Alternative Realities: A Study Of Communes And Their Members
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
What compels a person to abandon the rhythms of conventional society and commit to life within a commune? Andrew Rigby's Alternative Realities: A Study of Communes and Their Members presents a rigorous and absorbing sociological investigation into intentional communities, chronicling the motivations, structures, and daily realities of those who choose collective living as a radical alternative to mainstream existence. Published as part of the prestigious International Library of Sociology, the work draws on direct fieldwork and interviews to detail the diverse typologies of communes — from religious and spiritual communities to anarchist and political collectives — offering a comprehensive taxonomy that remains a landmark in the field. Rigby argues that the commune movement is far more than a countercultural footnote; it is a profound social phenomenon that illuminates the tensions between individual freedom and collective responsibility, between utopian aspiration and practical necessity. His prose is precise and analytical, yet deeply humanistic, ensuring that the voices and experiences of commune members resonate throughout the academic framework. Rooted in the sociological tradition founded by Karl Mannheim, the study uncovers the ideological fault lines and social dynamics that ultimately determine whether a community thrives or fractures — a question as urgent and unresolved today as when the book was first written.
Author: Andrew Rigby
Format: Hardback
Genre: Society & culture
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
What compels a person to abandon the rhythms of conventional society and commit to life within a commune? Andrew Rigby's Alternative Realities: A Study of Communes and Their Members presents a rigorous and absorbing sociological investigation into intentional communities, chronicling the motivations, structures, and daily realities of those who choose collective living as a radical alternative to mainstream existence. Published as part of the prestigious International Library of Sociology, the work draws on direct fieldwork and interviews to detail the diverse typologies of communes — from religious and spiritual communities to anarchist and political collectives — offering a comprehensive taxonomy that remains a landmark in the field. Rigby argues that the commune movement is far more than a countercultural footnote; it is a profound social phenomenon that illuminates the tensions between individual freedom and collective responsibility, between utopian aspiration and practical necessity. His prose is precise and analytical, yet deeply humanistic, ensuring that the voices and experiences of commune members resonate throughout the academic framework. Rooted in the sociological tradition founded by Karl Mannheim, the study uncovers the ideological fault lines and social dynamics that ultimately determine whether a community thrives or fractures — a question as urgent and unresolved today as when the book was first written.