The concept of community has evolved significantly across history, from relatively stable, geographically bounded groups to complex, fluid, and digitally mediated forms of association. Sociologists have attempted to capture this evolution through theory, most notably Ferdinand Tönnies and Michel Maffesoli.
KEY TAKEAWAY: The concept of community is not fixed — it has changed as societies have industrialised, urbanised, and become globally connected. VCE Sociology requires you to trace this evolution and evaluate its implications for how people experience belonging today.
At its most basic, a community is a group of people who share something in common — whether place, interest, identity, or values — and who have some sense of connection to one another.
Historically, communities were primarily:
- Geographically defined: people who lived in the same place (village, town, neighbourhood)
- Long-term and stable: membership was relatively fixed across generations
- Face-to-face: social relationships were primarily direct and personal
In contemporary society, communities can also be:
- Interest-based: shared hobby, passion, or identity regardless of location
- Online: digitally mediated, geographically dispersed
- Transient: memberships that shift with life circumstances
- Multiple and overlapping: individuals belong to many communities simultaneously
The VCAA study design focuses on two key theorists who address this evolution:
| Theorist | Theory | Key Concept | Time Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferdinand Tönnies (1855–1936) | Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft | Two ideal types of social organisation | Industrial era (1887) |
| Michel Maffesoli (b. 1944) | Neo-tribes | Post-traditional, fluid, affective groupings | Postmodern era (1988) |
Together, these theories chart the trajectory from traditional to contemporary community — from stable, place-based Gemeinschaft, through the cold rationalism of Gesellschaft, to the fluid, emotionally driven neo-tribes of late modernity.
EXAM TIP: VCAA questions often ask you to compare Tönnies and Maffesoli. Know: the historical context of each theory, the key concepts, and what each says about how community has changed. Do not simply describe one theory without reference to the other when comparison is required.
