RE: House Pricing in House Selection Process
From: Hune Margulies (hm64columbia.edu)
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 94 15:34 CDT
We identify two basic types of "diversities" There are inclusionary
diversities and exclusionary ones. Mayor Dinkins's "gorgeous mosaic" 
image is problematic. A mosaic implies that the whole retains a coherent
shape as long as each piece remains in its own place. A diverse New York
is a New York of segregated neighborhoods and ethnic enclaves.  To
"celebrate" that particular type of manifested diversity will only numb
its true opressive character. Your personal testimony as per your right to
choose is genuine, and it is, historically, the type of approach that
preceded the dismantling of some of the most daring communal experiences
in the U.S. history. hethre differences in socio-economic status do or do
not represent opressive diversities remains a disputed question. I do not
subscribe to the orthodox Marxist interpretation in this regard. However,
if, as you say, socio-economic disparities do not appear, but preceed the
creation of the community, one can argue that this is the "original sin"
that accounts for the reason why we have not seen omre cohousing
experiments spring up accross this country, despite the fact that, in this
country, the need to break from the alienation of the isolation seems very
important to most people. The issue of what extent of socio-economic 
disparity is compatible with community life is perhaps an empiricl 
question. Your experiences, the Kibbutz's and others will, in its own 
good time, tell. IMHO, community without equality fails to reflect a 
measure of needed intentionality. It is not a matter of "enforcing" 
parity, it is more a matter of choosing a set of values, slightly apart 
from traditional capitalistic-materialism. 

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