Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Christian Cohousing & Diversity

[Merlin Porter-Borden (merlpb]

    At risk of being redundant, I assert that the greatest impact is
economic to a forming community  requiring alignment with any ideology:
the source of members is restricted; however, with sufficient members,
such as with the Mennonites or Bretheren (LaVerne, CA), this is a not a
concern or a factor.  But, Per McCamant & Durrett, the idealogical
requirement had a significant ecomonic impact on the Danish community of
Overdrevet (p.63), probably because they had no group already formed:
they had to recruit from a reduced market.
    The Overdrevet experience seems, to me, to indicate that a strong
ideological "mood," could create an intensity which works counter to
creating consensus, while a formal idealogy, such as the with the
Mennonites, could create a framework for community formation (given that
recruitment was not a problem).
    Have Fun.

Merlin Porter-Borden
Liberty Village of Maryland

    Pet Peeve:  The North American cohouser wanabees who blindly
recreate the cohousing wheel without first exploring the Danish
experience through the MacCamant and Durrett book.