"Gated communities"......

[davem]

Child, I still can't see that 'gated communities' are feature of Middle Earth in a major way. Maybe the Shire under Elessar's rule, but that's in a way imposed from outside, as was the Ranger's protection of the shire. It wasn't really the Hobbits denying access to anyone, it was the Rangers. If anything it was outsiders keeping the Shire 'gated'. (trying to 'embalm' it?). Bree is a typical 'medieval' village. It would have been unusual for it not to have a gate or fence. As has been stated, closing the gate is like locking your door at night - you aren't trying to turn your home into a 'gated community'!
The Elven & Dwarvish realms are pretty much the same, to the extent they're 'closed off', its simply for protection. But for me the real issue, as I've said is deeper, & reflects the nature of each race & how they relate to the world around them. They each 'create' their environment, change it in a way that reflects their essential nature. Many of Tolkien's 'races', after all, are as different from each other as different species of animal - not to imply one 'species' is superior to another.
I can't see, either, that suspicion of strangers, or contempt, even, automatically constitutes being part of a 'gated community'.
The idea of a 'gated community' implies more than I can find in the books. I can't see the different races trying to protect their cultures from outside influences - their cultures are a reflection of themselves, their essential natures, rather than being 'constructions'.
Finally, I do think it was more than Tolkien being 'influenced' by Norse, Celtic & Finnish mythology, I think he was trying to get back to an 'original' Northern European world view, & re-create it, at least, that was his original intent. For me, that's why his work is so much more convincing than the work of most other fantasy authors, which is just 'influenced' by ancinet myths.