Political thought in a student housing Co-operative

Abstract

This ethnography came out of a project by pre-honours Social Anthropology students, studying the space of the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-Operative in the beginning of 2020. I spent time renovating the basement with members of the Co-Operative and spoke with them about the political leanings of members, as the public perception of the Co-Operative is that it is based on socialist ideologies. I describe my time at the Co-Operative and discuss the methodologies I used to gain data. Finally, I conclude with a discussion of the role politics plays in the decision to become a member of the Co-Operative.