"Setting the Standard" examines over one hundred years in the existence of a British Columbia coastal community: Sointula "place of harmony ". From its beginnings as a socialist utopia settled by Finnish immigrants, to its place in the 1960s as a seemingly typical fishing community, peopled by a diverse ethnic mix. this thesis traces the ideological changes of the island's inhabitants over a six decade period. In doing so, this work uses Sointula as a case study to see how an ideological base first forms in a community and then how that ideology forms a standard that influences all succeeding community developments. Through this case study, particular historical events in the province surrounding the mining, logging and fishing industries, as well as the co-operative, labour union, and socialist movements are examined.