Societal Fracture Research Paper

We don’t value community since we don’t make decisions for the whole group we make them for ourselves only. In our jobs we only do what will lead us to a higher paying position, and if our position is in jeopardy we will do what ever it takes to keep it even if it means going against co-workers. This leads many people to ask the question “do I act selfishly or do I cooperate?” (Innes 2) The ways in which we raise our children has a significant affect on how they will act. If they put themselves before others constantly and think only of their own benefits, it can make them become a selfish person which will lead them to be seen as an outcast by our society. In “Behind Grandma’s House” Gary Soto shows us this when he tells us:

Humans in society are like musicians in an orchestra. Solo, their parts sound odd and out of place, lacking the harmonies mindfully composed for the rest of the orchestra. Humans are interdependent, social creatures by nature. We rely on each other to survive. We rely on each other to do jobs that might require a certain skill set or jobs that we might not have time to do ourselves. We even rely on each other to bring a sense of familiarity and security to our communities just by knowing one another. If we all remained anonymous, then we could not rely on each other to satisfy these vital societal needs. Scott Russell Sanders, in his essay “The Common Life”, states that the more people in a community who prefer to live isolated and reclusive lives, the more susceptible the community is to a division that impedes its ability to live together, interact synergistically, and thrive. He correctly believes that this division can lead to a total “breakdown” in society.

Personal behaviors are largely shaped by social pressures—this statement holds more as fact than as theory. Evidently, communities pose as a positive. Why else would they exist if they were not believed to be advantageous? Communities stand as collective forces much stronger than individual forces and additionally, communities exist as oases of social comfort helping one another express emotions and gain acceptance. These positive aspects are blatantly obvious, and there really is no need to further investigate these pros within communities. Instead, there should lie more concern around the proponents of communities that are not obvious: their deleterious effects on the individual. As great as they are, communities also strip away individuality

Every person deserves the right to experience a sense of community amongst people who share a common characteristic. A sense of fellowship amongst similar people allows a person to become more comfortable with who they are through interactions with others who are going through—or have gone through—the same triumphs or hardships. Without this feeling of belonging, one could be driven into insanity. Anxiety due to isolation and desolation could run rampant through a person’s mind because of the loneliness that comes with a lack of community—making it an essential part of a humanhood. By definition however, community invites inimitability. Community can be defined as a group of unique individuals with shared characteristics. From that a

The sociological approach of cleavage theory emphasises the importance of people’s social positions in explaining support for political parties and voting behaviour (Lipset and Rokkan 1967). The main assumption is that political and voting behaviour are shaped by social divides such as social class, religion or geographical place of residence. Research employing a sociological approach has shown that populist parties are supported by those who find it difficult to deal with changes in social dynamics, as a result of the integration-demarcation cleavage (Kriesi et al. 2008). Empirically, populist radical right parties are supported by male, less educated, and unskilled workers; radical left populist parties are supported by unemployed, less

If you examine a vehicle, you may agree that it is greater than the sum its parts. Individually, the engine, battery, tires, steering wheel, and steel body can’t haul a teen to school or an associate to work like they can when they are all working together as a cohesive unit. Just like any vehicle, the common wealth of a community is greater than the needs of the individuals that make up the community. When the individuals of a community entangle themselves in a web of wants and selfish desires, they tend to loose sight of the well being of the people who surround them, the environment in which they thrive off of, and, in the long-run, themselves. In conjunction, author Scott Russell Sanders’ article titled “Defending Our Common Wealth” highlights these points as well as emphasizes creating a new vision of wealth, encouraging community over consumption and consumerism to his audience.

Community is built of two main elements. First, community requires communal caring. Members need to put themselves in positions where they are able to relate to other members and does everything “within reasonable limits of self-sacrifice” (65). The second is communal reciprocity. Individuals will serve other members of the community, not for exchange of goods, but to provide generosity and support. These elements of community appear in the lives of all individuals, even the most capitalist ones. Humans are entirely capable of these.

Although it may appear insular and separatist, there is unique bond developed when focused attention is given to your community. The outcome is fidelity and ownership, and brotherhood is achieved. It is inherent in my nature to help those to my right and left, not because of future use or expanding my personal network, but because it is the right thing to do, especially when you have the platform or are in a position to do so. An African proverb, my father’s friend would constantly tell us was “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It is my desire to keep the momentum, keep pulling downward to bring those upward so we can progress far

A strong and productive society requires a collaboration of efforts from both leaders and individuals, all working together to improve the community as a whole. For hundred of years, philosophers have encouraged this through pieces such as: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which through the tale of three prisoners in a cave encourages everyone to be open to a wide range of differing realities, Cicero’s piece “Duties of the Individual to the State,” that goes through the natural duties of the individuals in a society, and Machiavelli’s “The Prince,” that explain the manners, expectations, and roles necessary for one to successfully lead people. Through these elements philosophers have deemed necessary for a community, strong foundations for thriving

A society with an internal consensus of social norms and cultural values is essentially the BASIS of a social system. Contrarily, this system is labeled socially disorganized when there is a breakdown in social control or SOMETHING among its elements. The theory suggest the absence or reduction of cohesion and solidarity in a community, will result in a increase of crime rates and deviant behavior. To support these

“Supporting a strong sense of community” - conflict and lack of collaboration because the team members cannot negotiation together as a team;

Society and its inherent need to have all of its inhabitants fit together as one

These Ecological concepts demographics, competition, segregation and integration can help social workers analyze a community in terms of its fairness and support to all of its members. One of the strengths gathered from this perspective is that it allows for the issues to be identified and it implements change as needed. The Human Ecology perspective can help frame subsequent questions like how to change the situation. It has concern for the individuals within the community but its main focus is on the environment. With the focus on the environment it will be better to determine why people behave the way they do. One of the concepts of this perspective is also one of tis strengths and that is when integration occurs. Members will come together and function as a whole. However, this theory does have its weaknesses. For one when the demographics mentioned are becoming unlivable members will compete and segregate themselves. This causes the community to always be in chaos. Viewing communities from a Human Ecology perspective it provides a useful assessment mechanism for understanding why people act as they do within the context of the larger community macro system.

A community is established when more than two people share the same values and through time this personal connection evolves into a fellowship governed by rituals, traditions, and a particular form of communication that when taken together makes a group of individuals whether living in a specific geographical area or connected by ideals so distinct that their distinguishing marks allow them to stand out from among the crowd. They do not just believe in something like an organization but they need each other to survive and thrive. A good example is the Old Order Amish Mennonite community wherein the community serves as source of identity, strength and provides the reason why they should sustain the community’s way of life.

The interconnectedness of all things is at the heart of the philosophy, the concept that all living things are connected and that the wellbeing and stability of the collective depends on the how the individual functions within the community, and how the community functions around the individual (Washington, 2010). A powerful idea in theory and an amazing ideal, if it could be put into practice in its entirety, it could have the ability to change the current socio-political landscape of the entire continent, if not globally.