Las comunidades de cohousing como objeto de Representación Social

Abstract

Social representations (SSRR) are a system of beliefs that are used in everyday discourse to communicate content in the most consensual way possible. The central role of SSRR is evident in everyday discourse, in which even interlocutors who do not know each other closely are able to exchange information informally and quickly about complex phenomena in economics, politics, education, religion, etc. SSRR thus form a social body of reference, the content of which may be valued differently from one individual to another, but the meaning of which is widely agreed upon. On the other hand, cohousing is an alternative residential arrangement consisting of individual houses or apartments in front of a common area and/or a common house for group meetings. These communities could be considered as extended families and are characterized by substantially higher social support given and received than that exchanged in traditional neighborhoods. Based on SSR theories, the objective is to analyze the different varieties of cohousing communities and to determine what is, for their inhabitants, the Social Representation of the communities. It is concluded that the Social Representation of cohousing communities comprises two main components: individuality (or freedom of choice) and community. Although these are the primary factors, it is important to keep in mind that, in each community, there are varying degrees of them.