Kinsley High School
Kinsley, Kansas
Teacher: Dr. Galen Boehme
Defining Community
By: Emily Ann Keehbauch
12th Grade
Communities definitely have a large impact on my life. Communities influence me by teaching me values, by helping me understand individualism, and by helping me develop a sense of belonging.
Community is defined as a body of living people living in the same place under the same laws. Seven different types of communities exist: The world, national, local, nuclear family, extended family, ancestors and peer communities. A group that is uniquely mine is my best friends.
Communities help me develop my own values and norms. Communities assist me in discovering what is right and wrong and finding what I truly believe in. One group that has a large impact on developing my values is my nuclear family. My nuclear family is the first place where I developed a sense of what is right and wrong. Within my family, I have always known what is expected of me and how I should treat others. Though I have made my own interpretations of what I consider right and wrong, my foundation for these views first came from my family.
I also develop my ideas from my peers. I must stand firm on my beliefs when it comes to peer pressure and what is “right” or “popular.” My peers can influence me in good ways as well as bad. I must remember what I have been taught when dealing with pressure of any kind.
I also must stand firm on my beliefs when it comes to pressure from the media. Pressure from the media is what the world considers right or wrong. For example, today, sex is everywhere. Sexual humor is on G rated movies. Sex is on commercials. I must remember my own values that I have been taught as well as the values I have developed.
Finally, I develop values and norms based on what are right and proper within my local community. If obeying curfew is a town law, I must make a conscious effort to be home by midnight. I also need to remember how the decisions I make can affect those around me. My development of values and norms also needs to take into consideration what is best for those around me, not only what is best for me.
Communities teach me about the pros and cons of individualism. Our national community is based on the foundation of individualism. Our country was created to be a place where no man would be oppressed by the government. So, has individualism shaped America, or is individualism beginning to destroy even the smallest of communities? Individualism does have its good qualities when forming communities. First, it must be established that if settlers did not want to have individual freedoms, then America would not be here today. Individualism has allowed us to form different ideas on the way we envision the world. One person dreams of a different, new invention, and makes it for the betterment of the community. Individualism has also provided America with a strong foundation. America would not be the super-power that it is today without the dreams of our founders.
Pros aside, we must come to the other end of the balance which is the cons. Does America have too much individualism? Even in my own community, I notice teen hang outs closing and church youth groups going extinct. People today do not want to be in group settings. People today are much more secluded and do not wish to speak with others. We keep to ourselves and our own personal matters. This problem is creating a downward trend that is severely hurting our smaller communities, causing some to vanish. A balance must exist between individualism and community. To eliminate individualism would destroy what our country is built on, but a change must be made. Society needs to again care about national and local issues. We cannot let our community groups die. We must acknowledge this fact and work towards a solution.
Communities provide me with opportunities to become involved. Communities have many different groups for teenagers. I can be involved in school and community groups. Through my involvement, I can make new friends and develop new ideas on the way I view the world around me. In the local community, I can become involved with peer groups. This includes my sports teams, church groups, and my informal groups of friends. Teams teach me to appreciate hard work and how to rely on others. Church groups can teach me about faith and give me an opportunity to make friends and participate in different activities. My informal social groups provide me with a feeling of belonging and companionship.
Communities also provide me with different opportunities to become involved. I can be actively involved with my family. This includes family game night and family reunions. I can also be involved with my local and national communities. I can join the KAYS club, which is a team organization that performs volunteer work. I could also join a relief team that helps people experiencing natural disasters. All of these communities provide me with a chance to become actively involved in my community and the wider communities around me.
Communities help me develop new ways that I view the world and new ways to view myself. Communities assist me in direct and indirect ways. Communities form who I am and who I wish to be. No matter who I become, I will always be part of a community.