A closed community is a group of people or states that intentionally limits links with outsiders and outside communities. Think of the Amish people, who have deliberately chosen to isolate themselves from modern conveniences, or perhaps even the state of North Korea, where leaving the country is considered a crime punishable by death. The concept of closed communities is a very intricate one, and the reasons for its existence are incredibly complex and pose many interesting questions about humanity, faith and politics.
Now comes the great question, why do so many people willingly choose to isolate themselves from the rest of the world? For many of us, isolation is synonymous with loneliness, and not feeling accepted, however, these communities seem to have a very different perspective on the matter.
Let’s take the Amish people as an example. The Amish have their roots in the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. Their values are rooted in humility and family and believe that community harmony is threatened by secular values such as individualism and pride, which plague the modern world. They dress in a plain style, prohibit personal photographs and a majority of them refuse to use any type of technology, although some subgroups are willing to make compromises in order to work to communicate, as long as their community is not disrupted. However, contrary to popular belief, they do not spend all of their time reading their Bible, and enjoy leisure activities such as visiting other community members, playing board games, reading, and sports. Similarly, Bedouins, nomad groups that generally live in the Middle East and North Africa enjoy a very rural lifestyle, deeply rooted in their cultural and religious beliefs. Many people wrongfully view these groups as unwelcoming and even dangerous, due to their more conservative nature, however, interestingly enough, anthropologists have noted that many of them show a friendly and open attitude towards outsiders.
Now that we have established the principles and reasoning behind some of the most well-known and predominant closed communities, let’s take a look at the impact that this lifestyle has on the people practicing it, be it positive or negative.
One of the main advantages of such a lifestyle is the connections created within that community. In today’s society, the nuclear family structure has become the norm and many people lose contact with their other family members and end up relying heavily on technology for entertainment or learning purposes, instead of socializing with the people around them. In contrast, closed communities place an emphasis on the traditional family structure, on living together and collaborating with one another.
On the other hand, such communities can drive a sense of alienation into some of their members, and, consequently, the desire to escape. Another downside would be the access to medicine and healthcare. While some groups are allowed to go to the doctor or to public hospitals, many of them place an emphasis on alternative medicine and at-home treatments and often prohibit preventive practices such as immunization and prenatal care. Many also prohibit abortion, because of religious beliefs, even when the pregnancy is life-threatening.
Overall, it is clear that closed communities will always exist, since clashes between religious and cultural beliefs are not a thing of the past, and it is important for the rest of society to have respect and understanding for these groups.
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