CREATING UTOPIA: MEMORIES AND LEARNING TO LIVE WELL

Abstract

The focus of this research was how we might learn to live well. The research was conducted in collaboration with people living in an eco-community. The overarching questions framing this work are- What is their interpretation of living well and how is it realised in the day-to-day actions and dynamics of the community? How and what is learnt in these day-to-day situations? How did the collaborators (and researcher) learn to be who they are and how relevant is one’s subjectivity for living well? The methods used to answer these questions were immersion, observation, journal, and interviews. The researcher spent time living and working with the community members over a period of three months in total to include the seasons of Autumn, Winter and Spring. The research also had an auto-ethnographic element drawing on the memories of the researcher as well as the participants.