Well, ok, Tolkien does comment on & critcize the 'gated communities' of M.E., but I would still contend that his starting point for them is the worlds of Norse, Welsh & Finnish myth. I think a reading of the Eddas, the Mabinogion & the Kalevala will give more insight into what Tolkien was doing, or at least of his motivation, than a hundred sociology textbooks. Mythological worlds/realms, are incredibly self contained, with precise boundaries, as a reading of myths, legends & fairy stories from all cultures will confirm. In order to re-create a mythic world, as opposed to just a trivial fantasy world, there are certain conventions of structure which are necessary. Maybe Tolkien's criticms of these gated communities reflect his own attitudes to the mythic worlds he was using as a source, not his attitudes to modern society.
(wish I had more time to pursue this)
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