My name is Garett Smith. I was born in the Ogden valley and grew up in a small city just west of Ogden known as West Haven. After graduating high school, I happily swapped the snowy winter mountains for the scorching summer sun of St. George. This is my third year at Dixie State, and I look forward to completing this year and inching closer to my degree. After I finish my Bachelor's degree, I plan on applying to medical school to study ophthalmology. Instead of majoring in Biology like the majority of pre-med students, I've decided to major in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Biology and Sociology!
Anyway, that's a little about me, now let's jump to the blog response...
When I think about a neighborhood, I think of a specific geological area where a group of people live. Other than sharing a physical location, a group of people that live within a neighborhood don't necessarily have to have a lot in common. These people might not even associate with one another very frequently. On the other hand, people within a community may be farther apart physically, but tend to interact with each other more often. A community sometimes consists of neighborhoods, but not exclusively. Communities can be large or small, and are formed for a variety of reasons. However, all communities exist as a way for individuals to interact with other's who share similar interests and/or goals.
When I think about a neighborhood, I think of a specific geological area where a group of people live. Other than sharing a physical location, a group of people that live within a neighborhood don't necessarily have to have a lot in common. These people might not even associate with one another very frequently. On the other hand, people within a community may be farther apart physically, but tend to interact with each other more often. A community sometimes consists of neighborhoods, but not exclusively. Communities can be large or small, and are formed for a variety of reasons. However, all communities exist as a way for individuals to interact with other's who share similar interests and/or goals.
After reading the Discover Magazine article and the forward to Sampson's book, I was intrigued about the topic of community. It's fascinating to read about Sampson's research and the emphasis he puts on this sense of collective efficacy. It's interesting to think about the influence neighborhoods can have on a community as a whole. The more individuals care about their communities as a whole, the more it influences the neighborhoods they inhabit. It appears that when neighborhoods successfully become close knit communities, trust develops and negative aspects such as violence rapidly decline.
