Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

10-14-1975

Abstract

Growth communities have developed throughout the United States in answer to a need to relate to others in close, meaningful ways and to regain a sense of personal identity, threatened by urban life styles. This study reports the events and situations leading to the formation, development and decline of Rain on Tuesday, a growth community in Laguna Beach, California. The community was started as a leisure activity by a group of middle-aged, upper middle class people who had previously been involved in a social action project. The group eventually included over one hundred people. For nearly a year the community provided a variety of craft activities, workshops related to the human potential movement and social events such as a monthly potluck supper. Although the entire membership was invited to take part in the planning and organizational work, in practice this was done by the small group of founders. By the end of the first year of operation, many of the foundes had interests outside the community. Their lack of involvement spread to the rest of the community and there was a rapid decline in activities and participation in the next three months. At a special meeting called to determine the future of the group, several people volunteered to assume responsibility for managment of Rain on Tuesday. Many in the community did not identify with the new leaders and interest continued to decline. After six months, operations were suspended except for a monthly potluck supper. At the end of the second year, several successful activities were organized by the original members. There seemed to be renewed interest although there was no longer any formal structure for the community. This growth community had factors in common with communes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Positive factors were similar philosophical beliefs of members and a we-they dichotomy between the group and outsiders which was reinforced by dress styles and behavior. Negative factors were the failure to have a means for integrating new members into the group and to function effectively when charismatic leadership was absent.

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Physical Education

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

E. A. Scholer

Second Committee Member

Lewis Dahmen

Third Committee Member

Sven Winther

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