Abstract
Objective: To study the symbolism of community as understood and practised in a mental health Crisis and Assessment Service in an Australian city.
Theoretical approaches: The paper draws on anthropological theories of symbolism and boundary work.
Method: Ethnographic fieldwork techniques were employed for data collection. Ethnographic analysis was then applied to these data.
Results: In mental health practice, community is primarily defined in contradistinction to hospital. Narratives about community, including an orthodox version and a sceptical counter-narrative, revolve around this community–hospital boundary.
Conclusions: This analysis identifies a key symbol, which we have designated community, and enumerates the social values that comprise it.