Throughout life, individuals inevitably encounter challenges in satisfying their necessities without the assistance of others, and conversely, others rely on them. This commonality fosters a sense of connection among us, prompting both individual and group interactions, imbuing significance into each person's existence. These interactions entail the transmission of communication from sender to receiver (Zapienza et al. 2017). When aligned with fulfilling these needs, the conveyed message assumes a targeted and logical approach (Bourne, 2016), consequently evolving into a shared culture. It is within this consensus that the field of communication science perceives an endeavour to establish a collective ethos, particularly in fostering comprehension and parity among humans, fostering collaborative efforts to foster and sustain relationships. This fundamental principle serves as the bedrock for community formation.

1. Local Connections (Schiavo, 2021). Communities emerge on a local scale, where individuals residing in the same vicinity, sharing similar interests, naturally intertwine and engage with one another.
2. Collective Engagement (Ohmer et al., 2022). Participating in communal activities like cultural festivities, sports events, or religious gatherings lays the groundwork for community formation.
3. Technological Advancements (Nuenen &Scarles, 2021). The rise of social media platforms fosters the creation of online communities, where individuals convene in virtual forums to exchange ideas, insights, and foster connections.
4. Organizational Affiliations (Lim et al., 2023). Clubs or associations catering to specific interests or hobbies often feature structured frameworks and membership arrangements, serving as hubs for community building.
5. Workplace or Academic Interactions (Lunstad, 2018). Daily encounters within professional or educational settings contribute to the fabric of local communities, facilitating interpersonal connections.
6. Purpose-Driven Communities: Communities may coalesce with the intent of addressing specific challenges or addressing common needs, such as responding to natural disasters or emergencies, where individuals band together to provide support and aid to those impacted.

The process of community formation typically aims to garner support, foster camaraderie, and facilitate collaborative endeavours. Members of a community often find it more feasible to engage actively and aid in bolstering the community's cohesion.

In its evolution, communities often lack a formal institutionalized structure (Ocasio, 2023). Some communities opt not to formalize their organization to maintain flexibility. Nevertheless, as communities progress, they increasingly adopt a formalized framework to facilitate structured collaboration. Hence, it is advisable for communities to establish a formal structure and hierarchy tailored to their specific type, values, size, objectives, and the requirements of their constituents. The components of community structure and hierarchy can be explained as follows:

1. Membership Engagement: The active involvement of members constitutes the cornerstone of any community, as it entails assigning roles and responsibilities to individuals within the community.
2. Organizational Framework: An established structure comprising positions such as chairperson, secretary, treasurer, etc., serves to oversee community affairs, make decisions, and execute community initiatives. The chairperson or leader, typically appointed or elected by members, assumes the responsibility of coordinating community activities.
3. Sub-Community Formation: Within larger communities, sub-groups often emerge based on specific interests, objectives, and needs, which may adopt their own hierarchical structure as deemed necessary.
4. Interconnected Relationships: Communities feature intricate networks of connections among members, leaders, and sub-groups. These interactions foster robust cooperation, collaboration, and mutual support within the community.
5. Regulatory Framework: Implementation of regulations or codes of conduct governs member behavior and procedural matters within the community, fostering harmony and order.
6. Communication Dynamics: The communication patterns and level of member participation within a community reflect its organizational vitality and dynamics.

In point 6 above, it is stated that communication patterns in a community are very dependent on the level of participation of its members (Amin, 2022). This is an important aspect in building strong relationships, collaboration opportunities, and creating a positive and inclusive environment to embrace all individuals (Castafier & Oliveira, 2020). Deep interactions may occur and can be developed between fellow community members: can be explained as follows:

1. Engaging in collective endeavours such as artistic showcases, group sports, gatherings, seminars, or workshops, providing members with opportunities for interaction, acquaintance, and relationship building.
2. Facilitating discussions and idea exchanges across various platforms, both face-to-face and through online mediums.
3. Collaborating on diverse projects to enable members to collaborate, share insights, and leverage each other's expertise.
4. Offering aid and support in various forms to foster camaraderie among members and cultivate a sense of unity within the community.
5. Cultivating personal connections and fostering deeper friendships to bolster the sustainability of the community.
6. Providing mentorship based on members' experiences or expertise, allowing them to serve as mentors for others seeking to learn or advance in a particular field.
7. Promoting diversity and equality within the community as essential values. This entails fostering awareness to humanize individuals irrespective of their backgrounds.

From the description above, it can be concluded that the pattern of communication and interaction between members that occurs in a community not only strengthens social relations, but more broadly can increase active participation of members, enrich experiences, in helping to achieve common goals, so it is important for community managers. to encourage and facilitate positive interactions within the community.

-Diana Anggraeni

References

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Lim, S., Min, BH., & Berlan, DG. (2023). The Nonprofit Role in Building Community Social Capital: A Moderated Mediation Model of Organizational Learning, Innovation, and Shared Mission for Social Capital Creation. Sage Journal. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ). Vol. 53 (1). https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221146965

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Nuenen, TV.,  & Scarles, C. (2021). Advancements in technology and digital media in tourism. Sage Journal. Tourist studies.  Vol 21 (1).  https://doi.org/10.1177/14687976219904

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Ohmer, ML., Mendenhall, AN., Carney, MM & Adams, D. (2022). Community engagement: evolution, challenges, and opportunities for change.  Journal of Community Practice. Vol (4). https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2022.

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Zapienza, Z., Veenstra, AS., Kirtiklis, K., % Giannino, SS. (2017). The Transmission Model of Communication: Toward a Multidisciplinary Explication. Conference: Revitalizing Concepts in Mass Communication 2017 Brussels. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323025486_The_Transmission_Model_of_Communication_Toward_a_Multidisciplinary_Explication