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From the Imagined Community to the Practice Community
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From the Imagined Community to the Practice Community

Yochai Benkler
Barcelona Metropolis, 2019
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Visionary
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Globalization has led to greater economic prosperity and political freedom, but it has also eroded the power of national governments and the social cohesion essential to maintaining national communities. Consequently, the 2010s have seen a rise of ethnic and economic nationalism in liberal democracies around the world. For Yochai Benkler, however, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. He argues that cities can play a unique role in providing people with a sense of community and belonging while citizens can continue to enjoy the political freedoms of liberal democracy. His vision of participatory urban communities will inspire city dwellers everywhere.

Take-Aways

  • Democratic capitalism and globalization have eroded people’s sense of community and shared purpose.
  • Citizens in capitalist democracies are thus increasingly turning to economic and ethnic nationalism. 
  • Unlike national governments, however, cities are much better equipped to create a sense of community by engaging citizens in “communities of practice.”

About the Author

Yochai Benkler lectures on the law at Harvard University and is co-director of its Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

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