Cohousing Case Study: Gainesville Cohousing Community, Health and Social Wellbeing, and COVID-19
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
12-1-2021 3:00 PM
End Date
12-1-2021 3:20 PM
Abstract
Feeling lonely? In recent reports, 1 out of 5 Americans have reported feeling lonely or socially isolated; this increased to 43% among adults over 60. Social isolation has been linked to an increased risk for depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This issue is all the more important as COVID-19 forced the world to remain physically – and for many, socially – distant. Though there are many possible ways to address social isolation, one that deserves more attention is cohousing.
Not to be confused with a kibbutz, cohousing communities are intentionally planned to combat social isolation and promote healthy social and emotional behaviors among independent households. Research shows that older people in cohousing communities could live in own their homes for approximately 10 years longer than in conventional community setups, due in part to the social support inherent in cohousing. Cohousing communities also had a lower incidence of chronic diseases.
This study focused on the Gainesville Cohousing community. This study examined the community identity and experience, cohousing’s role in promoting social connectedness and healthy behaviors, and how the community adapted to COVID-19. To assess these items, the researcher conducted an “Zoom ethnography” through observations during community events and interviews. Residents of Gainesville Cohousing reported high levels of emotional and instrumental support, which increased during COVID-19. Many reported the physical layout of the community fostered physical activity while enhancing social interactions. Additionally, the community shared how their COVID-19 decision making touched on the difficulties faced regarding individual freedom and collaborative living.
Keywords
cohousing, co-housing, case study, ethnography, COVID-19, COVID-19 social impacts, public health, public health ethnography, COVID-19 ethnography, coronavirus experiences
ORCID ID
0000-0001-5388-7475
Cohousing Case Study: Gainesville Cohousing Community, Health and Social Wellbeing, and COVID-19
Feeling lonely? In recent reports, 1 out of 5 Americans have reported feeling lonely or socially isolated; this increased to 43% among adults over 60. Social isolation has been linked to an increased risk for depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This issue is all the more important as COVID-19 forced the world to remain physically – and for many, socially – distant. Though there are many possible ways to address social isolation, one that deserves more attention is cohousing.
Not to be confused with a kibbutz, cohousing communities are intentionally planned to combat social isolation and promote healthy social and emotional behaviors among independent households. Research shows that older people in cohousing communities could live in own their homes for approximately 10 years longer than in conventional community setups, due in part to the social support inherent in cohousing. Cohousing communities also had a lower incidence of chronic diseases.
This study focused on the Gainesville Cohousing community. This study examined the community identity and experience, cohousing’s role in promoting social connectedness and healthy behaviors, and how the community adapted to COVID-19. To assess these items, the researcher conducted an “Zoom ethnography” through observations during community events and interviews. Residents of Gainesville Cohousing reported high levels of emotional and instrumental support, which increased during COVID-19. Many reported the physical layout of the community fostered physical activity while enhancing social interactions. Additionally, the community shared how their COVID-19 decision making touched on the difficulties faced regarding individual freedom and collaborative living.
Comments
Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute, which is supported in part by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences under award number UL1TR001427. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.