A sociological framework that distinguishes communities based on the source of their cohesion. A Concrete Community is bound by direct, tangible, ongoing interaction—a village, a workplace, a neighborhood. An Imaginary Community (building on Benedict Anderson's "imagined community") is bound by a shared idea in the minds of its members, despite little or no personal contact—a nation, a diaspora, fans of a global franchise. The theory examines how the "imagined" can generate very concrete feelings of belonging, obligation, and even sacrifice.
Theory of Concrete and Imaginary Communities Example: Your apartment building residents' association is a Concrete Community; you know your neighbors, argue over garbage, and share a physical space. Your identity as an "American" or a "Bitcoin maximalist" is membership in an Imaginary Community. You'll never meet most fellow members, but you feel a powerful, abstract kinship that can influence your politics, risk tolerance, and sense of self, proving the "imagined" is a potent social force.
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 6, 2026
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