Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World Zygmunt Bauman No preview available - 2001. References to this book. THEMES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Titles in this series Zygmunt Bauman, Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World Zygmunt Bauman, Globalization: The Human Consequences.

'Community' is one of those words that feels good: it is good 'to have a community', 'to be in a community'. And 'community' feels good because of the meanings which the word conveys, all of them promising pleasures, and more often than not the kind of pleasures which we would like to experience but seem to miss. 'Community' conveys the image of a warm and comfortable place, like a fireplace at which we warm our hands on a frosty day.

Out there, in the street, all sorts of dangers lie in ambush; in here, in the community, we can relax and feel safe. 'Community' stands for the kind of world which we long to inhabit but which is not, regrettably, available to us. Today 'community' is another name for paradise lost - but for a paradise which we still hope to find, as we feverishly search for the roads that may lead us there. But there is a price to be paid for the privilege of being in a community. Community promises security but seems to deprive us of freedom, of the right to be ourselves. Lotus 123 Release 5 123r5w Chrome. Security and freedom are two equally precious and coveted values which could be balanced to some degree, but hardly ever fully reconciled. The tension between security and freedom, and between community and individuality, is unlikely ever to be resolved.

We cannot escape the dilemma but we can take stock of the opportunities and the dangers, and at least try to avoid repeating past errors. In this important new book, Zygmunt Bauman takes stock of these opportunities and dangers and, in his distinctive and brilliant fashion, offers a much-needed reappraisal of a concept that has become central to current debates about the nature and future of our societies.

′Community′ is one of those words that feels good: it is good ′tohave a community′, ′to be in a community′. And ′community′ feelsgood because of the meanings which the word conveys, all of thempromising pleasures, and more often than not the kind of pleasureswhich we would like to experience but seem to miss. ′Community′ conveys the image of a warm and comfortable place, likea fireplace at which we warm our hands on a frosty day. Out there,in the street, all sorts of dangers lie in ambush; in here, in thecommunity, we can relax and feel safe. ′Community′ stands for thekind of world which we long to inhabit but which is not,regrettably, available to us. Today ′community′ is another name forparadise lost – but for a paradise which we still hope to find, aswe feverishly search for the roads that may lead us there.