Building Resistance from Home: Ecovillage at Ithaca As A
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BUILDING RESISTANCE FROM HOME: ECOVILLAGE AT ITHACA AS A MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING by DlANA MICHELLE FISCHETTI A THESIS Presented to the Department of Geography and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts September 2008 11 "Building Resistance from Home: EcoVillage at Ithaca as a Model of Sustainable Living," a thesis prepared by Diana Michelle Fischetti in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in the Department of Geography. This thesis has been approved and accepted by: Shaul Cohen, Chair of the Examining Com)lrlttee .,.".,.,,'/ Committee in Charge: Shaul Cohen, Chair Peter Walker Accepted by: Dean of the Graduate School 111 © 2008 Diana Michelle Fischetti IV An Abstract ofthe Thesis of Diana Michelle Fischetti for the degree of Master ofArts in the Department of Geography to be taken September 2008 Title: BUILDING RESISTANCE FROM HOME: ECOVILLAGE AT ITHACA AS A MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING Approved: ~ ICohen Because ofthe personal, social, economic, and environmental impacts ofmaterial consumption, resistance is afoot. The creation ofnew places is a tool used by those resisting the negative aspects ofconsumer culture. One example is the ecovillage: an intentional community whose members strive to live in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner, to practice voluntary simplicity, and to cultivate meaning, life satisfaction, and fulfillment. This research involves a case study ofEcoVillage at Ithaca, located in New York, the goal ofwhich is to create a model ofsustainable living that is appealing to mainstream America, reduce the ecological footprint ofinhabitants and increase meaningful relationships within the community. Through its educational mission and accompanying outreach, EcoVillage at Ithaca models an alternative to middle-class, mainstream American culture. EcoVillage at Ithaca's impact beyond the lives ofthe v individual residents demonstrates its effectiveness as a space ofresistance to consumer society. VI CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Diana Michelle Fischetti PLACE OF BIRTH: Boston, Massachusetts DATE OF BIRTH: April 19, 1976 GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene University of Colorado, Boulder Boston University DEGREES AWARDED: Master of Arts, [Geography, September 2008], University of Oregon Master of Arts, [Environmental Studies, September 2008], University of Oregon Bachelor of Arts, [Environmental Studies, December 2000], University of Colorado AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Nonprofit Management Certificate, [Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, September 2008], University of Oregon PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Outreach Program Manager, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), 1 month (current employment) LEED™ Education Program Project Coordinator and Graduate Teaching Fellow, Office of Academic Affairs, University of Oregon, 1 academic year Vll Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Program, University of Oregon, 2 academic years Editorial Assistant, Journal ofSedimentary Research, Society for Sedimentary Geology, 1 year National Science Foundation Research Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Colorado, 1 academic year Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography, University of Colorado, 1 academic year Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Colorado, 1 academic year GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS: Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Office of Academic Affairs, University of Oregon, 2007 Summer Research Award, "Building Resistance from Home: EcoVillage at Ithaca as a Model of Sustainable Living", Department of Geography, University of Oregon, 2007 Coeta and Donald Barker Fellowship Summer Research Award, "Building Resistance from Home: EcoVillage at Ithaca as a Model of Sustainable Living", Environmental Studies Program, University of Oregon, 2006 and 2007 Coeta and Donald Barker Research Fellowship, "Building Resistance from Home: EcoVillage at Ithaca as a Model of Sustainable Living", Environmental Studies Program, University of Oregon, 2006 Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Department of Geography, University of Oregon, 2005 Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Environmental Studies Program, University of Oregon, 2005 Gamma Theta Upsilon, International Geographic Honor Society, 2005 V111 National Science Foundation Research Fellowship, Department ofGeography, University ofColorado, 200 I Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Fellowship, Department of Geography, University ofColorado, 2000 Dean's Scholarship Award, University ofColorado, 7 awards during 1997 - 2000 Phi Beta Kappa, Honor Society, 1999 Golden Key Honor Society, 1998 PUBLICATIONS: Mayo, Joseph and Diana Fischetti. 2008. "The White Stag Goes Green: Renovation ofUO's new home in Portland earns LEED gold." Bulletin: School ofArchitecture andAlliedArts: 2. Fischetti, Diana. 2008. "The White Stag Block: University ofOregon's New Green Home in Portland." The Ecotone: The Journal ofEnvironmental Studies: 35-36. Cheng, Nancy, Jessica Engeman, Cody Evers, Diana Fischetti, Ashley Garrett, Bethany Johnson, Casey Kleinhenz, Ray Neff, Dawn O'Connor, Jolyn Overton, Jason Owens, Zach Rose, John Wallace, and Michael Wilson. 2008. "Case Study ofThe White Stag Block." Barry, Coeylen, Rebecca Briggs, Bari Doeffinger, Diana Fischetti, Meghan Murphy, Peterson, Matt, and Rebecca Silver. 2007. University ofOregon Campus Sustainability Assessment. Fischetti, Diana. 2007a. "Book Review ofThe Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration andAmerican Culture." Western Association ofMap Libraries Information Bulletin 38:83. -. 2007b. "Real Simplicity or Simply Solicitation? An Analysis ofReal Simple Magazine." The Ecotone: The Journal ofEnvironmental Studies: 14-19. IX ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express sincere appreciation to the Department of Geography and the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Oregon for providing rigorous programs of study and a supportive environment in which to pursue them. I would also like to appreciate the Department of Geography, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Coeta and Donald Barker Fellowship for providing me with funding, in the form of both Graduate Teaching Fellowships and research awards. My advisors, Associate Professors Shaul Cohen, Peter Walker, and Nancy Cheng, are also deserving ofhearty thanks for their guidance, encouragement, and for challenging me. The residents ofEcoVillage at Ithaca, and especially those who allowed me to interview them, deserve deep gratitude. These residents include: Elan, Kelly, Will, Steve, Liz, Laura, Phebe, Lucy, and Harry. Last but not least, I wish to express my deep gratitude for the indispensable love and support of my friends and family, including Andy Polanchek, Linda Fischetti, Michael Fischetti, Marilyn Winkleby, Megan Lawrence, Lee Pera, Amy Tolliver, and Geisel. x This thesis is dedicated to the idealists, who may be accused of being na"ive; to the change-makers, who may be told their pursuits are futile; to the unaware, who may need to be told of another way; and to the pessimists, who may need to be shown rather than told. Xl TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page L INTRODUCTION 1 Ecovillages 4 EcoVillage at Ithaca 5 Research Questions and Answers 7 Capitalism and Consumerism 9 Resistance 11 Insights 12 II. LINKING CAPTIALSIM, CONSUMERISM, WELL-BEING, AND VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITy.................................................................... 14 Economic Impacts 15 The Development of Underdevelopment 16 Dependency Theory and World Systems Theory.................................... 17 Combined and Uneven Development 19 Environmental Impacts 21 Personal, Social, and Cultural Impacts 22 Commodity Fetishism and Alienation......... 23 Materialism and the Search for Well-Being 25 Voluntary Simplicity 29 Conclusion.................................................................................................... 31 ------------------ -- xu Chapter Page III. SPACE, PLACE, AND RESISTANCE 32 Resistance 36 Place and Resistance 39 Geographies of Resistance 40 Domination versus Resistance 41 Entangled Domination and Resistance 43 Autonomous Geographies 44 Conclusion .. 46 IV. "THE AMERICAN DREAM", INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES, COHOUSING, AND ECOVILLAGES 48 "The American Dream" 53 Consequences of "the American Dream" 61 Intentional Communities 63 History of Intentional Communities and Shared Housing 68 Cohousing 74 Characteristics of Cohousing 76 Benefits of Cohousing 80 History of Cohousing 82 Ecovillages ;............................................ 88 Defining Ecovillages 89 Characteristics of Ecovillages 95 Challenges Faced by Ecovillages 100 History of the Ecovillage Movement 102 The Ecovillage as a Model 104 X111 Chapter Page V. METHODS: A CASE STUDY OF ECOVILLAGE AT ITHACA 107 Qualitative Methods 108 EcoVillage at Ithaca .. III History 114 Design Characteristics 125 Outreach and Education 138 Data Collection 141 Participant Observation 142 Semi-Structured Interviews 145 VI. RESULTS 147 Why Move to EcoVillage at Ithaca? 148 Thoughts on American Culture 151 Consumerism 151 Collapse 153 EcoVillage as a Model 155 Educational Mission 156 Building a Sustainable Culture 158 Maintaining a Sustainable Culture 160 Changing Behavior 161 Reduced Material Consumption 164 Residents' Critiques ofEcoVillage 168 Diversity........... 170 Mainstream Orientation..........................................................................