Living in Utopia: New ZealandÆs Intentional

In this book Lucy Sargisson and Lyman Tower Sargent, both established writers on utopian theory, turn their attention to real-life utopian communities. The book is based on their fieldwork and extensive archival research in New Zealand, a country with a special place in the history of utopianism. In telling the story of the New Zealand experience, Living in Utopia provides both transferable lessons in community, cooperation and social change and a unique insight into the utopianism at the heart of politics, society, and everyday life.

List of Tables

ix

Acknowledgements

xi

Preface

xiii

1 Introductions

1

(10)

Introduction

1

(1)

What to Call these Communities

2

(4)

Past Scholarship

2

(3)

What is an Intentional Community?

5

(1)

New Zealand

6

(3)

Utopianism and/of the Colonised

7

(1)

The Problem of Maori Communalism

8

(1)

Methods

9

(2)

2 Contexts: New Zealand as a Utopia

11

(10)

Introduction

11

(1)

Colonisation

11

(1)

The Official Settlement Utopia

12

(3)

The Environment

15

(1)

The Economy

16

(1)

Tourism in Paradise

17

(1)

Land Politics

17

(1)

Conclusion: From Colonisation to Intentional Community

18

(3)

3 The Early Days: The Nineteenth Century

21

(12)

Introduction

21

(1)

Special Settlements

21

(1)

Independent Settlements

22

(1)

Proposals

22

(1)

State Farms

23

(1)

The Clarionites

24

(1)

Alexander Bickerton and the Federative Home or Wainoni

24

(4)

Havelock North: the Havelock Work and Radiant Living

28

(2)

Conclusion

30

(3)

4 The Twentieth Century: Beeville, James K. Baxter and the Ohu

Movement

33

(1)

Introduction

33

(1)

Beeville

33

(5)

James K. Baxter and Jerusalem

38

(3)

The Ohu Movement

41

(6)

Conclusion

47

(2)

5 Religious and Spiritual Communities

49

(30)

Introduction

49

(5)

Contemplative Religious Communities

54

(8)

Bodhinyanarama Buddhist Monastery

54

(6)

Carmelite Monastery, Christchurch

60

(1)

Community of the Sacred Name

61

(1)

Contemplative Religious Communities: Discussion

62

(1)

Religious Communities of Social Change

63

(5)

Motukarara Christian Retreat

63

(1)

Sisters of Compassion (Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion)

63

(2)

The Friends' Settlement/Quaker Acres

65

(1)

Sisters of Mercy

66

(2)

Religious Communities of Social Change: Discussion

68

(2)

Spiritual Communities of Personal Growth

70

(3)

Centrepoint

70

(2)

Titoki Healing Centre

72

(1)

Religious Communities of Personal Growth: Discussion

73

(1)

Gloriavale

74

(2)

Conclusion

76

(3)

6 Cooperative Lifestyles

79

(34)

Introduction

79

(1)

Cooperative Ownership

80

(3)

Pursuit of a Cooperative Lifestyle

83

(10)

Beachcomber/Freebird

83

(1)

Chippenham Community

84

(3)

Mansfield

87

(1)

Creekside

88

(2)

Katajuta

90

(1)

Peterborough Street

91

(2)

Co-Housing

93

(4)

Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood

95

(2)

Feminist Communities

97

(1)

Earthspirit

97

(1)

Educational Communities

98

(2)

Te Ora

98

(1)

Timatanga

99

(1)

Anarchist Communities

100

(1)

Graham Downs (aka Renaissance)

101

(1)

Cooperation and Peace

101

(8)

Riverside

101

(8)

Conclusion: Cooperative Lifestyles

109

(4)

7 Environmentalist Communities

113

(26)

Introduction

113

(1)

Background Influences

114

(2)

New Zealand's Green Communities

116

(1)

1970's Rural Communes: The Older Generation

117

(7)

Karuna Falls

123

(1)

Moehau

123

(1)

Communal Organic Farms

124

(3)

Gricklegrass

124

(1)

Wilderland

125

(2)

Green Spiritual Communities

127

(4)

Anahata Retreat Centre

127

(1)

Gentle World

128

(1)

Tui Community

129

(2)

Eco-villages

131

(3)

Anahata

132

(1)

Otamatea Ecovillage

133

(1)

Conclusions: Green Communities in New Zealand

134

(5)

8 Conflict and Longevity

139

(18)

Introduction

139

(1)

Conflict and Intentional Communities

140

(1)

Theorising Conflict

141

(3)

Conflict as Dangerous

141

(2)

Conflict as Desirable or Socially Useful

143

(1)

Conflict in New Zealand's Intentional Communities

144

(2)

Three Kinds of Conflict

146

(6)

Conflicts of Principle

147

(1)

Domestic Conflict

147

(3)

Conflict over Relationships

150

(2)

Surviving Conflict

152

(1)

Conclusion

153

(4)

9 Conclusion: What Have We Learned? Lasting Lessons from New Zealand

157

(28)

Lasting Lessons for Studying Utopia

157

(2)

Good Place or No Place?

157

(1)

Communitarianism and Utopianism

158

(1)

Lasting Lessons for Studying Intentional Communities

159

(4)

Concerning Generalisations

159

(1)

Classifying Communities

160

(1)

Measuring Success

161

(2)

Concerning Homogeneity

163

(1)

Lasting Lessons for Living Together

163

(19)

Decisions Need to be Legitimate as Well as Mutually Binding

163

(5)

Regarding Change

168

(4)

Children

172

(2)

Balancing Needs: People Who Live in Intentional Communities Need to Learn How to Balance their Own Needs with Those of the Group

174

(1)

Sustainability. Intentional Communities Need to be Sustainable

174

(4)

Social Sustainability

178

(3)

The Need for Support

181

(1)

Final Words

182

(3)

Appendix I: Katajuta Community Agreements

185

(2)

Appendix II: Recognised Forms of Land Ownership in New Zealand

187

(4)

Works Cited

191

(16)

Index

207

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Living in Utopia: New ZealandÆs Intentional Communities

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Table of Contents

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