Small Houses, Big Community: Tiny Housers’ Desire for More Cohesive and Collaborative Communities

Chelsey Willoughby, Severin Mangold and Toralf Zschau
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Chelsey Willoughby: Department of Sociology & Human Services, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597, USA
Severin Mangold: Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Toralf Zschau: Department of Sociology & Human Services, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597, USA

Social Sciences, 2020, vol. 9, issue 2, 1-33

Abstract: Past research on the tiny house movement has primarily focused on understanding the individual motivations behind adopting the tiny house lifestyle. While some studies have suggested that tiny housers do entertain an interest in community, no systematic research exists that examines the actual complexities of this phenomenon. To make first inroads into this body of literature, twenty-four community-oriented tiny housers were interviewed about their ideal community. Interview questions ranged from definitions of community to specific ideas of the nature of community characteristics. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded in NVivo 12.0. Four main themes and eleven subthemes emerged from the qualitative content analysis. Select themes were then subjected to a subsequent quantification analysis in order to refine and deepen the theoretical understanding. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that a majority of tiny housers desire to be part of more cohesive and collaborative communities. While stressing the importance of community, tiny housers also expressed concerns over privacy. To explain the findings, the paper offers a set of arguments situated in the broader socio-cultural texture of our time.

Keywords: tiny house; alternative lifestyle; community; simple living; privacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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