10 Characteristics: What Makes a Positive Community

Communities shape the way we live, work, and thrive. They affect our wellbeing, give us a sense of belonging, and frequently determine how supported—or alone—we feel, whether in local groups or online discussion boards.

However, what exactly constitutes a positive community?

Although the term may seem self-explanatory, academics have long argued over which characteristics—from common space and traditions to shared objectives and emotional ties—are most important.

Recognizing what makes positive communities unique and how they can change not just individuals, but entire societies begins with an understanding of these fundamentals.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our five positive psychology tools for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching relationships.

What is a Community?

Most of us have an intuitive sense of what ‘community’ means, yet there is longstanding contention among scholars about which features define it. Here are some examples of such features (Mah & Carpenter, 2016; McMillan & Chavis, 1986; Warren, 1978):

• Membership
• Shared space
• Common values and beliefs
• Social distribution of power
• Shared customs
• Influence within the broader community or collective
• Shared identifying characteristics
• Fulfillment of the needs of its members
• Shared norms
• Emotional connection
• Joint action

One definition used within a review of community-level positive psychology interventions is as follows:

groups of people who share distinctive characteristics associated with common interests or identities.

Montiel et al., 2021, p. 2

In general, communities are built around networks of social relationships that extend beyond immediate family and tend to have some longevity. Members typically maintain regular contact with one another.

Communities can vary greatly in size. For example, you might belong to a small local group of parents in your neighborhood or a nationwide community of teachers advocating for education reform.

They can also be physically co-located, such as in a local neighborhood, or exist in non-physical spaces, like online communities.

For instance, the 100 million users who regularly log in to games like World of Warcraft (MMO Populations, n.d.) form a global virtual community. Likewise, online forums and Facebook groups centered on niche hobbies are other forms of virtual community.

Many communities also rally around shared causes. For instance, the term ‘LGBTQI+ community’ refers to a broad grouping of individuals, organizations, and movements concerned with the rights and cultures of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex populations.

Members of the LGBTQI+ community not only share common identities, such as gender identity and sexual orientation, but also collective interests, such as equal rights, representation, and social inclusion.

What is a Positive Community?

Two of positive psychology’s founding fathers, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2000), viewed the valued subjective experiences sought after via positive psychology as worth pursuing not just at the individual level, but within communities.

According to them, positive psychology at the individual level is about developing positive individual traits, such as the capacity for love, courage, forgiveness, originality, talent, wisdom, and more.

At the group level, it is about:

the civic virtues and the institutions that move individuals toward better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance, and work ethic.

Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 5

However, research and practice in fostering positive citizenship within communities is lacking in positive psychology in favor of a focus on individuals (Montiel et al., 2021).

Nonetheless, it’s clear that positive experiences within communities have many benefits for individuals. For instance, the connection that comes with being in a community can act as a support system for members when they require encouragement or support.

The power of community can also help combat a felt sense of isolation, such as that often experienced by social minorities.

One study of mental health among bisexual women found that participating in a bisexual-specific community 2-3 times per week helped reduce the impact of internalized negative attitudes about one’s bisexuality on depressive symptoms (Lambe et al., 2017).

Similarly, another study showed that rural, low-income mothers who regularly engaged with their faith-based communities exhibited fewer depressive symptoms (Garrison et al., 2005).

Examples of Global Community Mental Health Campaigns

Scientific recognition of the benefits of community involvement for mental health has inspired several large-scale campaigns around the world.

For example, Australia’s Act-Belong-Commit campaign encourages people to stay mentally healthy by joining local groups and committing to meaningful causes like volunteering (Act-Belong-Commit, n.d.).

Another example is the Icelandic Prevention Model—a long-term, community-driven effort that works by increasing youth participation in organized sports. The results of the initiative have been groundbreaking.

Among Icelandic teenagers, the percentage reporting excessive alcohol consumption in the previous month dropped from 42% in 1998 to 5% in 2016. Likewise, the percentage who reported ever using cannabis dropped from 17% to 7%, and cigarette use fell from 23% to 3% (Young, 2017).

These examples show that being part of positive, well-organized communities can reduce the risk of poor mental health by providing belonging, purpose, and alternatives to harmful behaviors.

The Broader Impact of Positive Communities

Positive communities do more than benefit their members; they can transform the broader environment.

In Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, Sam Kaner (2014) describes how groups engaged in change must often move through what he calls the “groan zone”—a stage of tension and discomfort. Yet when trust is built and a shared vision is communicated with those having power, meaningful environmental improvements can result.

One example is the Oliver Energy Community in Zaragoza, Spain. This grassroots energy cooperative installed 72 solar panels on the roof of a local church, generating enough clean electricity for 56 homes, five organizations, and the church itself.

Beyond reducing carbon emissions, the project cut energy bills by about 30% for local residents, fought energy poverty, strengthened social cohesion, and fostered a culture of participation (REScoop.eu, 2025).

Such cases illustrate that when communities manage shared vision, communication, and inclusive decision-making, their impact can reach far beyond individual wellbeing—reshaping cities, neighborhoods, and ecosystems for the better.

5 Drivers of Helpful Community Formation

There are two key reasons why communities may form.

1. When one or more individuals want to connect with others possessing similar values, beliefs, interests, etc., and such a group doesn’t currently exist, or
2. Inadvertently, as a result of being co-located.

Whether such groups form on purpose or by accident, discovering others with whom we share common characteristics can be incredibly comforting and rewarding. Involvement in positive and encouraging communities can also facilitate self-reflection and exploration of core values and beliefs.

Here are five key grounds upon which communities tend to form (and why others may be motivated to join said communities; Perkins, 2015).

1. Shared identity

It is common for communities to form among those who share a common sense of identity. For instance, alumni group-members share a history at the same learning institution. Likewise, ethnic communities share aspects of their culture and heritage in common.

2. Shared purpose

Those who feel passionately about social causes will often band together as a community. These objectives can be large-scale, such as working together to eradicate a particular disease, or be on a smaller, more local scale, such as a community that seeks to get a particular party member elected.

3. Common objectives

Some communities are united by concrete goals or the pursuit of mutually beneficial outcomes. For instance, millions of Facebook users around the world engage with Facebook’s many buy-and-sell communities.

These communities are formed by everyday Facebook users so that people can buy, sell, and bid on niche categories of items. Thus, these groups’ members share common objectives, such as acquiring new possessions or making a profit on ones that are no longer needed.

4. Shared interests or passions

Many communities form based on common interests or hobbies, such as in Iceland’s example of teen sporting groups. Examples of interests that may lead to community formation include the arts, sports, cooking, cultures, and games.

5. Common Behavior

Communities can serve to hold their members accountable for enacting particular behaviors and reaching certain goals.

When a person commits to achieve a goal, they are typically less likely to succeed when they do so in private. If they start deviating from their objective, there will be no one present to hold them accountable.

Conversely, when a person verbalizes their goals to others within a community, there is a social expectation that they will achieve that goal. Thus that person becomes more likely to succeed (Oppong, 2017).

Further, when someone faces hurdles to achieving a goal, others in their community pursuing similar objectives can provide support and empathize with their situations. Good examples of such communities include Alcoholics Anonymous and weight-loss groups (Perkins, 2015).

10 Traits of Positive Communities

Positive communities may differ in what they encourage, but overall, ten characteristics tend to make for a successful community.

1. Common goals

Effective communities often share similar values and belief systems. These can motivate its individuals to accomplish mutually held goals, the nature of which may vary depending on the group in question.

For example, one community may value environmental goals, such as promoting recycling and making forest areas more habitable for wildlife. In contrast, another community may place value on an effective education system and thereby work toward the goal of influencing education policy.

2. Freedom of expression

Central to developing a positive community is comfort among its members when it comes to speaking their minds and expressing what is important to them.

Individuals who feel encouraged to give input about an issue and who feel heard when they speak their minds are more likely to feel connected to their community. Further, successful communities recognize the importance of opinions that diverge from the majority and are open to hearing these (Greenberg & Edwards, 2009).

In contrast, dysfunctional communities tend to silence voices that diverge from those espoused by the majority or group leaders.

At best, communities with such dynamics may miss opportunities to improve their practices and enhance their members’ fulfillment from their involvement (Bashshur & Oc, 2015). At worst, they may harm their members by isolating them from diverse viewpoints or exerting undue control.

3. Address member concerns with sensitivity

Not only is it important to create a community that encourages the voicing of concerns, but it is also important to ensure that members feel their concerns are adequately addressed.

Positive communities prioritize their members’ wellbeing and address concerns in a timely and sensitive manner when they arise. For community leaders, this means taking the time to listen carefully to any concerns raised and taking the necessary steps to assess risks and conduct further investigations when necessary.

Throughout this process, community leaders need to act fairly, keep clear records, and maintain good communication with the member who initially raised the concern (Whistleblowing Helpline, 2016). Sometimes, it may also be appropriate to protect the member’s identity by referring to the community member anonymously in any documentation.

4. Set clear policies and obligations

Strong and enduring communities typically set clear rules and expectations to guide the conduct of its members. Doing so ensures that there is as little ambiguity as possible regarding what behavior is and is not okay and will help minimize misunderstandings.

Depending on the community’s nature, it may be helpful to establish a code of conduct that explicitly links a community’s mission, values, and principles to expected standards of behavior. Such a code can then help community members to behave ethically, meet their obligations, and carry out day-to-day decision making (Ethics & Compliance Initiative, n.d.).

5. Fairness

With policies and expectations clearly in place, enforcement of these rules should be applied fairly.

Feeling a sense of fairness is critical to the experience of good relationships, and good relationships are often a key driver of people’s involvement in communities (Butorova, n.d.). Therefore, a community that does not apply its rules fairly risks inadvertently driving away its members and producing feelings of disconnection.

For instance, the community member who feels that they must ‘pick up the slack’ for another member who has neglected to meet their obligations may begin to feel resentment toward this member. They may also feel resentment toward the community’s leadership, who have failed to hold this member accountable.

6. Celebrate heritage and traditions

Every long-standing community has heritage and traditions that have arisen during the community’s development. Positive communities embrace their culture by reminding members of the long way the community has come.

There are many ways to celebrate a community’s heritage and traditions. One way is through its artifacts—observable symbols and signs of a community’s culture (Ott, 1989).

Examples of artifacts include (Smith & Stewart, 2011; Wilkins, 1983):

• a community’s stories and legends (e.g., a dramatic tale of how the community was formed);
• language use (e.g., the way members greet one another);
• rituals and ceremonies (e.g., a pizza meetup every Friday); and
• physical structures or symbols (e.g., the design of physical spaces or a cabinet full of prized awards).

7. Promote interaction among members

Positive communities work to foster a feeling of genuine connection among members by providing plenty of interaction opportunities. Doing this can motivate members to meet their obligations and work toward the established goals of the community.

More specifically, crafting opportunities for members to experience emotional contagion in their interactions is key.

Emotional contagion occurs when two or more people focus on a common activity and emotional experience, generating feelings of group solidarity (Collins, 2004). Examples of activities that may induce emotional contagion feelings include protesting about a cause a community is passionate about or singing along to songs together at a karaoke night.

8. Elect leaders that stand by community values

Individuals elected to leadership positions within positive communities should be fair and just in their focus. Their shared values should inform the decisions they make on behalf of the community.

Where possible, leaders should be diverse and represent the full scope of views and identities present within the community, such as electing an equal balance of men and women to a board.

9. Prioritize effective communication

Communication is essential for any effective community. Not only does this mean clearly communicating policies, rules, and expectations, but it also means keeping members up to date about ongoing projects, changes to policies, and upcoming events.

Often, communities will set up their own customized channels to facilitate effective communication. Examples of such channels include regular monthly meetings, circulated meeting minutes, digital social networking services, and newsletters.

10. Make smart decisions

Decisions made by positive and encouraging communities focus primarily on the promotion of its vision and aims. When in doubt about decisions that must be made, positive leaders should consider whether any major decision is aligned with the community’s vision and aims. It is the members’ identification with a vision and aims that likely led them to join the community in the first place.

Members will inevitably disagree on some issues, but an effective community leader incorporates concerns from all sides of an issue to arrive at final decisions.

5 Quotes About Positive Communities

People who work together in communities can achieve amazing things. Let these quotes serve as reminders of the drivers and benefits of positive communities.

As you read them, think about whether any resonate with you and the communities you are involved in.

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

Coretta Scott King

Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together.

Paul Ryan

The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital.

Mark Hyman

Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.

Rollo May

Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It is the impetus for creating change.

Max Carver

Helpful Resources From PositivePsychology.com

If you’re the leader of a community group or initiative, we have many useful articles and tools that can support you.

To start, check out the following additional reading:

• Fostering Community Engagement with Positive Psychology
• Community Psychology: 20+ Theories & Interventions
• What Is Social Wellbeing? 12+ Activities for Social Wellness

For a useful tool to spark positive change, be sure to check out our free worksheet, Nudge Interventions in Groups. This worksheet helps community or group leaders investigate how subtle, indirect “nudges” can more successfully direct positive behavior than strictly enforced regulations.

This exercise is particularly helpful for community leaders when creating projects that promote collaboration, lessen conflict, and bring about long-lasting positive change.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©, but they are described briefly below:

• Asking For Feedback: Keep, Stop, Start
  When leading a community, it is important to solicit feedback from community members about your leadership. The Keep, Stop, Start approach is a simple and organized method to gather this feedback, involving just three questions:

• • Keep – As a leader, what do I do that you like and want me to keep doing?
  • Stop – As a leader, what do I do that you don’t like and want me to stop doing?
  • Start – As a leader, what am I not doing that you want me to start doing?
• Celebrating Team Accomplishments with a ‘Win Wall’
  Research consistently shows that recognizing small wins can have a significant psychological and cultural benefit among groups of individuals. A physical (or virtual) ‘win wall’ for acknowledging such wins ensures that appreciation is not limited to formal awards or high-profile achievements, but is democratized and peer-led.

Examples of ‘wins’ community members might post upon the wall could include:

• • ”Brought my reusable cup every day this week—no disposables.”
  • ”Improved my running mile time by 20 seconds!”
  • ”Came out to a close friend this week even though I was nervous.”

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others build healthy relationships, this collection contains 17 validated positive relationships tools for practitioners. Use them to help others form healthier, more nurturing, and life-enriching relationships.

A Take-Home Message

According to Henrik Ibsen:

“A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”

Indeed, well-functioning, positive communities can motivate extraordinary commitment and dedication from their members, such that they will be willing to ‘take the helm’ when called upon.

At their core, positive communities generate this commitment because they are founded on a compelling and inspiring vision that members can identify with. Whether this vision is to eradicate world hunger or have the best Christmas lights display in the neighborhood, positive communities get members excited about interacting with one another and contributing.

Positive communities are also governed by effective leaders, who represent and execute the community’s values with fairness and genuine concern for their members.

We covered ten factors that can help make a community successful, but did we miss any? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our five positive psychology tools for free.