Towards Intentional Community Success: Building a Comparative Model for Hypothesis Testing

This paper presents a framework for studying intentional community success, focusing on cultural stability and member growth/retention. We discuss the complexities of cultural preservation and demographic sustainability across a diverse set of communities, including religious groups (Mormons, Buddhists, Amish, & Hutterites), indigenous populations (Haida, Ainu, Māori), ethnic groups (Han Chinese, Indian), intentional communities (Dancing Rabbit, Tamera, Findhorn, Ithaca Ecovillage, Kibbutzim, and Auroville), and others. Through qualitative analysis, we develop a multidimensional framework consisting of Cultural Identity Strength (CIS): a community's cultural identity and its strength, Community Cohesion and Support (CCS): level of cohesion within the community, support systems, and adaptability, External Influences (EXT): societal tolerance, legal and political environment, and media/communication, Demographic Factors (DEM): community membership dynamics and economic resource base, Cultural Preservation Dynamics (CPD): intergenerational transmission and moral-ethical frameworks, Sense of Purpose and Identity (SPI): spiritual purpose, cultural purpose, and the narratives of origin and destiny, and Cultural Diversity and Context (CDC): adaptability to ethnic and cultural diversity and community-specific variables). We aim to inspire collaborative research to study communities of the past as well as interventions to enhance present day communities’ stability and growth.