Communal Studies Association

05/10/2026

Here is a segment on NPR from our own Tim Miller about Silkville, KS.

A French aristocrat moves to Kansas and founds a silk-making socialist utopia. Then things get weird. The story of the founding of Silkville, Kansas, in 1870.

04/28/2026

Just THREE WEEKS to submit your proposal for the Oneida Conference. Go to www.communalstudies.org/annual-conference to submit your proposal.

03/26/2026

The Communal Studies Association invites scholars, practitioners, and researchers to submit proposals for its 53rd Annual Conference, taking place October 1–3, 2026 at the Oneida Community Mansion House. Marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, this year’s theme—“Communal History is American History”—encourages critical reflection on how communal societies have shaped, challenged, and reimagined the American experience from the Revolutionary era to the present.

Proposals are welcomed on all aspects of intentional communities, with particular interest in work that explores communal living as social critique, reform, and innovation. Paper and session proposals are due May 22, 2026, and should include a brief abstract and biographical statement. Join a vibrant interdisciplinary community examining the past, present, and future of communal life—submit your proposal today and be part of this landmark conversation.

Please visit the link for more information and submission guidelines:

https://communalstudies.org/annual-conference/

02/19/2026

“Shakers on the Kentucky Frontier: The Founding of South Union” invites history lovers and curious minds alike to an immersive, day-long symposium exploring the early years of the South Union Shaker Village community. Set for Saturday, May 16, 2026, this all-day event will feature presentations by noted Shaker scholars including Carol Medlicott, Doug Winiarski, and Christian Goodwillie, offering insights into what drew the Shakers to frontier Kentucky and how the community grew in its formative years.

In addition to the talks, attendees will enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch, and a special behind-the-scenes tour of recent restoration projects at South Union Shaker Village, making it an enriching experience for those interested in early American religious history and preservation efforts. Registration is required, and the event runs from 8 AM to 4 PM in celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary.

🔗For more information, please visit the symposium's website:
https://southunionshakervillage.com/events/shakers-on-the-kentucky-frontier-the-founding-of-south-union/

02/18/2026

The Oneida Community Mansion House will be hosting the 2026 Communal Studies Association Conference in October!

We are looking for YOU to submit a paper on any aspect of communal living past and present! We are particularly looking for papers that reflect this year's theme in honor of America250 "Communal History is American History."

Submit your paper, register for the conference, or plan your trip to the Mansion House this Fall!

https://communalstudies.org/annual-conference/

02/11/2026

The Owen–Maclure 200th Anniversary Conference will take place Thursday, November 12 through Sunday, November 15, at the New Harmony Inn and Conference Center in New Harmony, Indiana.

Held in commemoration of 200 years of visionary community building, the conference—“Innovative Communities: Past, Present, and Future”—explores the enduring legacy of Robert Owen and William Maclure’s Community of Equality and its influence on how communities are imagined and built today. Through historical reflection, contemporary case studies, and future-focused dialogue, participants will examine how cooperative, equitable, and innovative communities respond to social, environmental, technological, and economic challenges.
The conference welcomes papers, panels, posters, and workshops that engage with intentional communities, cooperative societies, co-housing, digital commons, sustainability, and interdisciplinary approaches to community innovation.

📌 Call for Proposals Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026
📍 Location: New Harmony Inn and Conference Center, New Harmony, Indiana

Those interested in presenting or attending are encouraged to learn more and submit proposals at www.owenmaclure200.com.

02/05/2026

📣 Just featured in The New York Times — “A World in the Making: The Shakers” opens at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia! 🪑✨

This thought-provoking exhibition brings historic Shaker design into conversation with contemporary art and new commissions, showing how values like simplicity, community and intentional craft still resonate today. On view through August 9, 2026 — don’t miss it!

11/11/2025

It's never too early! Send us your proposal for our Oneida Conference today!

https://communalstudies.org/annual-conference/

Oneida Community Mansion House

11/05/2025

‼️ Update: the ICSA has extended their deadline to January 15 for proposals for their 2026 summer conference!

The International Communal Studies Association (ICSA), invites you to participate in the 2026 International Communal Studies Conference to be held in person at Lebensgarten Ecovillage in Steyerberg, Germany, from Thursday, July 9 to Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Click this link to see the Call for Proposals:

https://www.icsacommunity.org/2026-call-for-papers

The Conference’s Theme this year is: "Intentional Community Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty.”

Intentional communities—including communes, co-housing, ecovillages, collectives, and other models of collaborative living—face significant challenges amid today’s economic, social, political, and environmental crises. This conference will explore how these communities cultivate resilience and what their practices can teach the broader world about building more sustainable, equitable, and connected societies. With numerous pre and post conference experiences being planned, participants will have the opportunity to appreciate all the forms of communal living nearby in Germany. Plus, this year the ICSA will create an open-access DOI-searchable publication of selected academic papers, so presenters have the opportunity to share their research beyond the conference and receive credit at their home institutions.

The ICSA invites proposals for:

Academic papers (20-minute scholarly presentations)
Panels (90-minute themed sessions with 2–4 presenters)
Workshops (60-minute practical or skill-based sessions)
Cultural/artistic events (music, storytelling, poetry, etc.)
Interactive events (participatory sessions like yoga, guided discussions, etc.)

Submissions related to the conference theme of resilience are especially encouraged, but the ICSA also welcomes proposals on any topic related to contemporary or historical intentional communities.

Proposal Submission Deadline NOW: January 15, 2026.

Here is the link to submit proposals:

https://www.icsacommunity.org/papers-submission

The ICSA looks forward to your participation in what promises to be a rich and inspiring gathering. Please share this invitation with colleagues or networks who may be interested.

10/13/2025

The International Communal Studies Association (ICSA), invites you to participate in the 2026 International Communal Studies Conference to be held in person at Lebensgarten Ecovillage in Steyerberg, Germany, from Thursday, July 9 to Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Click this link to see the Call for Proposals:

https://www.icsacommunity.org/2026-call-for-papers

The Conference’s Theme this year is: "Intentional Community Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty.”

Intentional communities—including communes, co-housing, ecovillages, collectives, and other models of collaborative living—face significant challenges amid today’s economic, social, political, and environmental crises. This conference will explore how these communities cultivate resilience and what their practices can teach the broader world about building more sustainable, equitable, and connected societies. With numerous pre and post conference experiences being planned, participants will have the opportunity to appreciate all the forms of communal living nearby in Germany. Plus, this year the ICSA will create an open-access DOI-searchable publication of selected academic papers, so presenters have the opportunity to share their research beyond the conference and receive credit at their home institutions.

The ICSA invites proposals for:

Academic papers (20-minute scholarly presentations)
Panels (90-minute themed sessions with 2–4 presenters)
Workshops (60-minute practical or skill-based sessions)
Cultural/artistic events (music, storytelling, poetry, etc.)
Interactive events (participatory sessions like yoga, guided discussions, etc.)

Submissions related to the conference theme of resilience are especially encouraged, but the ICSA also welcomes proposals on any topic related to contemporary or historical intentional communities.

Proposal Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025.

Here is the link to submit proposals:

https://www.icsacommunity.org/papers-submission

The ICSA looks forward to your participation in what promises to be a rich and inspiring gathering. Please share this invitation with colleagues or networks who may be interested.

07/22/2025

Registration is now open for this year’s annual Communal Studies Conference, taking place in Amana, Iowa.

This year’s theme is “Pathfinding.” Every community must find its way. Every individual must find a way. How do communities or community leaders overcome obstacles - either internal or external. How do communities select a course to achieve goals or a path forward after conflict or to avoid conflict within or without their community? How do individuals chart a course within their own community? Or away from it?

By exploring historical or current challenges for intentional communities with neighbors, participation in local/regional economies or non-conformance to broader cultural norms, presenters at the CSA Conference in Amana could offer insights into the impact intentional communities had/have on their neighborhoods as well as the larger society. Or they could analyze how communities, or individuals in communities, choose a way forward as they deal with intragroup challenges or while they engage with or disengage from the larger society.

Please visit https://communalstudies.org/annual-conference/ for more information, travel and lodging details, this year’s “Call for Papers,” and the current conference program.

The Communal Studies Association is an interdisciplinary organization for people living in intentional communities, historic site personnel and academics representing topics including history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, political science, and others. Each year, the CSA’s annual conference is held at the site of an historic intentional community.