On April 27, two residential communities in Tangshan, Hebei Province, jointly held a cultural performance to celebrate International Workers’ Day. Photo: IC PHOTO

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As the cornerstone of social relations, emotion serves as both a key dimension of and an important resource for social governance. The emotional community is a crucial organizational form within community governance. With the rapid advance of globalization, urbanization, and digitalization, emotional communities have declined. Yet people’s yearning for them continues to grow. Rebuilding emotional communities is essential for enhancing both individual well-being and social harmony. 

Key characteristics of emotional communities 

The sociological concept of “community” dates back to the late 19th century. In his work Community and Society (1887), German sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies proposed that communities are groups formed through kinship, marriage, and geographical proximity. An emotional community is a social collective shaped by shared emotional experiences, identity, and connections. It may emerge from natural bonds such as kinship and geographical closeness, or from more abstract ties such as shared experiences and beliefs. Although emotional communities share certain similarities with functional communities, they possess distinctive features. 

Flexible and egalitarian organizational structure: Compared to functional social groups and traditional organizations, emotional communities typically feature looser relationships among members and less rigid internal hierarchies. Their organizational foundation depends more on informal relationships than on functional divisions or managerial control. 

Culture of mutual support and integration: Cultural values serve as the spiritual bond of emotional communities, shaping members’ behavioral norms, belief systems, and value orientations. These cultural values exhibit several key traits. First, they emphasize mutual assistance, cooperation, and understanding among members. Second, they welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds, forging a strong collective identity through cultural integration. Third, they place individuals’ emotional and spiritual needs at the center of community life, where interactions among members transcend utilitarian exchange.

Close ties among members: The enduring bonds among members of emotional communities are rooted in deep emotional identification, setting them apart from transient, utilitarian social interactions. Trust and mutual reliance enable members to build stable and cohesive social networks, ensuring the community’s long-term vitality. 

Shared mission of emotional support: Emotional communities strengthen members’ sense of belonging through shared emotions, values, and beliefs, helping individuals establish self-identity within the context of group interactions. 

Self-regulating mechanism: Within emotional communities, norms emerge organically through the accumulation of member interactions and collective culture. Community governance is centered on broad participation and collective decision-making, with rules based on group consensus rather than imposed from above. Emotional bonds motivate members to voluntarily adhere to community norms—not only to safeguard the community but also to reinforce their own emotional identity. In contrast to formal institutional management, emotional communities emphasize mutual trust and collective responsibility, endowing their rules with greater flexibility and cohesion. 

Significance of rebuilding emotional communities 

Emotion is a fundamental need shared by both individuals and society. As individualism and mobility become increasingly pronounced in modern life, the reconstruction of emotional communities holds significant implications at both the individual and collective levels. 

At the individual level, emotional communities exert a positive influence on members’ mental health, sense of well-being, and social identity. First, community members provide one another with emotional and spiritual comfort in addition to material support, helping individuals feel secure and psychologically sustained during times of stress. Second, communities such as families and neighborhoods serve as key spaces for socialization, where individuals cultivate a sense of identity and belonging by internalizing social values and behavioral norms through everyday interactions. 

At the collective level, emotional communities play a vital role in promoting social development. First, in modern society, interpersonal relationships have become increasingly fragile and feelings of loneliness more widespread. Emotional communities help alleviate individuals’ sense of alienation by offering emotional support and social connection. Second, the reciprocity and mutual aid among members increase the frequency of social interactions and enhance the efficiency of cooperation. Third, shared values and customs forge close bonds among members, strengthening social cohesion. Fourth, common value systems offer behavioral guidelines that contribute to social stability. Fifth, emotional communities foster social harmony and sustainable development by reinforcing trust and reciprocity among their members. 

Zhou Yonggen is a research fellow from the Institute of Sociology and Law at Hunan Academy of Social Sciences. 

Edited by WANG YOURAN