Cohousing and Democracy

WHAT IS THE PROBEM?Concern over the following trends:

Evidence of declines in national levels of trust, social cohesion & social capital.Declining quantity and quality of civic engagement.Increasingly polarized, ‘uncivil’ public discourse – less constructive dialogue across difference.Broad disgust with politics and government.

What does this mean for our democracy?

Do cohousing neighborhoods support - among residents:-

Social capital development? Civic and democratic engagement?Building of democratic capacities and

practices?

Role of predisposition vs. influence of living in cohousing?

Where change is observable - What factors appear to be key?

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

Part I: National survey of 647 residents in 56 cohousing neighborhoods nation-wide. Compared against nationally representative data set (Harvard).

Part II: Qualitative Case studies of 3 cohousing

neighborhoods: ‘East Village’, ‘West Village’, ‘Central Village’. Focus group surveys & interviews, individual interviews, document analysis & participant observation.

THE STUDY:

High levels of educationMiddle class (or higher)Diversity: High for age & religion.

Moderate/Low for socio-economic, political affiliation & race/ethic diversity.

More female than male

NATIONAL SURVEY RESULTS: U.S. COHOUSING RESPONDENT PROFILE

High levels of :Volunteerism Community participation Service on committees Org. leadershipPublic meeting attendance Interest in national affairs Participation in political activities

COHOUSERS COMPARED TO NATIONAL AVERAGE:

Number of times volunteered over the past 12 months

45%

3%

38%

4%

10%

9%

26%

3%

39%

7%

16%

9%

4%

4%

29%

16%

12%

33%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not in last 12months

Once

2-10 times

Once a month

Tw ice a Month

Once a w eek ormore

Cohousing

Sub-Sample

National Sample

38%

57%

98%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Worked on a CommunityProject in Past 12 Months

National Sample

Sub-Sample

Cohousing

National Sample, 18%

Sub-Sample, 32%

Cohousing ,

66%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Served as an Officer or on a Committee of a Local Org

Attended public meeting addressing city/town/county or school affairs in past 12

months

55%

8%

30%

3%

2%

1%

0%

42%

8%

41%

7%

2%

0%

0%

28%

21%

40%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not in last 12months

Once

2-10 times

Once a month

Tw ice a Month

Once a w eek

More than once aw eek

Cohousing

Sub-Sample

National Sample

How interested are you in national affairs and politics?

13%

21%

36%

30%

3%

13%

39%

44%

2%

7%

32%

60%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not at all

Slightly

Somew hat

Very

Cohousing

Sub-Sample

National Sample

21%30%

67%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Attended a Political Meeting, Rallyor Protest in past 12 months

National Sample

Sub-Sample

Cohousing

Residents of all 3 case communities perceived positive changes in: Engagement in neighborhood, local and

national level issues. Frequency of discussion of neighborhood, local

and national issues. High levels of trust among neighborsDramatic increase in reciprocal

norms/behaviorsIncreases in social networks and sense of social

cohesion

EVIDENCE OF CHANGE IN SOCIAL CAPITAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT POST COHOUSING MOVE-IN:

Involvement in neighborhood issues and decisions

0 06

38

56

0 0

18

9

73

0 0

9

56

36

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Involvement in local issues (Beyond neighborhood)

0 0

62

18 18

0 0

63

36

00 0

36

63

00

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Involvement in national or global issues

0 0

31

50

19

0 0

73

27

00 0

45

55

00

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Time spent volunteering outside of neighborhood

06

44

25 25

09

64

23

509

36 36

18

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Enhanced access to information/ communication/exchangeDevelopment of ‘political’ skills: self-

expression, negotiation, conflict resolution, facilitation, leadership.

Increased sense of being able to make a difference –neighborhood, local and beyond.

EVIDENCE RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRATIC SKILLS & CAPACITIES:

‘Jane’ from West Village:“Well..still…because I am connected to 36 other households and they are connected out into the larger community… even if in one way that hasn’t directly broadened my engagement ….in other ways it has. Like I stuffed envelopes for Doctors for Global Health, even though I have never been involved with an international medical non-profit before ….I know more about the Israeli-Palestinian situation than I ever knew before because I have a neighbor who cares passionately about that and sends me things by email or talks to me about it and encourages me to sign petitions and things and I just wouldn’t necessarily have that kind of contact otherwise. And there are politically engaged people here…and people whose jobs are in different areas outside the community… with whom I can speak about a political issue that will impact them or that they might know something about that I didn’t know . I think all of those things have happened to me because I care about a bunch of people and sort of by extension, I care about what they care about and that helps me become more engaged. “

Access to information about neighborhood issues

0 1

12

25

62

0 09

14

77

0 09

54

37

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Access to information about local issues (beyond the neighborhood)

06

13

56

25

0 0

33

57

100 0

9

82

9

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Access to information about national and global issues

0 0

50

31

19

05

4536

14

0 0

36

64

00

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Confidence expressing views

06

31

44

19

0

9

23

41

27

0 0

9

64

27

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Skills in organizing events or collective actions

0 0

49

38

13

0 0

42

29 29

0 0

27

64

9

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Skills in dealing with conflict

0 06

38

56

0 0

23

45

32

0 0

27

54

19

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Leadership and facilitation skills

0 0

25

44

31

0 0

26

58

16

0 0

18

82

00

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

‘Lydia’ from West Village: “I think that, besides information and

heightened awareness, I think there’s just easier access to things. For example I can call Nina to ask how she will vote on this thing or what is the deal with that thing because she knows more about local politics than I do and stuff like that, but besides all that -I feel like living here and being exposed to this and facilitating meetings and things have helped my self… and how you call it… my confidence about going out and doing stuff outside or organizing….organizing a group making things happen…and maybe it’s a function of age too, but I think there is something to being here that gives me the confidence to do stuff like that or to organize politically and being involved in the community, and taking on being president of this or that organization I think has been influenced by my being here. “

Ability to influence local issues/developments

06 6

50

38

0 0

57

43

00 0

64

27

9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Ability to have some impact or voice on matters of national or global concern

06

56

26

121 0

65

34

009

64

27

00

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Discuss neighborhood issues with others

0 0 0

13

87

0 0 0

14

86

0 0 0

64

36

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es East Village

West Village

Central Village

Discuss local (beyond neighborhood) issues with others

0 0

20

40 40

0 0

27

55

14

0 0 0

64

36

0

20

40

60

80

100

Much Less Somew hatLess

Same Amount Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Disuss national or global issues with others

0 0

25

56

19

0 0

32

41

27

0 0

9

36

55

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Much Less Somew hatLess

SameAmount

Somew hatMore

Much More

% o

f Res

pons

es

East Village

West Village

Central Village

Decision-making and forms of participation conform to definitions of ‘deliberative democracy’ in the theoretical and praxis literature.

Evidence that use of deliberative democracy in neighborhood governance is both difficult and rewarding for residents

PRACTICE OF “DELIBERATIVE” DEMOCRACY

High civic and democratic engagement. Living in cohousing fosters increased levels

of engagement. Civic and democratic effects are linked to

social capital, capacity building and practice of deliberative democracy (Self Govt./Consensus)

Conclusions

IMPORTANCE OF SEVERAL FEATURES IN SUPPORTING THE OBSERVED EFFECTS:

1. Physical design and layout of Coho2. Intentionally pro-social, pro-community-building

norms & practices3. Participatory, deliberative, consensus-based

forms of self-governance. 4. Rich connections beyond the neighborhood...to

local and national networks/issues/efforts. EACH ENHANCES THE OTHERS…

Evidence suggests that Cohousing IS building democracy at the grassroots…

Is there potential for further enhancement in this context ?

Is this the whole story ? …..Or just the beginning?

Citizen SummitsConsensus conferencesNational Issues Forums

Public Conversations ProjectWorld Café

Dialogue CirclesStudy Circles

Appreciative InquiryCommunity Mediation

POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITIES AS PLATFORMS FOR PRACTICE OF ‘DEEP DEMOCRACY’??

Poley, L. and Stephenson, M. O. , 2007-08-30 "Community, Trust and the Habits of Democracy: An Investigation into Social Capital and Civic Engagement in U.S. Cohousing Neighborhoods" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Hyatt Regency Chicago and the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago, IL Online <PDF>. 2010-06-07 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p209987_index.html

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