A Comparative Analysis of Four Long-Established Intentional Communities in New Zealand

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A Comparative Analysis of Four Long-Established Intentional Communities in New Zealand http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/ Research Commons at the University of Waikato Copyright Statement: The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis. Keeping it together: A comparative analysis of four long-established intentional communities in New Zealand A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology at University of Waikato by Olive Jones 2011 Abstract Through a comparative analysis of four long-established intentional communities in New Zealand, this thesis examines the extent to which each one has sustained, adapted or abandoned its original ideals and aspirations over time. Analysis of in- depth interviews with current and former participants reveals ways that ideological beliefs, organisational processes, and foundation structures have shaped the distinctive cultures that have developed in each community. The relevance of the assertion that long-lived intentional communities share a common purpose and a desire to live beyond mainstream society, and the assumption that longevity and survival can be considered to be the same thing, are challenged. It is concluded that ownership structures for holding land are significant to the longevity of intentional communities, and that the distinctions that once existed between these long-established communities and the larger society that they are situated within have become less clear over time. ii Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to Associate Professor David Swain for the generosity he showed me throughout the period of this research, particularly his willingness to continue to supervise me despite his retirement halfway through this project. I would also like to acknowledge the guidance and support of Dr. Judith Macdonald and Dr. John Paterson, my other supervisors. Thank you to my partner William Farrimond who convinced me in the first instance that I could do this, and encouraged me throughout. Thanks also to the many people who have engaged with me about this topic. Most of all, I wish to acknowledge the people associated with the communities, who welcomed me into their lives, trusted me with their words, and deepened my respect for them and others who strive to realise their ideals through living cooperatively in intentional communities. It is no small task. I hope I have done you justice. iii Table of Contents Abstract .........................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv Preface......................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 Four New Zealand communities ................................................................................................. 1 Alternative communities in New Zealand ................................................................................... 5 Motivation for this research........................................................................................................ 7 Terms and definitions ................................................................................................................. 9 The value of studying intentional communities ........................................................................ 14 Context: The counterculture ..................................................................................................... 15 Gender roles / the division of labour ......................................................................................... 19 My relationship with the communal movement ........................................................................ 21 Chapter Two: The Literature .................................................................................................... 23 Approaches to studying intentional communities ...................................................................... 23 Intentional communities as „successes‟ or „failures‟ ................................................................. 29 Utopianism .............................................................................................................................. 31 The concept of communities as utopian ............................................................................... 31 Dystopia .............................................................................................................................. 35 Post-utopianism ................................................................................................................... 37 The New Zealand context......................................................................................................... 38 The Ohu Scheme ................................................................................................................. 44 Influence of Māori communalism ........................................................................................ 48 Foreign nationals ................................................................................................................. 50 New Zealand and the national character .............................................................................. 53 Chapter Three: Methodology and Methods .............................................................................. 55 The Research ........................................................................................................................... 55 Influences ................................................................................................................................ 56 Traditions informing qualitative approaches ............................................................................. 57 Narrative Analysis ................................................................................................................... 63 Discourse analysis .................................................................................................................... 65 Oral history .............................................................................................................................. 67 Participant observation and ethnography .................................................................................. 68 Selection of communities ......................................................................................................... 69 Data Collection ........................................................................................................................ 71 The interviews ..................................................................................................................... 72 Primary source material ........................................................................................................... 78 Ethics of identifying participants .............................................................................................. 78 Chapter Four: Renaissance Community - Motueka Valley ...................................................... 80 Part One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 81 Historical overview: Tahuna Farm....................................................................................... 83 Creation of the Renaissance Community Trust .................................................................... 85 Purchase of land .................................................................................................................. 86 Early years .......................................................................................................................... 86 Part Two: Key changes ............................................................................................................ 90 Departure of core founding people ...................................................................................... 90 Split into Factions ............................................................................................................... 91 „The Folly‟ .......................................................................................................................... 94 Decentralisation .................................................................................................................. 96 Impact of Social Welfare ..................................................................................................... 97 iv Departure
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