From Oneida to Ithaca: Enduring Themes in Intentional Communities

How do the challenges within intentional societies evolve over time, and what themes endure as sticking points across generations of experimentation?

We will draw comparisons between the Oneida Community and the EcoVillage at Ithaca on themes that emerge time and time again in these contexts:

Individualism versus collectivism,

Designing systems for mutual support and caregiving across the lifecourse, and

The challenge of playing a role as models for social change while maintaining residents’ privacy.

About the Speakers

Heather Sullivan-Catlin, PhD (she/her) is a sociologist and professor at the State University of New York – Potsdam with primary interests in family, community, and sustainability. Her early research on intentional communities explored gender and family dynamics in the Shaker and Oneida communities. Her focus shifted to contemporary intentional communities, primarily the cohousing and ecovillage models. She is on the board of the Thrive Ithaca Ecovillage Education Center and has been working to bridge the gap between academia and ecovillages by bringing students and colleagues to ecovillages for over 20 years.

Jen Myers, PhD (she/her) is project director of the Thrive Ithaca EcoVillage Education Center with the Center for Transformative Action. She is a sustainability educator specializing in place-based learning, climate mental health, and environmental and social justice. Prior to joining Thrive, Jen taught at Oregon State University and Wells College. She has lived at the EcoVillage at Ithaca since 2022.

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The Communities In Conversation Series - Sponsored by the Central New York Library Resources Council
August 20, 2026 - Communal History IS American History, Thomas A. Guiler, Oneida Community Mansion House

October 27, 2026 - "Perverted Spiritualistic Forces": John Humphrey Noyes versus William Hepworth Dixon in the Victorian Press, Christian Goodwillie – Hamilton College

November 24, 2026 - Sex, Communalism, and Utopia: How a 70s Commune Took Oneida into the Future, Cheryl Coulthard – Vice President, Communal Studies Association

January 26, 2027 - New Light Family Values: Sex & Salvation in Revolutionary New England, Douglas L. Winiarski – University of Richmond

April 1, 2027 - Unexpected Colonial American Composers: The Sisters of the Ephrata Cloister, Christopher Herbert – William Paterson University

April 15, 2027 - Camphill and the Ever-Changing Face of Intentional Community, Dan McKanan – Harvard Divinity School

April 27, 2027 - From Oneida to Ithaca: Enduring Themes in Intentional Communities, Jen Myers – Thrive EcoVillage Education Center / Center for Transformative Action

-All registrants will receive a Zoom link within 48 hours of registration.

-All proceeds support the preservation of the Oneida Community Mansion House and its educational programs.