“Look at the image of the community you drew before discussion today as a case study. From the discussion we had today, what traits do you think makes it a community? Do you think social media and modern technology could impact on how your community functions?”

For this blog prompt, I chose my hip-hop dance group on campus, Alliance. Upon creating the concept map and reflecting on both the discussion we had in class and the readings, I think that for Alliance social media can only enhance my community because of our mutual interest as a dance group.

As part of a dance group, arguably the biggest objective is to not only dance together, but to create sets for performances that pop up all throughout the school year. As a result, it’s impossible for Alliance to function completely on the Internet, unlike other interest groups like the initial chat rooms. Alliance needs real-life interaction in order to practice, go through choreography, etc.

However, social media has tremendously enhanced the relations of the group. One of the best examples I can think of is when I was abroad last quarter – when the team got new members, I was able to get to know them and their personals through social media platforms such as Facebook and a group text app called GroupMe. When I returned to campus this quarter, it was not awkward to see these members for the first time because I already felt like I knew them.

While there is a leadership hierarchy in Alliance, it is just to enforce the objective that as a team we need to create pieces for our performances. We have directors who lead artistically and logistically in order for us to achieve that goal. But I don’t think a hierarchy is completely necessary for a community: I imagine that the role of a leader can be routinely switched in between members. With that being said, I personally believe that agreement of the internal function of the group is key to maintaining the group. And as for social media, I think that for Alliance social media is very beneficial.