Cohousing-L Mailing List: [no subject]

[Till Houtermans (tillhout]

        In regards to the question of how intentional communities differ from 
cohousing I think it is important to note that there are different types of 
intentioanl communities.  Some are religious with a strict ideology which 
members must adhere to in order to be part of the community.  Such communities 
often have a leader and a hiearchy.  The group often tends to over power the 
individual.  
        Other types of intentioanl communities are started simply because a 
group of people want to live, eat, and sleep together.  Here the group 
motivation is not one specific ideology but rather the will to be togeher.  
Group solidarity is not achieved through rules and institutional structures, 
but rather through trust and companionship between members.  
        Cohousing resembles this type of community the most.  People get 
together in order to get something which can not be obtained through mainstream 
life: namely a strong feeling of community and companionship.  Like many 
intentional communities a strong group identiy is created that becomes larger 
than the individuals put together. 
        One important way in which cohousing differs is there is more of a 
consciouse effort to distinguish between individaul and group space.  Many of 
the intentioanl communities which I have read about have made it a specific 
goal to have encounter sessions where individauls must confront each other and 
try to reslove there differences which creates an intense emotional space; 
often too intence.  One way in which cohousing resolves the problem of 
individual differences is by giving people their private space i.e. a place to 
retreat from the community.

tilhout [at] ocf.berkeley.edu