Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Selection and Weirdo stereotyping

[WOLF1GDSFM (WOLF1GDSFM]

Little things can drive a behavior that might be called "stereotyping."
Maybe it would be called something else.  Anyway, an example:  A
person donates something to the Common House.  It is of an
inexpensive make, because that is all this person's family could ever
afford.  Another person comes in and says, "Oh, my, we can't have this
in here!  Not in the Common House!  I want the common house to look
nice."  This is not an intentional slight, but a gut level raction by
someone who is used to a certain standard of living.  People, not of a
different race, not of a different religion, not of a different sexual
orientation, but only of a somewhat different income bracket, are
deemed as having "no taste."  There are many, many main-stream
Americans whose decor comes directly from places like K-Mart.  They
think their houses look "really nice."  Others have been brought up in
different surroundings.  Their reaction to this decor is more like, "yech."
Each person seems to feel rather uncomfortable in surroundings that
feel just right to the other.  People with "no taste" tend to self-select off
of the decorating committees, unless they are also very strong.  It is 
difficult to articulate this; it is subtle, but it keeps some people from 
being fully a part of things.  Some seem to feel superior; others may
end up feeling less-than.

Also, what about a post from someone who never, ever uses words like
"articulate"?  How would that be received?  How welcome might that 
person feel, reading this post?

Jan Ankney
member of Sunward Cohousing
Ann Arbor, MI