I disagree with the idea presented in this book that communities are defined by how they deal with the economy. I think there are more and different components that help “test” how well a community is doing. For instance, to me a community is more prevalently based on the interactions between the members of the society. In my opinion a more valid test would be whether or not members of the community strive to help their fellow community members. Depending on the frequency as well as the extent of the helpfulness, if any occurs, would indicate to me how well a society is being a community. In some ways this concept of looking out for one another could relate back to certain aspects of wealth and economy. For example, the wealthy members of some communities strive to better the lives of others in their neighborhood who are less well off financially. Therefore, it is true that the economic factor is one of importance; however I believe that it is not the sole most important aspect of a community and is easily overshadowed by ideas such as helpfulness and consideration for others in a specific group population.
In my opinion, the definitiveness of a true community is one that is comprised of respect among all of its members and considers the needs of the group as a whole. This theme can be applied to poverty since this concept is one of importance in “testing” how well a community works together. However, my point is that there are many other aspects of a community that are not tested when merely the concept of poverty and wealth are considered.
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I think that human relationships are the driving force behind a community's success, like you, and therefore the most important part of society. However, money, wealth and disparity are interconnected with almost every possible interaction we make, as in your example of wealthy community members aiding their poorer neighbors. It is difficult to gauge the overall effect of relationships on a community; so it is best to use wealth and poverty as a "litmus test...for assaying the health of a society."
ReplyDeleteI agree to some extent. I agree that wealth and poverty are topics that can diagnose how well a society is being run. However, I think there are other fundamental aspects of a society and its "health" that are not covered within the discussion of money. For example, basic decisions that are made in terms of development of a community or school systems also define communities and distinguish them. These decisions can say a lot about whether or not a society is "healthy" or not.
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