Definition
An Internet-based social network in which people engage in social discourse, display affect, and build relationships. Together, these activities constitute a resource that allows people to take action. Online communities may be formal nonprofit organizations or informal organizations. Whether formal or informal, online communities enable people to participate in civil society and engage civically in public life.
Introduction
From Community to Online Community
To understand online communities, one must first understand the concept of community generally. While scholars in different disciplines at different points in time have defined and redefined community, the German sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies (2001[1887]) provided a famous, and brief, definition. Tönnies drew a distinction between a society, or a loose association (Gesellschaft, in German) based primarily on self-interest, individualism, and weak social ties on the one hand, and community (or Gemeinschaft, in German),...
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Brainard, L.A. (2020). Online Communities. In: List, R., Anheier, H., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_43-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_43-1
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