Abstract
Various world-class research investigations increasingly focus on matters pertaining to the role of local communities. The research aimed to examine the theoretical aspects of the concept of community in the context of social sciences. The research results revealed that community studies was a relatively new field for academics in Latvia, which became relevant after common European Union priorities in community issues were defined. An essential feature of a community is common identity, a common sense of belonging to the locality, human relationships, the environment, culture and values. Most frequently, according to a survey of local residents, a community the respondents felt a sense of belongingness to was a territorial one. The research employed the following methods: monographic, descriptive, graphic, analysis, synthesis as well as a sociological method – questionnaire surveying.
Highlights
Various world-class research investigations increasingly focus on matters pertaining to strategic regional development, resource use and sustainability as well as the role of local communities in it
Most of the research investigations are based on a conviction that regional and national sustainability could be achieved only in case problems are tackled and decisions are made by engaging all stakeholders: decision makers, community-level organisations, local communities and local residents
This indicates that even though this opinion was not dominant, a relatively larger number of the respondents associated the idea of community with regional organisations than with virtual communities and minority groups
Summary
Various world-class research investigations increasingly focus on matters pertaining to strategic regional development, resource use and sustainability as well as the role of local communities in it. “territory” and “place” represent a significant basis for any community – the community has a certain location, yet the same territory is not a significant constituent element for any community (Zobena et al, 2015) For this reason in research, the concept of community is usually attributed both to the territory where the community members reside and where they communicate and socially interact and to the group of individuals sharing the same interests but not the same neighbourhood.
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