communities of practice
Critical connections between future-builders matter more than critical mass in long-term transformative work: without these, nothing new can emerge. Networks are the lifeblood of emergence, and yet so much of the way life is organised gets in the way of pioneers connecting
Sophia Parker • Emerging Futures at JRF - Two Years In, the Story So Far
When we shift our focus from an individual to their network of relationships, we start asking different questions: how the communities an individual belongs are structured; what is their dynamics; how the influence spreads within them; who are the most active and/or valuable members.
Ana Andjelic • Targeting taste communities
Those relationships can have intrinsic value for the individual members, creating a sense of belonging or being connected to others. But it can also have value fo r the larger society for three reasons: first, because one can draw on it as a resource for accomplishing some objective , such as partnering with other parents to improve the local... See more
Isabel V. Sawhill • Social Capital: Why We Need It and How We Can Create More of It
If we want a better democracy, we need the same for community entrepreneurs. For too long now, these people have done this work without being paid, recognized, or even acknowledged. On Facebook, they are called group admins; on Reddit, they are moderators. But they aren’t just admins or moderators. They are leaders. They are entrepreneurs - forging
... See moreNew_ Public • Celebrating the labor that holds up our democracy: the community entrepreneur
Relational infrastructure refers to the social connections, interactions, and collective intelligence that underpin a community, network or group's ability to collaborate, solve problems, and drive change. It is an emergent framework of trust, shared values, and common goals that allows individuals, groups, and organizations to work together
... See moreSam Rye • On Relational Infrastructure
Alongside technical tools, we need ways of defining and explaining social norms and expectations about contribution and value sharing. We need collective mechanisms for decision-making about shared assets, that make people feel heard while recognising the limitations, constraints and realities of their maintenance. We need people and organisations... See more
Creative Communities
To me, the key is the identification and redistribution of latent value back to the community through compelling engagement loops, and the encouragement of long-term incentive models for group coordination.
Richard Kim • From Nothing to Something with R.N.G.
defined as “connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.”
The Relationship Is the Richness
these are all types of relational infrastructure too:
• Peer-to-peer journeys and learning crews - topic as focus
• Communities of practice - practice as a focus
• Participatory ecosystems - place as a focus
• Labs - social, living, innovation and more - process as a focus