Anyone living in or previously lived in an intentional community ?

[RosemaryandThyme]

Hello, I live in an intentinal community and am wondering if anyone else does or did ?
Ours is a community for the education and welfare of it's members, of which there are about 9 families (plus a few floating extras) living in an collection of houses and a main maor house in a rural hamlet - anyone else in a similar position ?

I find the entire set up very sexist OP, the men have meetings, the men go out to work.... what kind of labs do they run?

it is stepford wives, the men are making robot versions of the women.

Just found this thread - I'm thinking of joining an intentional community but it's on a small organic farm where the stately home & stables have been converted into dwellings, all of which are purchased on leasehold by the members individually. Most have normal jobs & all the kids go to normal schools & you give some of your spare time to help with either farming or admin type duties. Separate front doors & legal ownership of your home. It's more of a way of being able to afford to live in the countryside & grow your own food & join in some social activities if you wish like Saturday pot luck supper & bonfire night type occasions for the kids. You have to be able to buy your home so there aren't comings & goings of people like in a commune or lack of privacy.

I think it is fine as long as its not a silly cult where people can be hurt.
Some people want/enjoy an alternative lifestyle and really despise the boring 9 to 5 existence. My family have an alternative lifestyle that wouldn't suit the majority.

It is not for me OP because we are quite private and wouldn't gain the benefits that I can see would be good for many. I think families who don't have the usual extended family would benefit greatly, as would those whose work meant one partner was away a lot.

Do you all H.E Rosemary?

R&T, couldn't you provide a link to,the articles that the men write, so we could all benefit from their wisdom?

You don't sound very happy, Rosemary. Which is understandable in such an oppressively sexist set-up.

Yes. That is the main/only thought that I have any clarity about, reading this thread.

Anyone ever see the movie Flirting With Disaster? lan Alda and Lily Tomlin as the ex hippies with an acid factory in the basement..?
Hmm.
I know lots of people who grew up in a commune in the Scottish borders. They are all pretty well adjusted and normal really.
When I was a kid there were also lots of people we knew where,say, 3 families shared a massive house etc. And out house had 8 people in it, and constant visitors, so I can relate to the idea of communal living.
Not the HE, bread baking wifey at home, man fix leak ug thing though. All the commune dwellers I have ever know were fierce feminists, and that was just the men.

themidwife I think there are a number of communities like this.

I think it sounds like a great way to live,so long as you do your research.

Yes - only tentative thoughts at this stage!

But why bother? What does it prove? If you are looking for evidence that people can work together in harmony and co-operation for the greater good then you need look no further than every city, town and village in the land. They all came about through people pooling labour, expertise and experience, and a need for community. Why create a very polarised and artificial 'intentional' community when there are thousands of real communities already? What are you experimenting with, exactly?

Sounds like you are trying to reinvent the wheel if you ask me - or at least claim it as your own idea.

It's not turning your back on the wider community - it's being able to afford to live on a rural organic farm without having millions of pounds to buy it all yourself. You just buy your own living quarters & share the rest of the work & rewards.

It's not to prove anything,though,surely.
Yes, everyone has the capacity to share and pool resources,and in a community such as this it's just a group of people making the decision to do just that.

themidwife I would just want to find out what the score is if you decided after all that it wasn't what you wanted.

The score would be you would have to sell your home after waiting for an appropriate buyer so it's definitely not something to rush into!! You could be stuck waiting for a buyer for a while if unhappy!

I think it sounds like you have to find the difference between communes & group housing schemes to be sure. Separate front doors are important I think. I'm thinking more of separate homes on a shared farm.

I am finding this thread absolutely riveting but in a wow what a bunch of freaking weirdos kind of way.

I have to say themidwife that if all the legalities stacked up,as to parting with my money (if,indeed,I had any ),this is just the sort of thing I would seriously consider doing.