Communes without Cults
How do we live collectively without creating high control environments?
For many, there is a growing interest in communal living. Ranging from simple co-housing arrangements to fully self-sufficient communes, these models of social organization are garnering interest as a cure to the loneliness epidemic, as a platform to better share resources and chores (e.g. childcare or cooking), or even as alternative forms of social and economic organization. Groups like Project Kamp in Portugal or Finca Sagrada in Ecuador are experimenting with new modes of living and providing alternatives for those who are looking for something options outside of the norm.
Contradicting this vision, it is an unfortunate reality that intentional communities can serve as a rich substrate for the formation of cults. The structure of many intentional communities, which sequesters individuals in shared living spaces for extended periods of time, creates an isolated subculture. Community exclusive beliefs, groupthink, and charismatic leadership, qualities foundational to cult formation, are a natural outgrowth of the proximity inherent to communal living. Additionally, such projects, by virtue of their transgressive politics, disproportionately attract both the ideologically domineering and those in search of purpose and companionship. Putting these personality types in the same space for an extended period of time runs the risk of the former unduly influencing the latter. In essence, intentional communities have a lot of 'social surface area' that is disconnected from wider social networks, making it particularly vulnerable to slowly turning into a highly controlled and exploitative environment.
In light of these risks, intentional communities, collective housing projects, and communes must design their institutional structures to counterbalance these forces. While the ingredients for cult formation are present in every community, integrating barriers to cult formation in the institutional structure of a community can ensure that these projects can do the best for both their residents and the wider world. By introducing accountability and administrative hurdles to interrupt the cult formation process, it's possible to greatly reduce the risk of these communities from devolving into something far more pernicious.
Before beginning, it should be noted that very few individuals enter these types of situations intending to form a cult. More often, individuals with zealous, authoritarian, and/or manipulative personality types, when placed in an isolated environment that has multiple loci of control, will over time stochastically cultivate power over others. Moreover, these personality types are adept at identifying and pursuing sources of power, making entryism a constant threat. These two facts compel intentional communities to establish strong hurdles to guard against the accumulation and wielding of structural and cultural power and to create ample escape routes if protections fail.
Organizational impediments
Social isolation is the most important force that drives the creation of cults. Separating a group of people from broader society is what allows for controlling patterns to become entrenched. Regular interactions with parents or friends or bringing in frequent visitors can help folks identify when esoteric beliefs or controlling practices are gaining traction. These sorts of reality checks are core to keeping intentional communities grounded. Outsiders and guests should be regularly welcome (with the obvious exclusion of dangerous individuals) and encouraged to participate in community functions. Similarly, community members should be empowered to maintain an active social life outside of the community.
The other primary organizational impediment to cult formation is a horizontal distribution of power. Cult leaders thrive when they can accumulate control over assets, bureaucracies, and decision-making bodies. Separating powers as much as possible, and fostering broad participation in community governance, is critical to ensuring that power isn't amassed under the purview of one or multiple individuals. Those with legal authority over finances or property should be tightly monitored, with continual audits of the underlying assets. Elected officials and committees should be granted predefined, limited powers, with term limits and restrictions on the number of positions one person can hold. Finally, written bylaws should be established that clearly lay out these rules, with efforts being made to ensure members are well educated on the processes and regulations that govern the community.
Financial impediments
Control of a community is established through the bank. Seizing control of assets in an intentional community locks in control over members' housing and security. Thus, financial managers should be chosen democratically and records should be freely accessible to the entire community. Additionally, different forms of financial business should be managed by different individuals. For example, revenue-generating enterprises should be managed separately from membership/rental fees to prevent power from centralizing under an individual.
Another possible guardrail to cult formation would be requiring individuals to maintain assets, ideally cash, outside of the purview of the community. Ensuring members have enough funds to be able to exit an intentional community not only preserves one's autonomy to be able to leave, but the ability of members to 'vote with their feed' adds another layer of democratic accountability. Individuals should be required to hold 3-6 months' worth of expenses in their emergency funds, confirmed annually (ideally by a disinterested accountant).
Finally, in situations where community-run businesses provide a plurality of resident income/resources, the risk of cult formation grows ever larger. Residential communes have plenty of pathways for cult formation, but once financial dependence is layered on, available footholds for the enterprising power grabber increase exponentially. Thus, commercial endeavors should be managed as cooperatives, with members retaining legal equity in enterprises they make substantial contributions towards. Additionally, there should be a firewall between residential leadership and business leadership, ensuring that there are multiple centers of power that are difficult to centralize.
Cultural impediments
The last piece defending against cult formation within communes is a culture of transparency and participation. While structurally preventing bad actors from gaining power is best, there will always be unseen avenues to seizing power within any organization. A culture that intensely values and diligently protects norms around accountability, transparency, and the right for all members to be educated about and involved in decision-making is core to lowering the likelihood that a small cadre of individuals will accumulate power and institute patterns of dependence and domination. Educating members about the systems that govern them, empowering members to study issues under deliberation, ensuring ample space for everyone to speak in meetings and other forums, and centering broad participation as core metrics of success are all practices that contribute to developing such a culture. Not only does a culture of participation and access to power prevent the creation of a high-control environment, but it also advances the intellectual and civic development of members and long-term community thriving.
Intentional communities have great potential as laboratories for social, technological, cultural, and economic innovation. Building people-centered lives requires more social interdependence among individuals to forge the convivial society so many of us crave. But interdependence can quickly become dependent if we are not honest about its possibility and vigilant in its prevention. Structures and cultures that prioritize democracy, transparency, and broad participation are necessary to guard against interdependence gone awry to preserve the beautiful vision of collaboration that intentional communities espouse.
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening to
In Search of the Yakult Lady: “The idea that employment would be tailor-made for a mother who works, constructed with her unique needs in mind, is a heady, tantalizing thing.” On a unique job, selling yogurt drinks in Japan, designed specifically to fit the lifestyles of mothers.
We Did It . . .: After five years of deep and consistent financial support, the community that grew up alongside the Green brothers helped to fund the opening of a maternal hospital and medical training center in Sierra Leone. A fantastic effort worthy of celebration.