has been proven to be the “glue” of our society – not only in times of crisis. From communal, cross-border garbage cleanup on the banks of the Rhine to the fight against a global pandemic: many things can only be accomplished if we work together.

This knowledge had been a trend since long before the COVID-19 pandemic. After individualism and self-actualization determined peoples’ attitude towards life for many years, we now share cars and scooters; vegetable gardens are cultivated together, and little free libraries are erected where favorite books are shared. The variations of community reach from the rational, pragmatic exchange with little sense of community, as in the sharing economy, all the way to value-driven projects such as parent initiatives for childcare that demand a high level of engagement.

A sense of community is good for you
The rewards that members of a community reap will far exceed the success of their actual projects. Studies show that a successful community life has positive effects on overall health – even stronger effects than not smoking, weight control and exercise. A meta-analysis published in “The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology” by Australian psychologists Alexander Haslam and Jolanda Jetten of the University of Queensland points out that hobbies experienced as part of a community such as hiking, soccer or cooking foster the sense of belonging to a group and support mental performance and overall wellness.
Community cohesion also appears to strengthen society when it comes to mastering all kinds of crises. “The stronger the cohesion of any community, the more robust will be its coping mechanisms when faced with crises, catastrophes and social upheaval“, were the results of the research project “Resilience through solidarity – the role of organizations” under the leadership of the University of Wuppertal in Germany. Social cohesion is found mostly in places where people know each other, trust each other and share common norms and values.