Los Horcones is an intentional community located about 40 miles from Hermosillo, Mexico. It has described itself "as the only true Walden Two community in existence". The members of Los Horcones use techniques based on behavioral science to shape their own and each other's behaviors. They use those behavior-shaping techniques in politically coordinated ways and they do so in order to continuously improve themselves and their culture. They are striving to build a culture "based on cooperation, sharing, non-violence, equality and ecological sustainability."
Experimentalism and continuous improvement are two of the most important doctrines of a Walden Two community. Burrhus Frederic Skinner, author of the novel Walden Two, expressed this in the following way. He wrote:
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"Comunidad de los Horcones" A wooden pillar that divides into two branches can be described as being "bifurcated". A bifurcated pillar has a shape similar to the capital letter Y. At Los Horcones, bifurcated pillars are sometimes used to support a roof that protects a building's patio. |
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| "The main thing is, we encourage our people to view every habit and custom with an eye to possible improvement. A constantly experimental attitude toward everything—that's all we need. Solutions to problems of every sort follow almost miraculously." Walden Two, page 25 |
The members of Los Horcones regard their community as a cultural laboratory and they regard themselves as cultural engineers. They will readily adopt new cultural behaviors when experimental evidence indicates that doing so will improve their lives. As a result of their cultural engineering efforts, they are unlikely to suffer from cultural lag.
Los Horcones is listed in the Communities Directory of the Fellowship for Intentional Community.
Read more about Los Horcones: An Experimental Community, Behaviorology Movement, Legal Structure, Location
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