Alternative Living

Earlier in spring semester, my boyfriend showed me a website and video about an ecovillage (he calls it a commune) called Twin Oaks. I think it would be really cool to be a part of an eco-village, where people share the same, non-mainstream ideas. I thought it would be a good idea to have something similar, except it's more urban. I also saw in fall semester a lecture about the german Bauhaus. It was more like a seminary for artist with creative visions than a community of people growing their own food. Either way, I find these communities to be rather revolutionary. I also find the freegan lifestyle to be paramount to countering the ramifications of capitalism.

Twin Oaks:

http://www.twinoaks.org/index.html

To join this community, you must visit for three weeks. There is also a probationary period before you become a full member. Keep in mind, that these places are real communities with real people and real ideas.

http://www.ic.org/

Resources to start an ecovillage, housing co-op, or commune


Bauhaus:

http://www.bauhaus.de/index+M52087573ab0.html

The bauhaus was not a community, but an art school. What made it so special is that so many ideas in modern art came from this place. It thrived until the Nazi Party ordered for its closing in 1923 (?). It would still be really great to create a community of artists.

Freeganism:

http://money.howstuffworks.com/freegan.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/SecretFreegan

Freeganism is one of the most misunderstood lifestyles that anyone can be a part of. It goes against mainstream society reliance on capitalism and materialism. Freeganism is a product of a capitalist society. It can be a subculture or a counterculture. Some people may say "well you are still living off capitalism because you are living off what is free." That's not the idea of freeganism. The idea is to see the use and purpose wasted items have. We are all guilty of tossing perfectly good items away. I did this when I had to move directly from my dorm to my apartment. I'm not saying that capitalism is bad. Like any other economic system, it can work for or against the people who are participating in it.

Alternative living arrangements can be a great way to save money for those who cannot afford a place to stay or for those who want to a different experience in their lives from what they are used to. It can include moving back in with parents. Sometimes this include extended family. I lived at home with my parents and then with my parents and grandparents, cousins and uncles many times in my childhood and my adult life before moving where I am. Free rent, food and clothes aren't bad if you are willing to give up privacy, personal growth and sanity. Communal living with people you have never met before or just close friends isn't bad either. It saves money because you split rent, food and other housing supplies. Depending on how many people living together and gender ratio, you may experience group dynamics. Living on campus, I realized that some friends get along better than others. I also learned that when there is a discrepency between gender and it works at a disadvantage of men, then it gets pretty ugly, especially when women choose to have fun and be single.