COMMUNITY
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 521 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
1. A structure made of interconnected individuals living in similar environmental conditions.
The individual members need not necessarily be all quite identical even if they are all of the same general type. They may very well carry out different roles or functions.
K. BAUSCH defines community as “A group of two or more individuals with a shared identity and a common purpose committed to the joint creation of meaning ”(Glossary- Personal communication)
This is true in ecological communities as well as in human ones. Moreover, heterogeneous communities are stabler than homogeneous ones, since they possess more diversity (variety).
2. The sixth emergent level of complexity in J.G. MILLER's taxonomy of living systems.
Communities are made of interconnected organizations (5th level) and, in turn, combine into structured and organized societies (7th level).