The understanding that even the most intimate "community"—your neighborhood, online fandom, support group—isn't a spontaneous organic growth but is actively produced. It's built through shared rituals (book club meetings, forum threads, annual barbecues), defined boundaries (who's in, who's out), and the collective narration of a common identity ("We are the people who..."). The feeling of belonging is the product of this ongoing construction work.
Example: "Our 'tight-knit' downtown wasn't fate. It was built via the Theory of Constructed Communities: a farmers' market organized by a few retirees, a 'First Friday' art walk championed by gallery owners, and a neighborhood watch that turned into a block party. The 'community' was a project. When the main builders moved away, the construction stopped, and the feeling dissolved, proving it wasn't in the bricks but in the doing."
by Abzu Land January 31, 2026
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