Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: RE: Cohousing & the mainstream

[Craig Ragland (craig]

Some thoughts...
Another authority, Graham Meltzer, Ph.D., recently authored "Sustainable
Community: Learning from the cohousing model"
http://www.grahammeltzer.com/cohousing/index.htm
In this interesting book, Graham studies a number of cohousing communities
in different Pacific Rim countries. He uses first-hand interviews and
surveys - and conducts both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Across
the communities he documents, there is quite a bit of variation on many
dimensions, including the levels of intentionality around environmental
issues, sociality, resource sharing, etc. - some, are arguably, more
mainstream than others.
I think the most important "cohousing promotion" is driven by prospective
cohousing communities during the pre-construction phase when the emerging
community needs and seeks members.
In some communities, founding (and early) members market to more
"mainstream" people and seek to create more "mainstream" communities. Some
groups have even panicked because not enough units had sold - they then
switched to selling units through real estate agents as nice condos, with
some optional community. This selected for very "mainstream" people with
limited interest in the community part of the deal.
Other cohousing community founders choose to adopt and promote values and
practices which may be seen and labeled (today) as being more counter
culture, weird, etc. (you know, like recycling was 20 years ago). This is
clearly more challenging than selling something that is as similar as
possible to how the prospective buyers live now.
Obviously, it's simplistic to say mainstream VS values. In reality, each
cohousing community makes many decisions on an ongoing basis (pre- and
post-construction) which relate to how "mainstream" OUR communities will be
and how they are - and how we choose to share or promote our stories.
At Songaia Cohousing Community, a couple of our current members were
originally challenged by our stated values and the ways we sought to live
them. Initially, they saw us as being really out there. Others wanted and
continue to want more practice, being concerned about whether we are walking
our talk.
I guess my main point is that Cohousing Communities are diverse with respect
to mainstream-edness. I believe that any common promotion should recognize
the diversity rather than avoid it.