Is there such a phenomenon as closed communities?

[Vmission]

Some country in Middle east region, in my opinion is experiencing a strange social phenomenon over the past decade:

I am referring to the highest social class in the country, those people are the richest and go to the most expensive places. For reasons that I am not well aware of, a lot of social groups are closed to outsiders. Maybe that is a common feature or a new trend that the country is experiencing. I once belonged to a group, in which I did not conform very well. After leaving this group, I felt alone and not welcomed within any social circles. Of course one has to be proactive and make new connections to increase the span. But I remember that it wasn't that difficult. Nowadays, who you know and what places you go determine to a large extent who you are. Is superficiality becoming a plague in such regions?

 

[Proletar]

Try the gated communities of USA, or Mexico, or probably about any country without a functional social safety-net.

The rich locks themselves in in their luxury-prisons. "Chains of gold are still chains".

 

[Tessaroni]

Many people find comfort in routine. Communities are typically made up of people who think alike. So, if all or most people in a community want things to remain the same, they won't like to see many new faces.

The difficulty of finding a community to fit into will vary depending on the communities surrounding you. All communities have a sort of general attitude. They may not all be exactly the same, but they will agree and/or think alike on many subjects.

For example, during the time of the American Civil War, the country was split into two main communities: the north and the south. The north was wealthy and big on manufacturing. They had all sorts of new machines and inventions that made life easier. People had more time to think, and so new ideas developed. People were more open-minded. The south, however, preferred to stick to their beliefs. They valued religion and family. The extreme differences in values and ideas led to conflict.

That's another thing entirely, too. Communities, regardless of whether or not they are closed, can be very powerful. I am straying a bit from the topic here, but it is an interesting thing, if you think about it.

Or maybe it's not that certain communities don't want to see new faces because they enjoy routine, but because they want to think they're better than everyone else. If a group believes they're greater than others, wouldn't it kind of be counter-productive to welcome new members in?