Economics in Cooperative Culture

Economics in cooperative culture—the focus of our Summer issue—is expressed in myriad forms. From cohousing developments to gift-economy activist camps, from spiritual communities to mobile home parks, from income-sharing communities to intentional neighborhoods, people across a wide range of economic circumstances and approaches are discovering the benefits of cooperative economics. Their stories suggest new ways of “stewarding our home” and transitioning into a more inclusive and sustainable future.

To purchase a print copy of this issue, contact Communities new home at GEN-US.

Articles in “Economics In Cooperative Culture”

• Publisher’s Note—Transforming Economics by Sky Blue
• Notes from the Editor—“Stewarding Our Home:” a Place for Everyone by Chris Roth
• Towards a Joyful Economics by Helen Zuman
  From Gift Circles in Brooklyn to the sharing economy at an ecovillage-based collective house, the author explores practical applications of Sacred Economics.
• The Gift Economy of Standing Rock by Murphy Robinson
  The principles of indigenous culture informed the Water Protectors’ camps: generosity, compassion, and collective survival took precedence.
• Participatory Budgeting in an Income-Sharing Community by Adder Oaks
  How does one share income and expenses among a hundred people? Twin Oaks discovers how to supplant apathy with widespread engagement.
• Servant Leadership in Cooperative Business: Stirring It Up at East Wind Nut Butters by Sumner Nichols
  An egalitarian community’s General Manager reflects on embodying collective values and ecological sanity in a three-million-dollar-a-year business.
• Community as Economic Engine by Laird Schaub
  A long-time communard suggests ways non-income-sharing communities can better support their members’ economic well-being.
• Economy, Community, and Place by Lindsay Hagamen
  Economy and stewarding our home were once synonymous, and can be again.
• A New Economy: Connections of Affection by Helen Iles
  The Age of Transition is no longer ahead of us; it has already begun.
• Towards a Relationship Economy at Port Townsend EcoVillage by Viki Sonntag
  From the Honeybee Democracy Proposal to incorporating low-cost housing options, a cohousing group finds ways to welcome and empower more members.
• Home Ownership Is Dead! Long Live the Permanent Real Estate Cooperative! by Janelle Orsi
  Removing houses from the speculative market promises a renewed culture of inclusiveness, mutual aid, self-help, grassroots organizing, and economic revitalization.
• Mobile Home Parks: A Fast and Inexpensive Path to Cohousing by William Noel
  Mobile home and RV parks present an unequaled opportunity to accelerate the transition to more widespread community living.
• Business Co-ops as a Prelude to Intentional Community by Werner Kontara
  Developing a successful business before starting a residential community around it offers distinct advantages.
• Community Is the Best Medicine: A guide to cooperative living on a disability income by Lily Silver
  Those living with disabilities have many options for finding community; here are suggestions on where and how to look.
• Exemplars: An Introduction by Paul Freundlich
  A library explores initiatives consistent with the values of sustainability, cooperation, and community, integrating the economic advantages of “scaling up” and “scaling down.”
• Living Out a Gift Economy in Community with Others by Tina Dunn (with input from others in the Jesus Christian community)
  Putting love into practice can be done even when you have nothing materially.
• Economics and Cooperation in Community: The Ultimate Contest by Dan Schultz
  A once fiercely competitive athlete becomes a cheerleader for Team Cooperation.
• Let All Money in the World Become Everyone’s Money: Towards a Society Where All People Can Share Money by Yoshifumi Nakano (called Nakanon)
  A spiritually affluent economy requires a revolution in cooperation and sharing.
• Mixing Sociability and Utility: A Recipe for Community Connection by Annie Raser-Rowland
• An Invitation to Single Men: Consider Cohousing by Carolyn Schlam
• Sunflower Cohousing en France by Martin Prosser
• How to Create New Nature Reserves by Dr. Adrian Cooper
• Creating Cooperative Culture—Together Resilient: Why This Book? Thoughts on Building Community in the Age of Climate Disruption by Sky Blue