Speaking of Community...

In the previous post, I talked about how Star Wars was important to me, how I was a member of a community of people.

Communities of people can be formal (e.g., being a member of an authorized fan club) or informal (sitting in a movie theatre on opening night at 12:01 a.m. knowing that almost everyone else in that theatre feels some type of connection to that movie, otherwise they wouldn't have bought the tickets in advance, arrived at the theatre hours earlier, and been there hanging around talking with strangers in the theatre while waiting for the movie to begin.)
[for the record: I am a member of the informal Star Wars community.]

Individuals can be members of multiple communities. Think about it: how many communities do you belong to?

Some of the communities people can belong to include: local neighborhood, religious organization(s), wider regional area, work, school(s), and specialized interest groups (such as a for a movie series or a sport team.)

There are no limits: some people are members of many communities, while others are members of only a few communities.

You are a member of an informal group if you identify yourself as a member and you are recognized by others from that group as a member.

Formal groups can set up their own rules of membership. These can include dues, attendance, affirmation of similar goals, or whatever the group sets up as their membership criteria.

I was recently able to spend time with another community, which I am a member of. In early August I attended the WorldCon (World Science Fiction Convention) in Glasgow, Scotland.

More on that - and our travels - in upcoming posts.

Anthro-geek