Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: compromise in cohousing

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Compromise? What Compromise? I always get MY way.....

But seriously....Compromise is the key and core to cooperation. It is 
not a problem at all if your intention is to cooperate and if that is 
not your intention, then cohousing or any other cooperative adventure 
is not what you should be doing.

Depending on the structure, process and architecture of the group, the 
amount of compromise needed in any given decision varies.  For example 
at Sharingwood, the individual does all the design of their personal 
living space. No compromise is needed on the inside. Architectural 
review requires some compromises on how the outside interacts with the 
rest of the community.  So in our model, I can have any kind of kitchen 
cabinet, toilet, bedroom space etc. that I want and can afford. 
However, the placement of my front door, window, walkway, porch etc. 
are compromised with the group.

In other projects, where all the units are designed and built out at 
once, the group decides most of the issues of the personal space design 
and so much compromise is needed.

The amount of personal decision autonomy varies wildly from group to 
group and from decision to decision and is going to be a filter for 
some people.  There is no blanket level of how it works, each group is 
unique and makes their own models and choices.  However, there may be a 
basic principle which runs something like: The more personal decision 
autonomy, the less cooperative the group as a whole? That is, groups 
which have lots of group compromise inherent in their process and 
development will be attractive to people who are willing to do lots of 
cooperation, and those who do not, will be attractive to people who may 
be less willing to do lots of cooperation.  This Darwinian thinking may 
be totally bogus, or maybe its true and will become known as Robs 
theory of cooperation and autonomy.  Whatcha think folks?

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood