Community
Trends
SOCIAL TRENDS
Social trends have been changing rapidly in recent years. Increased crime,
school shootings, bombings, long work hours, “latchkey” children, a high
divorce rate, ever-present illegal drugs - all point to significant
societal problems. The results are personal experiences of alienation,
isolation, loneliness, competitiveness, economic insecurity and anxiety.
Many of these problems arise as a result of urbanization, which eliminates
most of the support networks and face to face interactions found in small
local communities. It is the daily interactions in a supportive
community that provide the moral and psychological characteristics for a society based on personal qualities rather than economic advantages.
Learn more about
these trends:
Bowling Alone
Other: Readings
WORLD TRENDS
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, a peaceful world
seemed assured. A decade later, the risk of conventional and nuclear war
appears to be higher than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis. At the
same time, inequity in terms of income and wealth distribution is increasing rapidly. And ecological disaster continues to approach, with no
apparent reasonable solutions. Pessimism is prevalent
throughout the globe.
Competitiveness, greed
and general ill will toward others is supported by large scale
industrialized and urbanized communities. Small local communities counter the
development of these traits. Continual face to face interactions with
members of the community combined with joint efforts in addressing
community opportunities and threats create the traits of trust, good will and
generosity. The solution to the worlds problems is not in organization and
technology but in neighborliness and cooperation.
Learn more about these trends:
Readings
ECONOMIC TRENDS
Probably the most disheartening trend of the late 20th century
has been the continued growth in inequity of income and wealth distribution. The
economic miracles that have been touted since the 1950s show a division of
people into a small number of those who are extremely wealthy and a massive number
of those living in difficult conditions with many in a state of abject
poverty. Only a few decades ago, popular articles were written on the near
future when we would have to develop skills to handle the large amounts of
leisure time that was expected. Instead, almost all workers are working
more hours per week and it is now impossible for most families to survive
without both parents working at full time jobs. And corporations have
evolved from a time when loyalty and longevity were valued, to a time when
very few have any job security. As the work load increases,
purchasing power decreases. In small communities these trends are not as
extreme. Consumption is less important, competition is less brutal, and neighbors aid with
child care and other ways of mutual support.
Learn more about these trends:
Readings
EDUCATIONAL TRENDS
Education has changed from a process of preparing the young for living well
in a culture to a process of job training. There is enormous pressure to
attend colleges, not for an education in some.htmlect of living, but rather
as a way to achieve a limited number of high paying jobs. This results in
severe competition for the better schools for the top 25% of high school
students, with the bottom 75% of high school students unprepared for
ordinary living in non professional jobs, or for the ordinary living
associated with family and community.
Small local
communities educate their children differently. The face-to-face
interactions within the community serve as a “school of living”, not possible in the indifferent relationships
of urban life. Education is more holistic and competition, although
present, is eased by the cooperation that is part of the life of the
community. Extracurricular events have as much importance as classroom work
and are more varied. Competitive sports have less emphasis.
Learn more about these trends:
Readings
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