Communities of practice are groups of people who share similar interests and objectives. In pursuing these interests and objectives, they make use of common practices, work with similar artifacts, and use a common language (Wenger 1998). The concept of community of practice was first coined by Lave and Wenger (1991), when discussing learning processes within
Largely due to Rheingold (1993), the term “virtual communities” has become the most popular way to identify interpersonal and Internet-based communication networks to form, maintain, or extend social relationships. In 1993, Rheingold was writing ethnographies of the communities anticipated by pioneers such as Licklider (1968), who imagined the Internet as the source of new meeting
The concept of community developed mostly in sociology to refer to an organic whole whose components are tied together by a common and innate moral order. Classical literature on community emphasizes its homogeneity in terms of the beliefs and activities of its members, who are interrelated in face-to-face relation-ships and whose allegiance and belonging are
Therapeutic communities use interpersonal interactions within a structured community milieu to treat substance abuse. They have shown promising outcomes, especially among people with substance use disorders who require a highly structured environment to succeed. Therapeutic communities are used frequently in correctional institutions to treat inmates with severe substance use disorders and who exhibit antisocial behavior.