Abstract:
Women throughout history have stood in the face of inequality,
usually due to gender stereotyping and biases. This research goes
into the women's experiences at WomanShare, a lesbian land
community in Southern Oregon, to understand how their diverse
skills, commitment to education, and mentorship dynamics
contribute to their success in communal living and foster a culture of
empowerment. By working together to learn, teach, and carry out
roles that were traditionally held by men, women at WomanShare
were able to create a space of individuality and feminism. The
research draws on primary sources, including interviews and writings
from community members, portraits, and academic sources that
contextualize the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s.