Community is the presence of shared values, common goals, a sense of history, and attachment to, even affection for, a common place. Children who experience community are more likely to become community builders themselves. Children internalize the values, goals, and affections that they gain from living in a community through practices established by its members.
Trust is an essential building block of community. Childhood is a critically important time to learn to trust. A caring and stable family is one of the most indispensable institutions in a community for building trust. A child's capacity to trust can be shattered by broken promises, failed vows, the disappearance of a parent, and the failure of a family, locality, or society to provide basic survival goods. Therefore, homelessness can destroy a child's trust in others. So can routine hunger. So can unchecked neighborhood violence or child abuse.
"Making a child is a moral act. Obviously, it obligates the parents to the child. But it also obligates the parents to the community."
Amitai Etzioni, The Spirit of Community, p.54
For a fuller treatment of this topic, see Dr. Kordesh's article, "Community for Children," in The National Civic Review, Fall, 1991, pp. 374-380.
