Key terms & definitions

A political community organised for its people's shared welfare; Gonzalo imagines one without wealth, poverty or service.

A voluntary association of countries, most of which have historical connections to the British Empire.

A loose association of independent former Soviet republics established in December 1991, rather than a continuation of the USSR under one central government.

Accommodation in which several households share facilities, such as a kitchen and bathroom; in Soviet communal flats, a family might occupy just one room.

The shared duty of members of a community to maintain order, report crime and help pursue suspected offenders.

Worship shared by a group of believers.

A large agricultural organisation that combined farming communities and organised collective production. During the early 1960s, communes remained, but more decisions passed to smaller production teams.

A group of people who live together and share tasks, possessions and wealth.

A disease that can spread between organisms and is caused by a pathogen.

A disease caused by a pathogen that can spread between organisms.

The passing of information from one person or organisation to another.

Exchanging information with others through speaking, listening or non-verbal signals.

The sending and receiving of information through signals.

The route or method used to pass information between people or groups in a business.

A set of rules for transferring data between devices on a network.

The ways information is transmitted, including military messages and reporting that informs the public about war.

A trench connecting different trench lines, allowing soldiers, messages and supplies to move between them with some protection.

A deep sharing of life and love between persons; in Catholic teaching, human relationships can reflect God’s love.

An ideology aiming for a classless society and common ownership of production. The Soviet and North Korean communist systems operated through state ownership and one-party rule.

A political ideal of a classless society in which property and the means of production are owned collectively.

Marx’s hoped-for classless society in which the means of production would be owned collectively rather than by a capitalist minority.

A supporter of communism, which aims for a classless society with common ownership of the means of production; Germany’s Communist Party was the KPD.

All the populations of different species living together in a habitat.

All the populations of different species living and interacting in an area.

A group connected by shared place, relationships, customs or responsibilities.

A shared sense of belonging that helps different groups live and work together.

The extent to which people from different backgrounds feel connected, included and able to live and work together.

An organisation bringing people together around shared needs, interests or identities.

Compulsory unpaid work carried out by an offender for the benefit of the community as part of a community sentence.

Policing that builds relationships with local people so that officers and communities can work together to prevent crime and address local problems.