The utopian alternatives that writers imagine are affected by many variables, such as the historical circumstances in which they write, their gender and class background, and psychological factors. These variables in turn give rise to a bewildering assortment of imagined social structures: utopian society may be centralized and regimented, or anarchic and diverse; it may be religious or secular; there may be free love or strict control of sexuality; the family may occupy a central position or it may be abolished altogether.
Communes and utopian communities are groups of men and women who share a central or common belief and choose to live together away from mainstream society. Many of the individuals in these communes are characterized by or aspire to perfection. This reference source contains biographies and historical overviews of 20th-century communes and utopias in the United States and those individuals involved with them. Sutton provides a comprehensive history of both religious and secular utopian communities. Entries include Amity Colony, Farm Eco-Village, Holy City, David Koresh, Shaker Communities, The Farm, and Donald Walters, among many others.
This book is a rallying cry to teachers at a time when many in the profession feel profoundly pessimistic about their work and the future of education. In this uplifting book, David Halpin suggests ways of putting the hope back into education, exploring the value of and need for utopian thinking in discussions of the purposes of education and the direction of school policy.
