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by | Dec 21, 2011

When do we ‘enter’ a community? At Birth? Or do we emerge slowly as we are educated by our peers, teachers and parents?  Or is there no fixed community but many different ones with an over bearing national culture layered over, or underneath it? For example, in many countries, the sum total of beliefs of the catholic […]

When do we ‘enter’ a community? At Birth? Or do we emerge slowly as we are educated by our peers, teachers and parents?  Or is there no fixed community but many different ones with an over bearing national culture layered over, or underneath it? For example, in many countries, the sum total of beliefs of the catholic church does not impinge on the culture of the country the catholic resides in, but the churches are certainly a considered a community. Similarly, political advocates of either right or left-wing policies may like the same music or brand of comedy and yet the political parties are a community.

What is a culture? How do we produce a community which correctly reflects that culture? It requires a a few things:

  1. A clear definition of the purpose and principal reason for the community (the founding philosophy
  2. A clear an marked organizational structure for the community which helps promote and exemplifies the precepts of the philosophy
  3. A clear structure of seniority in disciplines and also a clear form of initiation growth and reward.