Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: diversity/consensus

[Jerry Callen (jcallen]

Tony Rocco writes:

   I hypothesize that the more esoteric and exclusive people try to
   make their cohousing communities, the more cohousing will be seen
   as just another weird left-wing phenomenon perpretrated by fringe
   types and radical malcontents. Cohousing could become a more
   powerful and widespread movement if it tried to be more inclusive.

By and large, I think the traffic on this list reflects a determined
effort by MOST cohousing groups to be as inclusive and diverse as
possible, although as others have pointed out, the very desire to live
in any sort of group situation is in itself a powerful filter.

However, one of the very things I personally find attractive about
cohousing is that it offers us "fringe types and radical malcontents"
an opportunity for community that we would otherwise be hard pressed
to find in society as a whole. For instance, as a vegetarian, I often
have to fend for myself for food in situations where "most" people
their food needs catered to. I don't want to have to do this at home,
so requiring a vegetarian option at all common house meals seems
pretty reasonable. But to my parents, and I suspect to a lot of
people, this seems pretty freaky. Does this mean it shouldn't be done,
in the name of being "inclusive"? Inclusive of WHOM?

I'm also a fan of the "stew pot" model of diversity, as opposed to the
"melting pot" model. Rather than have a bunch of cohousing communities
all made out of ticky-tacky and looking just the same, why not a lot
of very distinctive and unique communities, united by agreement on the
value of community and respect for differences, whether among
individuals or communities?

-- Jerry Callen
   jcallen [at] world.std.com

   "The best lack conviction, given some time to think,
    and the worst are full of passion without mercy."
        -- Joni Mitchell (borrowing from W.B. Yeats)