After reading quotes from Winstanley and the
perusing the Twin Oaks websites I couldn’t help but notice the similarities
between the two when it came to work.
Both Winstanley and the Twin Oaks community place a large focus on the
environment and the enjoyment of ones work.
Winstanley says:
“The earth was meant to be a common treasury for
all, not a private treasury for some…Private property is the cause of all wars,
bloodshed, theft and enslaving laws that hold the people under
misery…Whensoever there is a people thus united by common community of livelihood
into oneness it will become the strongest land in the world, for they will be
as one man to defend their inheritance.”
Similar to Winstanley’s belief, the Twin Oaks
community strives for sustainable culture, energy conservation, and alternative
energy. Along with their devotion to the
environment, they also focus greatly on the working individual and cultivation
of the land. I find this to be a very
important aspect of a successful community.
The Twin Oaks view on work and labor is actually
very similar to More’s view on labor as well.
They consider all work to be of the same value and a means of enjoyment
and fulfillment. I really appreciate the
fact that they consider domestic chores to be a part of “real work”, and
encourage people to work both income and non-income jobs, keeping the citizens
from getting bored.
I really appreciate this about the Twin Oaks
community. Especially in this day in
age, when working has become a necessity for survival, focus on the worker’s well-being
would make for a much happier community.
With this alone, Twin Oaks sounds like a community with very good
intentions.
I couldn't help but thinking, is this community really a healthy place to live and raise a family? The flexibility with work is great, but how would the seclusion effect the people living in this community? Time will only tell if Twin Oaks can prove itself to be as Utopian as they hope to be.
I couldn't help but thinking, is this community really a healthy place to live and raise a family? The flexibility with work is great, but how would the seclusion effect the people living in this community? Time will only tell if Twin Oaks can prove itself to be as Utopian as they hope to be.
I was thinking about what it would be like to raise children in the Twin Oaks community as well. It seems that kids raised as part of Twin Oaks would have a completely different worldview to kids raised in mainstream culture - I daresay a more tolerant and accepting one.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the website, it appears that people can be as in touch with the rest of the world as they want to be - excluding television. Residents of Twin Oaks can make trips outside the community as frequently as desired. Kids who are school-aged may also attend the local public schools, so it may not be as a secluded existence as it first appears (unless an individual resident wanted it to be).