Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/48759

KEYWORDS : paradox of urban community;association;community building

Contribution towards solidarity has always been one of the main objectives of sociological studies. The idea of community which this paper reflects upon is at the core of this intellectual endeavour. This is because community constitutes the essential and fundamental part of solidarity;the idea itself has been studied extensively in the sociological tradition and thus is not novel, but it has never been rendered obsolete. It is generally agreed that a major challenge for urban areas today is promotion of solidarity within increasing diversity and individualisation. There are growing numbers of diverse activities and measures to this end, which essentially quest for and aim to realise urban community where direct and regular social interaction among people takes place in a given local area. However,despite the liberation of community which has made possible such a range of quests and activities,it is also paradoxically claimed that urban community is being lost. This paradoxical issue of community has seldom been addressed in past studies. Thus, in view of identifying its underlying factors, this paper critically examines some major theories of community as the basis for arguments and considerations to follow,and then analyses primary and secondary data which the author has obtained through researching two community building initiatives in London,UK. Community does not happen by itself;contemporary urban community requires associations as practical agencies with certain areas of specialisation within local social systems. However, associations essentially are focused and closed. Thus they do not necessarily include individuals that are the smallest but most significant components of community;they are often left out of their community building efforts if their affiliation with associations is absent. The paper argues that this is the major factor of the paradox of contemporary urban community in question.