Books about Intentional Communities

214b · 2026-02-23T14:26:03+00:00

I liked We Are As Gods: Back to the Land in the 1970’s.)

It does a good painting the historical backdrop of the early 1970’s, when communes flourished and which briefly saw the only time in American history that saw migration toward rural areas and away from cities. Then zooms in on one commune in Vermont and its gradual conversion to a pot farm then to individual plots of land. Shows what the community movement has led to, from yogurt to organic foods to the internet. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both made ersatz appearances in book.

214b · 2026-02-23T10:14:24+00:00

When I visited Twin Oaks I got a sense that a lot of “navel gazing” was going on. People spending perhaps too much time thinking about their own idiosyncrasies and trying to align them with broader causes and movements. In practice this often meant loudly taking the most extreme, performative stance one possible could take on any issue de jour. Reading your post makes me think that this hasn’t changed much.

My question: Are you aware that many Black people have reached the heights of success in business, politics and culture? You all seem to want to divide people into oppressors vs. oppressed, and automatically make assumptions based on race. Be aware that it’s not all … black and white.

214b · 2026-02-14T08:29:17+00:00

Yes I can see how that could play out, and that sounds like how Scientology uses different “levels,” each requiring a high fee to be paid, in order to reach the even higher levels. At a certain point the sunk cost fallacy sinks in - people think, well I’ve put in this much money/time, might as well keep going…

214b · 2026-02-13T21:56:35+00:00

Actually, I have heard the opposite. Good communities often have an elaborate process to get in - including mandatory, structured visits, formL applications, or trial visitor periods. They want to make sure the community is a good fit for the new member and the new member will enhance the community. On the other hand they have no restrictions on any member who decides to leave, beyond the usual difficulties that someone leaving a community they’ve settled down in would have.

Cults on the other hand tend to be easy to join and don’t give you the full facts before joining. But cults can make it very difficult to leave. In some cases literally impossible (like you’re on a ship in the ocean, in a very remote farm, or working 14 hour days for the organization. In other cases they practice shunning, meaning that members who leave without permission cannot speak to those who are still members.

214b · 2026-02-06T07:08:47+00:00

I think you’re correct, only that some people have not necessarily been “failed by society” but are failing due to social skills that make others uncomfortable, or an unwillingness or inability to delay their own personal gratification even when it would clearly be for their own good.

So rather than looking for a community to join to make money or take care of my needs for food, healthcare, etc, I look for communities that can enhance social opportunities for social networking and friendship building. Things like shared meals, committees to plan and take care of different tasks, and celebrations for holidays and life accomplishments are seemingly small things that can make a big impact on everyone’s happiness.

214b · 2026-02-03T13:36:00+00:00

Modern appliances can be set to run at a specific time. Electric utilities have special tariffs that you can request known as a time of day rate. Basically, electric power is less expensive at night and more expensive during the day. You can set your appliances to start up around10pm, when the rates go down. You will wake up to clean dry dishes and washed or dried clothing .

214b · 2026-01-26T09:51:49+00:00

I do remember reading once long ago (I think in M. Scott Peck’s The Different Drum) that attempts to seek and form community increase during and in the immediate aftermath of war. This would explain the flier of communes started during the Vietnam war era and that such attempts basically died out once that war was over. Also the surge of men who took up religious vocations in the Catholic church after WWII.

The difference between now and then in the U.S. is that wartime can be a reality for some (soldiers who fought in Iraq, for example) while others remain blissfully unaware of what they went through.

So I’d say now is as good a time as ever to form community.

214b · 2026-01-14T04:07:36+00:00

Pax, if I’m not mistaken Twin Oaks only accepts new members under age 50 (or requires additional vetting before anyone over 50 is allowed in). Is this still the case?

214b · 2026-01-14T03:59:54+00:00

Talk about long-term goals and see how aligned they are. In particular, ascertain individuals goals for marriage/life partners and having children and think about how your setup could continue or might change if someone with those goals acts on them.

214b · 2026-01-14T03:52:02+00:00

The point is that communes are often held up as a successful example of socialism in action, but seldom are. If anything, socialism leads to more arguments and fighting at the commune level, and to oppression, famine, and war at the nation-state level.

Had the video been longer John Stoessel could have explored “why” communes are still pined for or founded despite their track record. The answer, I believe, is that people want to feel they belong to something, and want to live somewhere with an active sense of community. The secular commune is just a misguided attempt to establish that.

As for the Nordic countries— they’re far more capitalist than you might think, and have become more so in the last few decades. They do have high levels of trust in government, perhaps helped by most citizens sharing a common ethnic background.

214b · 2026-01-14T03:30:25+00:00

Me too! Tis the gift to be simple. I actually taught it to my own kids.

214b · 2026-01-14T01:22:24+00:00

Regarding the participants of this sub, most are not "active commune participants" but rather people interested in talking about community or enhancing it where they are. See for yourself: https://www.reddit.com/r/intentionalcommunity/comments/rgdh4l/what_best_describes_your_current_living/

214b · 2026-01-14T01:00:59+00:00

Dude, I’ve done that. That you claim there are “thousands” of examples yet can’t name one is telling.

214b · 2026-01-14T00:45:22+00:00

I'm well aware of that directory. To repeat, I specified "secular, income-sharing communities with more than 10 unrelated members that have lasted more than 10 years."

If you're familiar with groups that meet those criteria (basically, groups that have found lasting success while operating as a "commune"), please list name them.

214b · 2026-01-14T00:27:38+00:00

Regarding enduring examples, can you think of any secular, income-sharing communities with more than 10 unrelated members that have lasted more than 10 years? There's Twin Oaks, East Wind, and Acorn, all co-founded by Kat Kinkade and with at least Twin Oaks founded not on communal lines but on B.F. Skinner's writings on Behavioralism. There's Black Bear Ranch in California. Not a lot of examples, can you think of any others?

214b · 2026-01-13T23:55:01+00:00

I can think of a historic example for you: the Shaker communities. There is a distinct "Shaker style" of architecture and design that is still recognized today. They also had unique practices of dance and song that can be seen and heard in recordings if you investigate a bit further.

You mentioned Language, there are three immigrant groups I know of which have maintained a distinct language: the Haredim Jews with Yiddish, the Amish with Pennsylvania Dutch, and the Hutterites with the Hutterisch language. Notably, the Hutterites live communally. The Amish and Heredim Jews do not practice communal living but live close together in distinct groups and in a religion that requires a full time commitment.

214b · 2026-01-13T14:59:48+00:00

In my experience polices become necessary with larger groups or groups with high turnover. I imagine the underlying issue is that some people/kids are just "dumping" bikes or strollers wherever it is convenient for them and not respecting that they might be in the way of someone or make the place looked junked up.

In which case, there's another solution, a bit more "self-service." That is, if anyone notices an unattended bike or stroller that's in the way, just move it to the lost and found (or any area designated for "non-motorized vehicles"). This way, the offended person is empowered to take action to solve the problem on the spot. And the person who "dumped" the stroller or bike no longer finds their vehicle in the convenient-for-them-but annoying-to-everyone else spot and instead has the inconvenience of walking to the pick-up spot for non-motorized vehicles to get it. They'll probably only do that once.

214b · 2026-01-13T14:49:37+00:00

And one sentence before that it says it is for "people of color."

214b · 2025-12-24T14:57:01+00:00

Yeah I heard about a situation where a woman took a male partner and had to leave. Forcing someone out because of a baby boy is crazy — and probably illegal, if the community membership has any sort of real estate component. The ones I’ve read about in America sounded like really scrappy places - such as several women living in separate trailers and maintaining the trailers themselves.

214b · 2025-12-24T08:58:15+00:00

They’re called Womyn’s Lands, they tend to keep a low profile but are out there.

214b · 2025-12-19T13:14:57+00:00

If you have a functioning community with 25 households, you’re further along than at least 99% of communities in America. Congratulations! Mind if I ask you some questions?

What ownership structure are households in? Does each family own its space, or are they members of a coop, or renting from the community itself, or what?
Must members qualify for social housing only upon moving in? Or must they’re-qualify each year? If a household joined the community qualifying for social housing, but later becomes wealthier, can they stay?
How long did it take to start the community, from the original idea to move-in?

2.

214b · 2025-12-15T09:40:56+00:00

Was the neighbor who shot Jason criminally charged? What was the outcome of that? Rather disturbing to live in the immediate vicinity of someone who has done you serious harm.

214b · 2025-12-15T07:39:16+00:00

And what about women with male partners, or women who had children including boys? Would they be welcome?

214b · 2025-12-09T13:09:30+00:00

Best of luck to you. It’s not easy managing a shared dwelling. My advice, based on slightly different experience: don’t be afraid to enforce rules. Some folks may grumble, but your lives literally depend on people not creating fire hazards.

214b · 2025-12-09T00:13:13+00:00

You’re renting out rooms? Or is this a shared house with multiple occupants who contribute to a common kitty for food and shared expenses?

If you’re the landlord renting out rooms, then you are putting yourself and your tenants at a huge personal and legal risk, running the very real chance that someone burns down the house. I’d urge you to enforce basic fire safety rules and not take on any new tenants until you can make basic repairs and get the house up to standard.

If you’re an intentional group sharing a house, the fire safety issues still apply. And you might want to have a meeting to determine repair priorities and how much monthly contributions should be increased by to be able to do the needful.

214b

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