It always has been. The settlers that founded America would communally build their log cabins, hunt in groups, and band together for communal militias. Those that didn't were the first to be scalped or turned into rape toys by the savages. The few exceptions, like Daniel Boone or other mountain men, were single men who would leave their wives and children behind for a few months or years to build up wealth, while their families were living in a close-knit community. You need to be strong as an individual to provide for or protect your community, but even so you will only be as successful as your community is.