[RN_Week3] Dynamics of norms

J970Reading response for Week3: What is community? (Cont.)

To further enhance the discussion last week which stated that one of the most important components missing in Brint's category of community is "Norms", this week's reading includes pieces on the functionalist Talcott Parsons. His emphasis is on the power of voluntary will of the individual and the norms of the community; And as Gerhardt summarizes, his latter ideas on social differentiation(the process of modernization) vs integration(the process of societal community) is also a useful framework in looking at how communities are held together.

However, still little is said about how these norms come into place. The norms of a community is not democratically or equally agreed upon by all members; Roles and leaderships do exist, and some in the community have more power over it than others. (Of course it would be confusing to mix the ideals of community - call it 'Gemeinschaftlichkeit' - with the existing forms of grouped people that are largely called communities, but it is clearly the latter that we draw our observations from). Moral consensus is not a fully moral matter, but bears a systemized power structure. The dynamics of community norms should be further thought about, namely the specific structure of how they are formed, agreed upon, and dissolved. I think that if we want to categorize communities of today, it can be a valuable factor.