Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: a private person in cohousing

[Saoirse Charis-Graves (ccharis]

It is interesting how different communities develop different  
strategies. Our process for identifying communication and  
socialization preferences has always evolved back to an informal one,  
regardless of what we've tried to put in place that would be  
considered more systematic. I guess we have developed a very strong  
ethic about recognizing and accepting individual differences on both  
counts. But the expectation here is that an individual ultimately  
holds responsibility for communicating what they need and/or want.  
Attempts to develop anything more systematic  and community-wide has  
ultimately either never reached consensus or been dropped by mutual  
neglect. I don't recommend that as an effective strategy. I am  
basically amazed that other communities actually have done something  
more structured! After all this time, I thought what happened here  
was  "typical" ; ) ... I should have known better!

Anyway, the range of actual practice intrigues me.

Saoirse

Harmony Village Cohousing
http://www.harmonyvillage.org