Community Types

Communities may be broken down into a a variety of types along several different formats.

Things that will divide or define communities into types are purpose, membership limitation and requirements, governing methods including laws.

Some types are based on the interrelations of family according to living arrangements like Cohousing, Communes, and Co-ops

Others may have a religious format such as Jewish or Christian themes.

Others may be based on themes such as Ecovillages or Sustainable communities. other themes may include voluntary simplicity, interpersonal growth, and self-sufficiency, service to the poor.

Cohousing generally incorporate both private homes or quarters and shared common facilities and support neighborly connections.

Communes often include 100% income sharing, central leader or hierarchy.

Co-ops may have a general expense sharing especially in industry or other enterprises, or even shared housing communities. Many communities have coops supplying water or power or even road maintenance but the families are quite separate otherwise.

Other aspects of a community may differentiate them based on the system of laws or rights of the individuals and the limitation upon governing powers.