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The Forum > Article Comments > Quo Vadis Australia > Comments

Quo Vadis Australia : Comments

By David Wilson, published 24/4/2012

Materialism and individualism are risk factors in our society that need to be closely watched.

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The main thing wrong with society today is all the teaching of "humanities". All these made up, make believe sciences will rot your brain.

Even worse, every time another practitioner graduates, we have to find another half dozen sufferers, to fill their case boob, & try to justify the waste of money.
Posted by Hasbeen, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 11:52:10 AM
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Thanks David for taking the time to write this article. It raises some important questions about our social landscape. I am particularly interested in the alternate wellbeing indicators. Gittins and Eckersly rightly point out that using economics as the sole indicator of wellbeing has left our nation in a precarious position. I agree with you that many aspects of our social and cultural environment are not working particularly for our young people and the most marginalised. Consumerism and individualism appear to be our society’s predominant ‘philosophies’ which is fine if you want to take the modernist view that working for ones own happiness or wellbeing actually means that society will benefit. After 2 world wars, a depression, many many other conflicts, crumbling communities, countless isolated people, a world wide epidemic of homelessness and poverty, I believe it is safe to say that thinking has not progressed or ‘humanised’ us in ultimate terms.

In my work as Executive Director for a community development and training organisation, we are concerned to help communities work together to create spaces and places where everyone can feel like they belong, where they are valued and where questions of purpose and meaning are explored. I believe the round tables you mentioned have the potential to go beyond surface solutions to the core of what is not working in our society. Through them I believe you will find the need for a 2 pronged approach towards any solution. Firstly the need to work with the grassroots to empower them, like what happened in Latin America in the 1950’s, through Base Ecclesial Communities. The second approach is to discover and ‘subvert’ the networks of power that discern meaning in our community. As you rightly point out these are evident in each driver and particularly in the leadership of our country. We need to find intelligent ways to enter the conversation and re-define what these networks are producing.

I look forward to the journey.
Posted by alwaysalearner, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 12:23:41 PM
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The malaise of modern youth and indeed among many 'settled' older people is nothing to do with any of the so-called 'drivers'.

What is causing a lack of involvement, both physical and mental, is the lack of allowing people to take risks. The overwhelming movement in modern society has been to create risk-aversion and a promotion of a lack of hope.

Note the rise in endeavours by socialists and feminists to make the world 'safe' and the attendant drift to atheism.

Denying people their individualism or trying to exert control over such only adds to the malaise.

Why not encourage young people to face death and discover spiritualism rather than as they currently are facing death, in our controlled and safe society, from obesity, mental disorder and suicide.
Posted by imajulianutter, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 3:28:31 PM
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So am I, alwaysalearner. So am I.

>>I am particularly interested in the alternate wellbeing indicators<<

Given that all the other markers seem to be favourable, where are the indicators that tell us all is not well?

Apart of course from a totally unsupported subjective view, expressed by Richard Eckersley that "saw a culture that was exploitative and oppressive, harsh and oppressed, and suffering from spiritual poverty"?

And just between us, given his background, what else could he say...?
Posted by Pericles, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 3:43:00 PM
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Hey Pericles
Some of the alternate wellbeing indicators can be found at;
www.communityindicators.net.au/

Whilst some can be seen in economic terms others relate more to social capital or community connectedness, both of which play an important role in mental health. I'm not sure of the link anymore but if you google Marmot and Wilkinson you should come up with a study that was commissioned by the World Health Organisation which outlines some other indicators. I'd like to add that it is not necessarily an either or in terms of wellbeing. Economic prosperity (not excessive wealth) is an indicator in terms of measuring an abundant life or wellbeing.

Also it is interesting to note that the subjective measure of wellbeing ie people's self reporting tends to show how they were feeling immediately before being asked, so may not be a good measure of overall wellbeing. A question that plays into this for me is - what would a just society or an abundant community look like?

Interested in your thoughts? (anyone's)
Posted by alwaysalearner, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 4:37:11 PM
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>>. A question that plays into this for me is - what would a just society or an abundant community look like?

Interested in your thoughts? (anyone's)<<

Utopia.

Cheers,

Tony
Posted by Tony Lavis, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 7:41:28 PM
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