Diversity: issues and degree
From: 'Judith Wisdom (wisdompobox.upenn.edu)
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 22:54:58 -0500
This thread has been real interesting in further helping us refine the 
notion of cohousing as a communal way of life.

I think it was Bob Sandelin who indicated (hope I'm not misattributing 
but someone said this and I do think it was Bob) that by the very virtue 
of selecting to commit to and live in a coho community diversity gets 
limited, and he gave numerous reasons why, related to things essential to 
making a cohousing community work and grow and not fall apart :(the shared 
committment to work, to govern, to associate, to support, etc.)  
Personally I think that is 
central and a sine qua non for cohousing (lest you evolve into a very 
uncoho something--like, say, a regular condo, as he said).

But if we accept that nondiversity as fairly given, and I do, that still 
leaves a range of diversity/similarity possibilities around other issues 
not related to the process and essential nature of living together.

While I personally would not prefer to live with just vegans or just meat
eaters (only one reason of which would be that we DO in our own lives make
changes, and what if you buy into a community as a meat eater and then
decide to become a vegan--do you have to move out!) or one with all people
with no children (as was mentioned by Tony Rocco in his example) or all of
the same religion (how boring) I can see that some people might.  And if
enough people want that I don't see that a problem.  Nor my preference 
but not destructive of what I see as essential to cohousing. 

I also could see too much diversity in a small, close knit community as
being a serious problem, over some range of issues and values.  I.e., 
there are some behaviors, beliefs, and even lifestyles I think people are 
perfectly free to exhibit but which I wouldn't want to live amongst.  And 
I think might be the basis for tearing people living in such close 
committment apart.

That means of course, if this belief is shared by others, as I very much
suspect it is by many if not most coho communities, then that provides a
basis both for self-selection as a means for limiting diversity AND for
the more dicey issue of exclusion.  I expect it's the way the latter is
handled that reflects back on the character and decency and wisdom of the
community. And on the effectiveness of the exclusionary part.

FWIW.

Judith Wisdom
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