Why Do People Join Certain Communities?

I have been wondering about the reason(s) certain communities thrive while others stagnate. I believe one of the major factors is the level, quality, and frequency of interaction between and among members. This belief is based on Wenger’s (1999) definition of a community of practice (CoP): a group of people sharing a common goal or passion and learning together as they actively and regularly interact with each other.

For my Community Norms assignment, I followed two Facebook groups for several weeks and was amazed by the level of support and care. This week, I decided to check out another group that caught my attention previously, as it is a subgroup of the larger group, with a specific mission of helping students who are finalizing their dissertations and need writing support and feedback.

This post exemplified the interactions in this group. I think this is why this group is thriving.

Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511803932.014