McMillan, D.W., & Chavis, D.M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.

McMillan and Chavis (1986) defined the sense of community as "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together." The authors proposed a theory of the sense of community that includes four elements: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. They suggested that these four elements are interrelated and that a strong sense of community requires the presence of all four.