Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Tragedy of the commons

[Kay Argyle (kay.argyle]

In addition to not being able to move on to new, pristine commons when the
old one is degraded, cohousers also don't move on to new, naïve
partners/opponents.

In the Prisoner's Dilemma, a public history for each player can change the
preferred strategy from cheating to cooperating.  Internet markets and
comparison shopping sites like eBay, Amazon Marketplace, epinions, etc., use
this to increase buyer confidence and cut down on fraud.  Buyers can balance
the price offered against the dealer's reviews. In one recent purchase, a
dealer with rotten reviews was asking less than anyone else; $50 savings or
no, I bought elsewhere.

Although the stakes are different, a similar dynamic operates in cohousing.
For many*, possibly most, cohousers, a wish for positive interactions with
neighbors was a major factor for joining cohousing.  This creates a
susceptibility to peer pressure.

(*There are exceptions, and it's almost comical witnessing the bewildered
shock and horror of people for whom emotional closeness was the ultimate
draw, when it dawns on them that, for some members of the community,
closeness was not only NOT the primary attraction, but maybe not a
consideration at all.  Only almost, because it is often followed by a
hostile, "Then why are you here?" as though any other reason were
illegitimate. Interestingly, some of the residents I have regarded as most
divisive have been closeness groupies.)

Somebody finds the common house unlocked at 7 a.m. and sends out an email
asking who is in charge of locking up this month.  The garden paths either
side of So-and-So's bed were underwater ? again! please, have you seen what
the community water bill was last month?  The Thingummy family has a private
event in the common house and leaves the place trashed, and in separate
encounters on the path, both get asked when they will clean.  If it happens
again, the next time they want to schedule the common house people pointedly
and publicly inquire about the cleanup afterwards.

However, for this to be effective, people have to know who is responsible,
or irresponsible, as the case may be.  One of the points of cohousing is to
live among people you know.  Some members nonetheless resist having their
history of cooperation/defection known ? "Oh, we can't make it public who is
or isn't fulfilling their community work! People would feel bad" (as though
they don't deserve to) ? with the result that the community's participation
agreement is toothless, and as well
as Prisoner's Dilemma, the community plays Chicken: The first person who
absolutely cannot stand the sticky dining room floor one more meal gets to
mop it.

Kay