What Communes and Other Radical Experiments in Living Together Reveal

Ezra Klein interviews Kristen Ghodsee, author of "Everyday Utopia," about communal living experiments throughout history and their lessons for contemporary society. Ghodsee argues that modern society's focus on individualistic, nuclear family structures has led to a crisis of care and loneliness. They discuss the kibbutz movement, intentional communities, and alternative parenting arrangements like platonic parenting, examining the challenges and benefits of these approaches. The conversation explores the tension between individual desires and communal needs, the role of economic systems in shaping family structures, and the importance of destabilizing traditional notions of love, affection, and esteem. Ghodsee advocates for expanding social safety nets and fostering local communities to create wider networks of care and support, ultimately promoting a more equitable and sustainable way of life.