Working towards good community, in a social policy framework that is (more often than not) bedevilled by a conflicted conceptual grasp of ‘community’ and ‘community cohesion’ I note the following from Robert Bellah:
“A good community is one in which there is argument, even conflict, about the meaning of the shared values and goals, and certainly about how they will be actualized in everyday life. Community is not about silent consensus; it is a form of intelligent, reflective life, in which there is indeed consensus, but where the consensus can be challenged and changed – often gradually, sometimes radically – over time”