[Erin] The Benedict Option and the job factor

This interesting piece from the New York Times' Business section discusses a problem many people who left city and suburban living for far distant exurban life are facing, given today's fuel prices:

But life on the edges of suburbia is beginning to feel untenable. Mr. Boyle and his wife must drive nearly an hour to their jobs in the high-tech corridor of southern Denver. With gasoline at more than $4 a gallon, Mr. Boyle recently paid $121 to fill his pickup truck with diesel fuel. In March, the last time he filled his propane tank to heat his spacious house, he paid $566, more than twice the price of 5 years ago.

Though Mr. Boyle finds city life unappealing, it is now up for reconsideration.

"Living closer in, in a smaller space, where you don't have that commute," he said. "It's definitely something we talk about. Before it was 'we spend too much time driving.' Now, it's 'we spend too much time and money driving.' "

While the people profiled in the article aren't exactly crunchy--the flee to the exurbs doesn't carry that connotation--the story still highlights one of the difficulties many of those who are crunchy conservatives face when trying to escape the life of urban or suburban dwelling in favor of a more rural, more sustainable way of living.

That problem is the job factor.

If the Benedict Option is ever going to be a realistic plan for people aside from the wealthy or the retired, the communities Rod has talked about, groups of people choosing to locate in a more rural setting but centered around a church or other place of worship, will have to figure out ways of sustaining themselves and their families apart from the reality of 24/7 corporate employment, which in most cases is only located in or near major urban areas.

One possibility involves the presence of a university which would be a source of jobs and income for many in the community. Some small Catholic colleges in relatively rural areas have seen this kind of thing flourish spontaneously. But I think the key is that the community should arise on its own; the planned community of Ave Maria in Florida seems like something that could easily be a disappointment to those who choose to settle there, for reasons that are beyond the scope of a single blog entry.

But back to the point: how can a crunchy community solve the employment problem? Is it necessary to locate within a reasonable driving distance of a large city to provide access to jobs? Could a community seek nontraditional means of employment, perhaps offering training to members who desired this? Could the community seek as one of its long term goals the maximum self-sufficiency of the majority of the members?

I think that these are some of the questions that would have to be answered if living in intentional communities, or taking part in what Rod calls the Benedict Option, will every be a viable choice for people who would want to try this way of life.