You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In many cities, an increasing number of people do not know their neighbours and the sense of community is lost. Discuss the causes and give measures to turn it around. Discuss both views and give your opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer:
The significant rises of the population, fast paced life, crime rate and dependency on technology in the urban areas make more people become unacquainted and unfriendly to their neighbours. However, there are measures that can be taken to alleviate this issue.
In today’s technology dependent era, people are mostly busy with their own work. Major streets in the cities are filled with busy people walking fast to reach their office or business place. They are even busy talking to their office colleagues and family members over the phone. After they return home late evening, they watch television, use computer and the Internet or spend time with family members. They scarcely have any time to socialise with neighbours. In some scenarios, people do not even know who live next door in city areas. These are the everyday scenarios in the cities where social interactions could be rarely seen as individuals have no time to socialise and much focused on their own work or personal interests.
Again, the rampant acceleration of crimes in the urban community makes individual become unnecessarily cautious and suspicious about other people, especially with the people they meet for the very first time. Even trusting their own neighbourhood would be tough for them as they are in constant fear of being harmed. As a result inhabitants of cities tend to become isolated as they are afraid to mingle because of undeveloped acquaintance. Unlike rural areas, where comparatively fewer people live together, city areas are highly populated and it is not unlikely that several thousands of people live in a block. Maintaining social relationship with all of them is this thus quite impossible.
On the other hand, considering possible measures to improve a sense of community in the neighbourhood community officials must organise programmes regularly to encourage camaraderie. Secondly, building more parks, social gathering places, community centres and children’s playground in the community could be a good measure to let people socialise and know each other. This is also helpful for meeting friends, bonding with family and neighbours. As a result, people living in the community would develop a sense of friendship. Positive news and events among community members should be highlighted in media to eradicate the fear people have about unknown people. Finally, organising different community groups to help people find others with same interest and to share common passions is a very effective measure to help people enhance their neighbouring bonds and relationship in my opinion.
To sum it up, city life and overwhelming population should not be hindrances to our sense of community and our relationship with our neighbours. It would be nicer for the community to develop a friendly environment to create a better place to live in with all the neighbours.
[Written by – Marilou Mendezabal ]