The community is the first form of collective action and coexistence. It is the basic formation from which the first villages and then the cities originated. Toennies in his classic sociology work “Community and Society” (1887) has a very interesting definition of community: “
as the expression of the desire of every human being to function universally in a space that offers possibilities for self-realization
“.
Within the community, affectionate relationships are created, as in a family, but also relationships necessary for normal socialisation, such as those of the neighbourhood. We have of course & communities with the specific purpose of cultivating a way of life with respect and balance with nature, such as eco-communities.
Today the concept of community is in crisis. The isolation that comes from the modern way of life has led to the deterioration of the concept & existence of the neighbourhood or other collective formations.
At the same time, however, there is a clear tendency in Greece and in the world in general for communitarianism. The challenge for the creation & smooth functioning of communities is intense as attitudes of selfishness and narcissism are promoted.