Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: financial diversity (WAS Development Phase)

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 23 Sep 2011, at 12:30 PM, Eris Weaver wrote:

> Greater diversity = greater opportunity for conflict!


And what the idealistic cohousers that we are all, we come right up against 
this soon after move-in, if our diversity allows us to move in at all. 

I wonder what people think diversity is? We've talked before about how many 
different kinds of diversity there are - not just ethnic or financial, but we 
forget that with skin color, social class, and income levels come values. God 
forbid we would have a Republican (did anyone ever locate one?).

Liberals seem to assume that we differ in ways that bring richness to our 
lives, and forget that those differences result in or are the result of 
fundamentally different lifestyles and values. When you are trying to make 
decisions together differing values = conflict. People have different aims. 
When people have different aims, consensus is not always possible.

When it comes to yes, no, and maybe, diversity = conflict. Unfortunately, we 
aren't so patient with working through conflict to find mutually satisfying 
solutions. And sometimes it isn't possible when we live in such close quarters 
and are so interdepedent.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org