Definition

1. Noun:
   • A social or political theory advocating the organization of society on the basis of communal ownership and shared resources: This meaning refers to a system where property and resources are owned and managed collectively by a community.
   • Loyalty and commitment to the interests of one's own minority or ethnic group rather than to society as a whole: This meaning describes a social condition where primary allegiance is to a specific subgroup within a larger society, potentially leading to conflict.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in sociological, political, and anthropological contexts to describe specific social structures or attitudes.
• It can have a neutral descriptive sense when discussing historical or theoretical systems of communal living.
• It often carries a negative connotation when describing the prioritization of subgroup interests over national unity.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The early settlers experimented with communalism, sharing all land and harvests. (This describes a system of common ownership.)
  • Political communalism in the region has often led to sectarian violence. (This describes loyalty to a subgroup over the whole society.)

Advanced Usage

• "Religious communalism": A situation where political and social identity is primarily based on religious affiliation, often in contrast to secular nationalism.
  • The rise of religious communalism challenged the country's founding secular principles.
• "Economic communalism": Refers to economic systems based on communal ownership, such as in some utopian societies or indigenous groups.
  • The kibbutz is a modern example of economic communalism.

Variants and Related Words

• Communal (adj): Shared by or involving members of a community; public.
  • The village had a communal well.
• Communalist (n): An advocate or supporter of communalism.
  • He was a communalist who believed in shared ownership of the means of production.
• Communalistic (adj): Characteristic of or relating to communalism.
  • Their communalistic practices ensured no one went hungry.

Synonyms

• Collectivism: The practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it. (This is a broader, more political/economic synonym for the first meaning.)
• Sectionalism: Excessive regard for the interests of a particular region or group within a country. (This is a close synonym for the second, often negative, meaning.)
• Tribalism: The state or fact of being organized in a tribe or tribes; strong loyalty to one's own social group. (A synonym for the second meaning, emphasizing subgroup loyalty.)

Antonyms

• Individualism: A social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.
• Nationalism: Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. (This can be an antonym to the second meaning of , as nationalism prioritizes the nation-state over sub-groups.)
• Secularism: The principle of separation of the state from religious institutions. (An antonym in contexts of religious communalism.)

Noun

1. loyalty and commitment to the interests of your own minority or ethnic group rather than to society as a whole
2. the practice of communal living and common ownership