Twin Oaks is an intentional community in rural central Virginia, made up of around 90 adult members, young and old, and 15 children, 90% white.
It began in 1967 and is still going strong today.
It embodies Marx's ideal, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!"
Communism
For the record, I am not a Communist.
The Communist Manifesto of 1848 states,
"In one word, you reproach us with intending to do away with your property. Precisely so; that is just what we intend".
In response to that, I would apply the Second Amendment to our Constitution.
However, voluntary forms of sharing: marriage, family, church tithing, democratic taxation, are postive aspects of our present culture.
Members of the Twin Oaks Community voluntarily:
- Work 42 hr. per week for Twin Oaks Community businesses or on domestic activities.
- Contribute all income to that community
- Receive food, housing, and the other life necessities from that community
- Maintain small personal possessions such as books, musical instruments, clothes, etc.
- Put in storage or escrow large personal possessions such as cars, real-estate, etc.
They make some compelling arguments for such sharing:
- Mutual support
- Risk reduction
- Work-life balance
All of which are problem areas of our culture, certainly in the US.
As they say themselves, "Independence is very appealing but it comes with a high price tag."
The link at the bottom of this page says a lot more about this.
Governance
The Communist governments most of us are familiar with have been totalitarian.
Twin Oaks Community's bylaws and their evidenced culture strongly present democratic governance "participatory to the fullest extent possible."
No signs of a Guru or a Brave New World.
In fact, a close reading of their bylaws suggests they may require extra effort to get people to lead.
Exit
There appear to be no barriers to exit:
"You don't pay to join. You don't get anything when you leave. The Community supports you while you're here. "
Small Living Groups
Most members appear to live in Small Living Groups.
Large shared homes, private bedrooms, shared kitchens, bathrooms, common areas.
Different SLGs have different lifestyles. Some are polyamorous.
Living Conditions
When Eleanor and Earle, part of our co-op family, visited in the early 70's, they found the people friendly like in their then small neighborhood in upstate NY.
What they didn't like was the then primitive living conditions.
Another family member visited Twin Oaks Community in the late 70's, and said the personal living conditions were not fancy, but not primitive.
Activism
The Twin Oaks Community web site states:
"A number of us choose to be politically active in issues of peace, ecology, anti-racism, and feminism."
Their web site has a strong political emphasis.
Conformity
As with a church, model train club, or any other group, if you don't fit in socially, you probably would not be happy here.
Asking permission to have a child might not be your cup of tea.
However, if you are uncomfortable where you are, Twin Oaks Community might just be the place for you.
Takeaway
In the US, COVID has caused a major reassessment of work-life and wealth-life thinking.
What Twin Oaks Community is doing, and have done for 50 years, with no barriers to exit, is provocative.
Another View
This CNN article dated 2015 is outstanding.
Note particularly why people left.