An association is established for the purpose of fulfilling some common but definite need to needs of the people.
It is hence deliberately created. On the other hand, community is a natural organisation. Its objectives are common but not specific.
Man is born in a community but he enters into different associations to fulfill his specific interests or needs. An association is not a community, but an organisation within the community. We can call a city a community, but not a church or a trade union or a political party.
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We can call a country a community but not the political parties of the country. They are associations. The interests of a community are wider than those of an association, Hence an association is partial, whereas a community is integral. A community is more comprehensive than an association. Community is therefore, more free and wider than even the greatest associations.
Within a community there may exist not only numerous associations but also antagonistic; associations, Ex. Political parties of the communists and democrats. Since an association is organised for a particular interest, we belong to it by virtue of this interest. Membership in an association has only limited significance.