The Struggle for an Alternative: A Case Study of a Commune

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Abstract
This paper describes the beginning and the first year of a commune which was created to increase the number and quality of relationships available to its members and their children. The authors acted as consultants as well as researchers for the commune, and this article is based on both their impressions and the members' responses to regularly administered questionnaires. At the end of the first year, more than half of the original members of the commune left to live elsewhere.Post hoc analysis suggests that the evolution of internal structures in the course of living together and the problems of boundary maintenance vis-a-vis the external world may have eroded the commitment of many members. During the year, internal subgroups and pairs evolved among the members, and these special relationships had the effect of including some members while isolating others. At the same time, the commune's dealings with the outside world were shaped by individual interests rather than communal divisions, so no stable se...

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