It is as if McKnight is saying that too many social workers have along with others assumed incorrectly that Gemeinshaft has replaced Gesellshaft and that now that community is gone they have to substitute for it. McKnight may exaggerate the extent to which community is always good and the extent to which poor neighborhoods do not need help and solve their own problems, he does have a point. And it is a point that relates directly to practice. Sometimes when we just focus on treating the individual independent of helping them thrive in a thriving community, we may be doing more harm than good. Yet, community is needed by many people, especially people confronting social problems.
Community can help people get support and resources.
People are networking, building community all the time, even today. We always need to ask are we helping or hurting in making that happen.