Cultivating Community Connection

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to be a part of a global change summit organized by World Merit. Our team of change makers from around the world was tasked to create an action plan for one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations. The culmination of the nearly three-week experience was presenting these action plans at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. I chose to focus on goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. I can still remember the excitement and nerves the first day of this experience as I met the teammates I would be working with for the next few weeks. We went around the circle and shared why we chose goal #11 and what the idea of community meant to us. A new friend, Wandile, from South Africa, shared with the group the Zulu word ubuntu which roughly translates to, “I am because you are.” This word and sentiment has stayed with me ever since and captures the reverence and the wisdom of community better than I could ever articulate myself.

The communities we are a part of make us. They influence our worldview, our experiences, and our opportunities. I grew up in a rural farming community in Iowa where communities rally around each other in the best of times and in the worst of times. I spent time working on the south and west sides of Chicago, where I saw messages of, “it takes a village to raise a child,” posted in storefronts and spray painted on abandoned buildings. I have spent time in communities around the world from indigenous communities in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, to modern cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, where I have lived most of my adult life. No matter where I have lived, or where I have traveled, this sense of community has been ever-present, whether it was a high-quality connection with a farmer at my weekly Tuesday night market in LA, a laugh shared with a stranger on my daily commute on the L train in Chicago, or these days, the daily encounters I share with neighbors in the park who have watched my daughter grow from a newborn baby to a now 22-month old little person. These moments of community connection are often fleeting, but they matter. They make us feel like we are connected to something bigger than ourselves. They give our lives meaning.

I graduated from the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2019 and culminated my learning journey with a capstone project that took a deep dive into community psychology and the importance of connection for our well-being. Less than a year later, the world shut down as the COVID-19 pandemic swept around the globe and our lives were reimagined over the next few years in the COVID era.

Five years later, we are in the midst of a highly contentious political election season in the United States. Every day through media and social media, we have front row seats to global events that are both horrifying and heartbreaking. In many ways, it seems like us-versus-them thinking, disconnection, and division are at an all-time high. Cultivating community connection—bringing people together and harnessing the power of the collective for the common good—is more important than ever before. In this article, I intend to share what I’ve learned about the multidimensional definition of community, explore why it matters for our well-being, and propose three strategies we can personally implement to cultivate community connection.

What is community?

The word community has many connotations. In 1955, one of the first community psychologists, George Hillery, documented 94 descriptive definitions of community. These range from social organisms to physical spaces and familial networks. Communities, which are typically defined as structures of social interaction, are united around a shared sense of identity, commonly held group norms, and ongoing interactions among group members (Bowles & Gintis, 1998). They are both relational and locational, referencing a geographical place and a social space (Pretty et al., 2007).

Community is culturally relative, meaning different things to different people (Hillery, 1972). In the broadest sense, communities range from the families we are born into, the places we go to school, where we work, where we live, and where we play (Pretty et al., 2007). They are intrinsically paradoxical: consistent and stable, while simultaneously intangible and ever-changing. Communities are dynamic organisms. Though they are made of individuals, they transcend individualism and harness an extra-individual potential that is found not within people, but between them. Here, we will explore community in the broadest sense, as groups of humans united around a shared identity, purpose, or experience.

The power of community is not simply the sum of its parts. Its power is in its shared narratives, stories, rituals, and traditions (Sonn et al., 1999). In many ways, our sense of community is more global and expansive than it once was. Now, the word community may signify our families, friends, colleagues, digital groups, or even transitory experiences such as fellowship programs, academic communities (hello MAPPily), and social/extracurricular groups. Communities have expanded from simply the place we live, to the people we surround ourselves with in each phase and facet of our lives. Individuals can belong to multiple communities at one time, and most do.

In addition to geographical and relational realities, one’s sense of community also serves as a psychological construct that is positively correlated with well-being. Sarason (1974) defines sense of community as, “the feeling that one is part of a readily available, supportive, and dependable structure, that is part of everyday life, and not just when disaster strikes” (Pretty et al., 2007, p. 9). Sarason’s sense-of-community theory established an overarching value for community psychology and has since inspired nearly fifty years of research and measurement (McMillan & Chavis, 1986). David McMillan and David Chavis (1986, p. 9) proposed that “sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together.”

Why does community matter?

The importance of community connection has been found over and over again. In one of the longest longitudinal studies in history, Harvard’s 80+ year study of adult development, relationships were identified as the key indicator of an individual’s overall health and happiness (Mineo, 2017). Social connection is correlated with higher experiences of well-being, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and higher resiliency (Seppala et al., 2013). In turn, well-being is linked with a host of psychological benefits, including the experience of quality relationships, positive emotions, engagement, and a sense of meaning and accomplishment (Seligman, 2011).

Communities give us a sense of belonging and mattering; they make us feel valued and allow us to add value (Prillentensky, 2016). Individuals with high rates of social connection tend to see others in a positive light, as trustworthy and non-threatening, and they possess a positive, prosocial interpersonal orientation (Seppala et al., 2013). Connection to community plays a buffering role against stigmatization, prejudice, and discrimination, especially for marginalized groups (Major & O’Brien, 2005). Interestingly, a community’s survival is dependent on its ability to promote cooperation and prosocial norms that enhance the average well-being of the greater good (Bowles & Gintis, 1998). Therefore, communities must align the needs of their members with the cost of membership and the collective needs of the whole. When these criteria are in balance, an individual’s sense of social connection reinforces itself over time, strengthening the community itself and compounding the positive return on their investment.

Communities are greater than the sum of their parts (Sonn et al., 1999). In addition to their respective members, they also possess elements and contextual factors in their composition. The first of these elements, social capital, is a public good that arises as a byproduct of social relationships. Social capital is a resource for individuals and facilitates collective action (Kawachi & Berkman, 2000). A second function of communities, social cohesion, is the measure of solidarity and connectedness among society’s groups. It depends on two opposing and intertwined features of society: the absence of conflict and the presence of strong social bonds. A third function and consideration of communities is the social, political, cultural, and economic contexts that exist within and around them.

How to strengthen our communities

It’s safe to say that the case for community connection is strong, but what does that mean for us? How can we apply our knowledge from positive psychology to strengthen our communities? Below I have identified three strategies that can help us strengthen our personal sense of community, as well as the communities we are a part of.

1. Cultivate compassion

The first of these strategies is to cultivate compassion within ourselves and for others. Authentic connection is deeply rooted in the recognition of humans’ deep interdependence with each other and the environments where they live. Building compassion, an other-oriented emotion, strengthens the brain’s empathy network, the regions of the brain responsible for pain, perceptions of others’ pain, and nurturing behaviors (Seppala et al., 2013). In order to give compassion to others, we must first show compassion to ourselves. Two tools that can assist with cultivating compassion within ourselves and the people around us are the practices of self-compassion and loving-kindness meditation.

Self-compassion is a practice that empowers us to be kind and understanding toward ourselves in difficult times rather than self-critical (Neff, 2003). Self-compassion fosters our sense of connectedness by allowing us to perceive our experiences as part of the larger human experience rather than separate and isolated. Similarly, loving kindness meditation (LKM), a practice that has long been practiced within Buddhist traditions, increases feelings of social connection and positivity toward others by directing compassion and wishes for well-being toward real and imagined others (Hutcherson et al., 2008). Studies suggest that even a few minutes of LKM per day can increase our sense of connection to others (Kok et al., 2013).

2. Give Presence

A second tool to cultivate connected communities depends not on how we show up, but that we show up, and in person. This strategy cultivates what psychiatrist and author, Edward Hallowell calls, the human moment. In the 21st century, with the convenience of remote working options, video calls, and social media, in-person moments and interactions seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. According to Hallowell (1999), a true human moment is equally dependent on both people’s physical presence, as well as their intellectual and emotional attention.

In-person interactions serve multiple social, emotional, spiritual, and biological ends—fortifying our immune systems, regulating our emotions, and increasing our chances of survival in the case of a natural disaster (Pinker, 2015). Susan Pinker (2015), author of The Village Effect, recommends we strategically architect our lives around these social interactions: Join an intramural team, plan a lunch date, and talk with your neighbors. In fact, even interactions with strangers—commuters on the train, cashiers at the grocery store, or seatmates on an airplane—are beneficial. By intentionally nurturing our social selves and reaching out to others, we take care of our whole selves and are able to more authentically reap the benefits of connection across all levels of community.

3. Recognize strengths

The third and final strategy for fostering connected communities is the cultivation of a strengths-based perspective. Character strengths and virtues, the best qualities of humanity, are individuals’ way of being and acting in the world (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). They are most powerful when we are aware of them, explore them, and apply them within our lives (Niemiec, 2018). A strengths-based perspective provides us with the awareness of qualities necessary to develop authentic human connection with others: love, kindness, social intelligence, humor, gratitude, fairness, and forgiveness. This perspective also allows us to see strengths in others. Strengths-spotting, recognizing and naming the strengths of others, allows individuals to feel seen and appreciated for their truest selves (Niemiec, 2018). This practice empowers us to elevate our relationships to a deeper sense of connection.

Cultivating community connection

Community is multifaceted. In this article, we’ve explored its multidimensional definition as geographical, relational, and even psychological. Communities give us a sense of belonging. They provide opportunities for us to add value, and they make us feel cared for. The research is clear that community connection matters; it makes us healthier and happier and fosters collective well-being. Harnessing the best of us in community inspires a sense of awe, a sense of reverence and gratitude, and a true upward spiral. Community connection makes us better people and creates a virtuous circle, making the world a better place. But the opposite is also true: Disconnection and mistrust are antithetical to building meaningful community and can cause a downward spiral of negativity.

There are many ways to intentionally cultivate community connection and show up for the people around us. Consider signing up to volunteer for your neighborhood clean-up day or going for a walk without headphones and greeting the people you pass along the way. Practice loving kindness meditation—formally or informally. As you pass cars while you’re driving, you can silently send thoughts: May you be happy and well. Lastly, acknowledge and appreciate the beauty and strengths in the people around you. Find a way to contribute your own. There is so much to gain and so much at stake. As we meet the critical challenges of this time, I hope we may all feel empowered to strengthen our communities to be more connected and resilient. By intentionally leveraging these tools to build community connection, we can transform our relationships and, thereby, our world.

References

Bowles, S., & Gintis, H. (1998). The moral economy of communities: Structured populations and the evolution of prosocial norms. Evolution and Human Behavior, 19(1), 3–25.

Hallowell, E. M. (1999). The human moment at work. Harvard Business Review, 77(1), 58–66.

Hillery, G. A. (1972). Selected issues in community theory. Rural Sociology, 37(4), 534–552.

Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 720–724.

Kawachi, I., & Berkman, L. (2000). Social cohesion, social capital, and health. Social Epidemiology, 174–190.

Kok, B. E., Coffey, K. A., Cohn, M. A., Catalino, L. I., Vacharkulksemsuk, T., Algoe, S. B., Brantley, M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). How positive emotions build physical health: Perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1123–1132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612470827

Major, B., & O'brien, L. T. (2005). The social psychology of stigma. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 393–421.

McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6–23.

Mineo, L. (2017, April 11). Good genes are nice, but joy is better. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/

Neff, K. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101.

Niemiec, R. M. (2018). Character strengths and interventions. Hogrefe Publishing.

Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press; American Psychological Association.

Pinker, S. (2015). The village effect: How face-to-face contact can make us healthier and happier. Random House.

Pretty, G., Bishop, B., Fisher, A., & Sonn, C. (2007). Psychological sense of community and its relevance to well-being and everyday life in Australia. The Australian Community Psychologist, 19(2), 6–25.

Prilleltensky, I. (2016). The laughing guide to well-being: Using humor and science to become happier and healthier. Rowman & Littlefield.

Seppala, E., Rossomando, T., & Doty, J. R. (2013). Social connection and compassion: Important predictors of health and well-being. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 80(2), 411–430.

Sonn, C. C., Bishop, B. J., & Drew, N. M. (1999). Sense of community: Issues and considerations from a cross-cultural perspective: Controversy and contentions. Community, Work & Family, 2(2), 205–218.

Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish. Free Press.

About the author | Anna Lucas (C’19) is a consultant, educator, community enthusiast, and the host of the Spark Connection podcast. For over ten years she has devoted her time and energy to building community and enhancing wellbeing within diverse organizations across the US. Her experiences range from organizing community health projects, managing cultural education programs, and directing research initiatives. As a coach and consultant, Anna designs learning experiences to empower individuals, organizations, schools, and communities to build cultures of well-being and greater connection. She is a graduate of the Master's in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and she is passionate about translating the science of Positive Psychology to empower others to thrive!