Human nature?

It was touched on in class, but I think the issue of how a type of government and authority and property develops on Anarres is an interesting one and I wanted to explore it futher.

Society on Anarres was set up to discourage propertarianism and encourage equality. From the language (instead of possesives, "the mother" and "the hankerchief that I use") to daily necessities (food is provided at a general cafeteria, accomodations in dormitories, and clothes and blankets at depots) and even to relationships (there is no marriage contract or other binding placed on couples; no special effort is even made to keep them together, unless the couple themselves request postings together). No part of Odo's vision includes restrictions on the individual or allowance that something "belongs" to someone.

Yet society on Anarres has developed restrictions, possessions, and authority. Why is this? Why do family units form, as Shevek and Takver and Sadik do (not just recognized by themselves, but by society, as shown by the teasing of Sadik for her parents' involvement in the Syndicate of Initiative)? How do people like Sabul gain authority in an anarchist society? Why do people feel pressured to go wherever a posting is suggested?

My opinion is that these things are a result of human nature. Humans like rules; look at the importance in setting boundaries in parenting, or how students will complain when their professors don't give them enough guidelines for a paper! But instead of a single authority, the anarchist society on Anarres provides social guidelines through social pressure. It is also human nature to conform, and to pressure others to act the way you want them to; therefore, the Odonians keep each other within certain boundaries through social pressure. This is why people go to postings where they are needed, why they sign up for once-a-decad work.

I would argue that possessions, monogamous relationships, and power like Sabul's are also the result of basic human nature. People desire to possess things (and each other) and desire power over each other. Society on Anarres is designed to counter these desires, but without constant effort and vigilance (which Shevek calls "revolution"), the human desires for power and possession crop up again.