"Relationship"

The word that I want to focus on this week is “relationship.”  After completing the reading and contemplating the discussions that have taken place in class, I have many thoughts regarding the concept of community.  While I do feel that there are a number of different factors that contribute to its success, I also believe that the relationships that make up that community are what drive it forward.  In Peter Block’s book Community: The Structure of Belonging, he touches upon Robert Putnam’s idea of social capital.  This concept is one that I really connected with because while is seems so simple and obvious it is also an idea that holds a lot of weight. 

 

Putnam defines social capital as “the cohesion that exists among its [the community’s] citizens” (pg 17).  Through his extensive research, Putnam found that the success or decline of a community had largely to do with the social capital that existed. While one might assume that community is generally grounded in geography, culture, or economic state, Putnam’s findings surprisingly showed social capital as the distinguishing factor.   For me, social capital is such a profound idea because it emphasizes the need for an understanding between individuals.  The relationships that exist within a community are essential because they are what enable a lot of other elements to be successful. Trust, for instance, is only achieved through the development of relationships. I would not be able to put my trust into the hands of someone whom I did not have some kind of relationship with beforehand.  If community is built upon a feeling of belongingness, one will never fully feel as though he/she belongs if a connection with others is not present.  In Peter Block’s book, he also mentions the idea of bringing ones gifts to a community rather than focusing on his/her deficiencies.  This insightful concept, once again, relates to social capital.  I, personally, do not feel that I would be comfortable in presenting the gifts I have to offer if I did not share a relationship with those I am choosing to share them with.  While I do believe that trust, belongingness, gifts and other components of a community are crucial to its success, the relationships that are formed are a starting point for all others to be put into motion.

 

In Dr. Lee Higgin’s article, “Acts of Hospitality: the community in Community Music,” he touches upon the power of relationships.  The article describes individuals who became part of a community samba group and, in doing so, were able to form a small community of their own.  Many felt that the samba group was their “extended family” and that they grew up within this community. While some might view the group as just another extracurricular activity, those who played an active role were the individuals who developed relationships with others.  Those relationships are what made each person feel responsible for the group’s continuation and well-being.  This article presents great examples of social capital and its prevalence within a community.  It made me realize that at the end of the day, you’re not going to work hard for something that you don’t believe in or are not invested in.  That care and investment is found in our care for others.  Social capital helps to transform people’s outlooks and drives them to want to create advancements that will benefit the community as a whole.

 

In today’s day and age, technology has really hindered the formation of interpersonal connections with others. Our iPods and Blackberrys easily allow us to disconnect ourselves from the world.  While our ability to remain in our own personal world might be desirable, it is also what inhibits our ability to form relationships with others.  It is only through interconnection, not disconnect, that a community can really bring about the change they hope to see.