From headlines on newspapers to prime time news channels, reports regarding rising incidents of violence keeps shocking us day after day. The atmosphere of hate is witnessed on angry social media comments to incidents witnessed around us. What can be the possible reasons for the rise of hate and anger in the society? why are social unrest and incidents of intolerance being reported around the world? Why is the modern human being prey to rising levels of anxiety and depression? These are questions that can be analysed from different paradigms. Diving deep into them from a socio-political perspective leads us directly into the question of culture and community.
Understanding Humans and Modern Culture:
Human beings are not mechanical machines or robots that work according to fixed programs. Every human being is unique and works dynamically and according to ones own characteristics. Human life is build around the culture it lives in and grows in sync with the same. Human life develops around the community in which it works and it is absolutely essential to strike a balance between work and pleasure. Modern day has witnessed the rise of economic prosperity and an upcoming middle class. On the flip side also the widening gap between the rich and poor. It has also been the era where individualism has triumphed over all other ideas. But why are things going the wrong way? Why is there a rise of hatred in society? To understand this question, it is important to critique many fundamentals of liberal thought that has guided policy making. The complete failure of liberal parties around the world and rise of right wing too can be understood in a way through this method.
Firstly analyzing individualism, it is necessary to understand it's multi-fold impact on a human being's decision making. For example the political decisions when taken in an individualistic manner, individual identity and personal thought takes center stage, in turn leaving issues of public concern in the back seat. The increased influence of identity such as religion or typical middle class questions regarding individual tax payments during an elections are a result of increased individualism. This is one of the primary reasons that leads to major elections around the world being fought around cults and identity than macro issues such as economy or climate change. The challenge in-front of non-right wing parties is in making these issues into political ones. Coming back to individualism, it's second impact is in the form of ultra-consumerism. The markets have influenced human life and culture more than anything in the past 20 years. Consumerism is reshaping the world with quality of life being equated with the brands one has to choose. The increased social pressure in terms of brands are causing severe problems in lower middle class and lower class families since the youngsters and kids get targeted by the companies. In short individualism has changed human life more than anything in past many years.
Rising Anger and Broken Communities:
When you look around there is so much anger among common people of all age groups. Now in-order to understand them it is important to study it along with broken communities. Today an average person has to work day and night to catch up with the rising prices and life in itself. From medical care to education of kids, he/she lives under constant pressure. With the high costs of medical care, the fear of diseases in itself is an open invitation for all kids of mental stress. The teenager today whose life has been limited in most cases to a 6 inch 'smart' phone' suffers from lack of human contact and physical activity. The phone is not yet 'smart' enough to replace actual human contact. There have been studies that show increased social media activity can lead to depression. The disappearance of public places and gatherings have hurt the new generation more than anything. If the vacations of a 90s and 2000s kid was playing cricket with friends, today it is playing cricket with ones virtual friends on the 'smart' phone. The blame is not at all on the kids, but rather they are the victims of a modern day culture and disappearing physical game grounds for commercial purposes. A man angry with his own life and surroundings coming back home finds solace in hate speeches and extremism spread by certain elements for political gains. When some other community gets blamed for all ills of our lives, we find solace with such ideologies. But in reality the real devil laughs as we blame the wrong culprit. There are mentally and spiritually strong individuals who form exceptions from all these general rules, but they are in a negligible minority.
When in the name of promoting business, labour laws were altered and job security was termed as obstacle to business growth, the poor worker's mental health suffered. Intolerance, extremism, rise of terrorism etc are all nothing but a manifestation of anger in the society. It is also the relfection of disappointment in the current socio-political establishment. Communities are where the human soul finds it's expression and belongingness. The very fact that today neighbours don't know each other in many urban areas reflect the breaking down of communities. This very fact has lead to people trying to find belongingness with a sect or group, mostly cults.
Building Vibrant Communities:
The building of vibrant communities has become the most essential work ahead of our generation. It has to start from the level of an individual until bringing on genuine alternative political change that represent the people. By political change, it does't refer to mere elections or policy but a holistic constructive political work. Vibrant communities are important for the complete expression of the potential in a human being. Someone who is interested in art should have the opportunity to genuinely follow their passion. It is important to have public gatherings, public shows, festivals etc that create a positive collective culture rather than an individualistic culture of consumerism. In no way is this a negation of true human enterprise but rather is a truthful rebellion against overreach of the so called free enterprise into the lives and culture of human beings. The products has to be the ones that support the growth and development of human beings, not the ones that control the same!!
On a more practical political front, it is important to work around issues such as universal health coverage and other right thus providing the safety of life to human beings. Issue such as climate change have to be linked to daily life and movements have to be build around them. A dynamic community can only be build if the human being has the time to spend on them, thus the movements around work timings too have to be strengthened. The ideology of the 21st century must be for realizing true human potential based on a positive culture and for a sustainable tomorrow. Mahatma Gandhi was one the greatest critique of western modernity for it being centered around individualism.
Problems of modern human being such as parents not finding time to spend with their children to vice-versa are all many times blamed only on the individual. Of-course the individual has a role in his/her decisions but the larger society and community too needs to be questioned. Let us break the chains of modern day slavery of consumerism and be the makers of our own destiny! May true human enterprise prosper but do not let them control your lives! Let us build vibrant communities around the idea of non-violence and fraternity. Humans shall march ahead through the working together of communities for a sustainable tomorrow in the collective spirit. Long live the true human spirit!
Thanks For reading, do send in a feedback and a second part of the same topic will be done if recommendations for more detailing comes in.
-Sreesreshta Nair(SN)
The Revolution of Love shalll win!
Comments
Post a Comment