Resistance to Globalisation: Types of Intentional Communities - Term Paper Example

Intentional community is a general term that refers to a wide variety of living alternatives. Shenker (2011) defines Intentional Communities as a relatively small coalesced group of individuals who have consciously, willfully, and purposefully created a wholly new way of life with the intention of attaining distinct preset goals and objectives. Intentional communities consist of various groups of individuals with similar ideologies and shared motivations. Such communities may be established in rural or urban centers and may be underpinned by secular or religious doctrines as well as a mix of the two.

Those who establish intentional communities base them on themes such as environmental sustainability, spirituality, economic cooperation, social equity, education, and health. Intentional communities seek to create a sense of community belonging through close proximity with members, support networks, shared philosophies, ideologies, and lifestyles. The overarching objective of intentional communities is the desire to address issues that influence their life-world, (Schehr, 1997).Examples of intentional communities include the Friends of the Earth International, Jubilee Debt Campaign-Drop the Debt as well as Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch among others.

A majority of contemporary intentional communities such as Friends of the Earth International, Jubilee Debt Campaign-Drop the Debt as well as Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch are activists who oppose the ideologies of dominant individuals and corporations. Instead, they seek to establish sustainable alternative lifestyles. For instance, the FOTEI movement is a group of organizations, which can be regarded as an intentional community. The movement’s objective is to oppose aspects such as neo-liberalism, globalization, domination, and exploitation.

They strongly denounce and aim to reverse neoliberal free trade policies promoted by governments in support of globalization. Jubilee Debt Campaign-Drop the Debt is another intentional community that comprises individuals whose desire is to achieve a world characterized by freedom from suppression as a result of unjust debts.