Sex-role differentiation in contemporary communes

This research tests the hypothesis that the social interactions and sex roles of persons living in communes will become similar to those of persons in extended families, although the commune residents were raised in nuclear families. Commune residents and university students were asked to compare their present and their past social interactions in terms of 13 questions derived from established differences between nuclear and extended families. Commune residents, compared to students, described their present situation as less competitive, hostile, independent, and more cooperative. They also regard the statuses of men and women as more dissimilar than do students. Commune men are more likely to do more cross-sex-type chores than are male students, but still view their present and future status as higher than that of women. The findings confirm the hypothesis that communal social roles evolve to become similar to those in extended families, with the exception of work roles.This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant No. P2 S50810-000 and National Institute of Mental Health Grant No. R01 MH19589. Madison Holloway and Kathryn Gunning assisted in the data collection.