Dornemann, Jane Kathleen2016-02-192016-02-192012-05http://hdl.handle.net/10125/101254M.A. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2012.Includes bibliographical references.Twin Oaks is an Intentional Community (IC) in Louisa, Virginia that has been in full operation since 1967. Hidden away on 450 acres of woodland property, the 100-member population chooses to work and live outside of mainstream culture. Founded on B.F. Skinner's behaviorist theories, Twin Oaks is a communist establishment structured around a labor credit system that eradicates the need for money. In this creative non-fiction novel, the author gives a first-hand account of life at Twin Oaks by immersing herself in the commune's culture. During the visitor period, the author dissects her own psychological, political and sociological approaches by comparing life in the "outside world" to life at Twin Oaks. The author's re-evaluation of American culture, when removed from it, exposes deep flaws and striking similarities between the two worlds.engCommuneSkinnerlaborcultureThesis