Building a Sense of Community
Many people have different perceptions
about the meaning of sense of community. A widely held academic definition
of this term is " the sense of community is a feeling members have of belonging,
a feeling that members matter to one another and the group, and a shared
faith that member’s needs will be met through their commitment to be together"
(McMillan and Chavis, 1986). Many of the respondents commented on the
value and true meaning of their own sense of community in Northfield.
Most people spoke about the interdependence of the Northfield. People
asserted that they know that if they are having a hard time, someone in the
community will come through and help them out. This aspect of people's
sense of community in Northfield can either be very simple; like Bob Jacobsens
opening up the store for a women who just missed the closing of the store
on a Saturday evening to very complex and life changing. No matter how
serious people's level of involvement in the community, there are four main
elements that compose a person's sense of community.
Membership
The first aspect of Sense of
Community is membership in that community. People become members of
a community when they feel emotionally secure, personally invested and a
sense of belonging or identification in the community. These features
of membership "fit together in a circular, self reinforcing way, with all
conditions having both causes and effects" (McMillan, 1996). Many respondent's
asserted that it is the diversity of people that compose the Northfield community
that makes Northfield so unique. One downtown business owner stated,
"there are many different flavors in Northfield and it is these flavors coming
together that makes my sense of community here so valueable." Several
respondents asserted that they really appreciate what St. Olaf and Carleton
contribute to the downtown's sense of community.
Influence
Secondly, people that have a
sense of community must feel that their opinion can have influence over
what the group does. The most influential people within a group are
those who acknowledge the importance of other people’s needs, values and
opinions. This element of a person's sense of community did not seem
to be extremely important to the people that I interviewed about their sense
of community in Northfield. However, in close knit groups of friends
this element may be increasingly more important.
Integration and Fulfillment of Goals
Another element that is fundamental
to people experiencing a sense of community is that people are rewarded
for their participation in the community. This attribute is fundamental
for people maintaining their sense of community. Ahlbrandt’s research
clarifies the importance of this attribute by asserting a community "must
attract individuals by positive rewards and satisfying experiences.
However, if they fail to do so, people withdraw their commitment, participation
and rewards" (1984). People are drawn to the community for a variety
of reasons, many respondents asserted that they value the interconnectdness
of everything in Northfield. Some people explained this as a "web
of connections." The small scale of Northfield allows people to see
and interact with people that they know at almost every transaction that
they participate in the city. People need to be able to acknowledge
the interdependence of an economically viable community. The businesses
in Northfield depend on their customers to continue to support them and their
purchases support the income of the people that work at all of the businesses
in town.
Shared Emotional Connection
The final element that creates
people's sense of community is that the members have a shared emotional
connection. This element seems to be the defining feature for people
to experience a true sense of community. There are many features that
facilitate people having shared emotional connections. One feature
that connects to the physical features of a community is that people have
an emotional connection with each other when they have a shared history (Mcmillan,
1996). Many respondents commented on they felt a very close sense of
community to other people who worked in downtown Northfield because they
could relate to each other on so many different levels. These business
owners also addressed the interdependence that they have with one another.
Many respondents asserted that they know that when they need help doing maintenance
work or finding a particular product for their store that they can always
ask a fellow store owner for help or advice.
These tables and chairs are often full of people socializing with
new acquaintances and old friends.
Shared emotional connections
are often experienced in public spaces. Public spaces can generate
or restore a deep sense of community through providing people places to socialize
and interact with each other (Hayden, 2000). People need places where
they can socially interact with each other on a non-commercial level.
People's sense of community is deeper than the positive interactions that
occur between the shop owners in Northfield and their many loyal customers.
The public realm is the distinctive recombination between open space and
buildings. There are four types of emerging public realms: corridors,
traces, watches and ways. Corridors are primarily transportation routes
through canals, roads, rivers or railways. Corridors can also be used
as a link between the cities people live in and their natural environment.
Examples of corridors in Northfield area are the Cannon River and the Cannon
Valley Biking Trail system. Traces organize multiple places,
buildings and activities around a collective concept or constituency.
Traces create a connective link among locations that are not close to one
another. An example of a trace in Northfield would be the connection
between the Northfield Historical District and other historical districts
in Minnesota form the same period of time. A watch is a district
of land defined by the individual that is viewed as a valued community asset.
Watches are created by groups of people who choose to assume responsibility
for the stewardship of this resource. In Northfield, a viable example
of a watch is the Cannon Valley River Watershed. The final type of
public realm is a way, which are walkable traces. They allow people
to explore and connect with the natural environment through constructed pathways.
There are three main ways in Northfield: the River Walk (located in downtown
Northfield along the cannon River), the Arboretum at Carleton and the St.
Olaf Natural Lands (Vale, 2001).
People socializing outside at Bridge Square, a public park in the
center of downtown Northfield.
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