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Looking at East Wind Through a Preflgurative and Postcapitalist Framework
East 11'in(I is not utopia, but most who live here appreciate not having to deal with a 'boss 'and having a great deal of autonomy in how they lead their life. -East Wind website
Don't expect utopia; each place has its flaws. I like East Wind's flaws better than anywhere else, which is why Em here. -LJ
The East Wind Intentional Community in the Ozarks of Missouri has been pitted against ideas of utopia since its founding in 1974. In 2005, National Geographic published an article criticizing East Wind, titled, "Not Quite Utopia," painting its complexities as a mark of socialist and utopian failure.· 1 Similarly, community members expressed disdain over The Kansas City Star's article, "Dark Rituals? Orgies? See the reality of a hippie commune deep in Missouri's Bible Belt,"2 which provided a platform for fantastical rumors. A more positive article featuring East Wind was published by The New York Times, "The New Generation of Self-Created Utopias."3 It was evenly measured and fairly captured much of the community, yet called self-governance a "burden," which contradicts the evidence I gathered in my research. One tiring these publications make clear is that East Wind struggles to be understood by the outside world on its own terms.
In addition to much journalistic curiosity, utopia and intentional communities have also been frequently researched topics in academia. One critical piece of scholarship, "The Illusion of Permanence: Work Motivation and Membership Turnover at Twin Oaks Community" by Hilke Kuhlmann,4 focused on East Wind's sister community and helped inspire tills study. Kuhlmann argues that Twin Oaks Community is certainly not a utopia nor is it a successful alternative to capitalism, and its longevity should be attributed to its high influx of energetic, but soon disillusioned, new members. She writes its labor system fails because it lacks personal incentives and prevents efficiency, creating tension and resentment between members. As sister communities, the labor system at Twin Oaks is highly similar to East Wind. Using Kuhlmann's research as a launching point, I explore whether or not these critiques also apply to East Wind to better understand its viability as an alternative to capitalism.
The East Wind Community is made up of about seventy...