The Inevitable Utopia Life Span

                One thing I found through today’s discussion on Zoarites and Shakers was a possible explanation for the short life spans we’ve been seeing in the majority of Utopian Societies. For example, the Zoarites lasted about 50 years, the Shakers lasted a little over a century, and Oneida lasted about 30. Some interesting similarities between all of these include that they all had reached stages of stability before their downfall and that their downfalls occurred under leadership different than the founding leadership. I believe that Utopian communities do have a life span due to the realities of human nature: specifically, I take into question the communities’ ability to stay engaged during times of stability and times of less exciting leadership.

                While reading about and visiting the Zoar Village and the Shaker museum, I learned that they experienced times of change, moving, and dispute with normal American society. I also learned that they were able to settle down, and overcome different challenges and issues. Specifically, we learned that Shakers overcame issues with fighting, and also economic conformity. Further, our tour guide at the Zoar village told us of their economic struggles shortly after arriving in Ohio. I believe that these societies overcame these problems and came out stronger on the other side. However, I also believe that their continued way of life hard for them to handle after years of excitement. The Zoar tour guide told us that, after the leader died, the Zoarites had trouble keeping the excitement in their society. Shortly after, they fell apart and ended their communal society. As we learned at the Shaker society, by the time the excitement of the founding became distant history, and by the time they started having trouble keeping up with the excitement of society, they too began to fall apart. I think that these circumstances are directly related to lack of excitement in leadership and everyday society.

                As the early action died down, and the founding excitement was slowly forgotten, so did these communities’ beliefs in their own ideals and ways of life. As things stopped changing, people started getting bored and leaving. Some communities lasted longer than others, but it’s evident that the communities that lasted longer had longer periods of excitement, and more memorable founders.