Answer:
While we traditionally think of a community as the people in a given geographical location, the word can really refer to any group sharing something in common. This may refer to smaller geographic areas -- a neighborhood, a housing project or development, a rural area -- or to a number of other possible communities within a larger, geographically-defined community.
These are often defined by race or ethnicity, professional or economic ties, religion, culture, or shared background or interest:
The Catholic community (or faith community, a term used to refer to one or more congregations of a specific faith).
The arts community
The African American community
The education community
The business community
The homeless community
The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community
The medical community
The Haitian community
The elderly community
These various communities often overlap. An African American art teacher, for example, might see herself (or be seen by others) as a member of the African American, arts, and/or education communities, as well as of a particular faith community. An Italian woman may become an intensely involved member of the ethnic and cultural community of her Nigerian husband. Whichever community defines your work, you will want to get to know it well.
