These ghettoes were not just established in large cities, they also existed in much smaller settings. These small-town ghettoes were a blend of work-based and ethnic-based communities. Everyone (at least most of the adults) worked in an American business (often factory) located near their enclave and spoke a common language (other than English) while retaining the culture of their home country. As in the case of the urban setting, there were often sequential migration patterns, with one newly-arriving ethic group replaced the previously arriving ethnic group—replacing this group at the bottom of the socio-economic totem pole. Though both groups remained below the Line, sub-Lines being drawn.
Community as Lifestyle
More recently, as we enter a post-industrial and post-modern era, the notion of community has further evolved. There are the lifestyle enclaves described by Robert Bellah and his associates in Habits of the Heart (1985) and the virtual communities that have become dominant in many technologically advanced societies. People no longer spend all their free time interacting with people living next door or working in the same organization. In many suburban communities throughout the world, residents might not even know the name of their neighbors – especially if they are living in suburbs where there are high rates of mobility. During the last few years (often driven by the COVID-19 virus), the in-person workplaces are being replaced by virtual settings in which employees interact via Zoom, Skype and other digital-mediated venues.
It is often more likely that suburbanites spend a Saturday afternoon attending a sports car rally or going to the gym three miles away to work out with their friends. During the past decade it has become even more likely that they are sending Saturday afternoon (and most weekday afternoons or evenings) talking with their Internet buddies—especially if these suburbanites are under 30 years of age. A similar story can be told about those working in virtual environments. Instead of going out for a beer (or wine) after work with their fellow workers, they are likely to shift from their work-based email account to their personal mobile device for chats with their Internet buddies. No beer or wine–rather an afterwork sharing of thoughts and feelings with those holding a similar set of values and perspectives—that is with other members of the same lifestyle enclave.
