A nuist community (or in Europe, naturist community) is a group of nudists/naturists who choose to live together on a permanent basis where clothing is optional. The term nudist colony was once a term for nudist communities, especially among non-nudists, but is eschewed by most nudists/naturists due to negative connotations that became associated with the term. There are two objections to the term: the term nudist is not used by European naturists - it connotes a lack of the family-oriented cooperative philosophy, though this connotation does not seem to apply in North America, and the word colony is politically connected with imperialism and authoritarianism. It is different in francophone communities. In France, many communes invested in landed sites by the sea for summer recreation both by adults and children. These were named "colonie des vacances". Most French school children would spend a week a more each summer at a colonie, which are in many ways analogous to the American summer camp. The international links within naturism explain how the term arose.