When Dreams Emerge, Communities Arise!
What's your ideal community like?
Union College, located in the heart of Schenectady, New York, has been awarded several top honors in the category of “worst school-town relationship” in the past decade. However, recently, Schenectady has been seeing tremendous increases in size, population, wealth, and entertainment life. It is through this example that I will examine the Adinkra ethics symbol of NKONSONKONSON, and the effect it has had on me and my community.
As a Sociology and Political Science major in school, I recently took a class on the Sociology of the Community. It was an interesting class in which we learned about the importance of the community and the people within it. Identifying core dimensions such as identity, mutuality, and plurality, and integration we compared and contrasted several communities and the ways in which some were stronger and weaker than others. It was in this class that I really saw how important every person in a given community really is to the success of that community.
The Adinkra symbol that speaks of a “chain link” can be used in almost every facet of community building. As Schenectady has recently seen incredible progress in the strength of the community, it is important to understand how the core values encompassed in this Adinkra symbol have made these strides possible. Understanding that the success and strength of a community lies in its members and their unity is the foundation of this particular symbol. Rebuilding a community is a process that cannot happen with a community identity, another important aspect of this Adinkra symbol. A question that we must ask ourselves when working with this symbol is “How to I contribute to my community, and how do I facilitate others and their contributions to this community?” This is perhaps one of the most important questions that must be asked when organizing a community, whether this community is a town or city, or an office or workplace. In order to succeed, any group environment must get their strength from the participation of the individuals that are involved.
“A group is a community to the extent that it encompasses a broad range of activities and interests, and to the extent that participation implicates whole persons rather than segmental interests or activities.” This short definition by Philip Selznick illustrates the importance of community participation. However, it is also important that this participation range across a broad spectrum of activities and interests. Using Schenectady as an example, we can see how some different institutions have worked together to form and strengthen the community. In the 1930’s, Schenectady was the 8th largest city in the country, third largest city in New York, and was known as “the city that lights and hauls the world”. This was because General Electric and the American Locomotive Company were both located in Schenectady, and the economy was thriving and leaping forward. However, during the 40’s and 50’s the country was seeing huge economic declines, and Schenectady followed suit. Businesses were sold and shut down, General Electric relocated much of its interests, and the American Locomotive Company was sold and moved out. In a town which formed its community identity around these two corporations, it was left with nothing when they were gone. It was not until the late 1990s and early 2000s that Schenectady began to see some life in its community. This rebuilding phase was sparked by a group of concerned citizens that purchased the oldest and most historic building in town, from the city, for the sum of one dollar. This was Proctor’s Theater, and was built as an original vaudeville theater in 1903. Using Proctors as a starting point, the citizens and township of Schenectady began rebuilding, this time focusing on the strengths of the city as an “Arts and Entertainment” district. The participation of the members of the community has been vital, as many storefronts have been purchased by local citizens, opening restaurants and several mom-and-pop stores along Main Street.
If we look at this example through the scope of the Adinkra ethics symbol of the importance of the “chain link” of a community, it is an incredible example of how important this “chain link” is to the success of the community. Without the participation and integration of its members, a community cannot prosper, and will never truly reach its full potential. Without the constant development and pursue of goals, a group will not grow into a blossoming community. This is as important as ever as we set out to create a curriculum that will facilitate community growth and interaction, and as we help those who will shape future of our country learn and grow as students and as people.
The drive to start more stared way before Madrid.
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