(prologue, Part I, Part II, Conclusion)
Recently, I had a revelation that my life and familial circumstances are a complete reflection of the time and place in which I was born. Few things are more obvious, I know - but how often do we think about the connection?
In any case, understanding how transformations on a personal level correspond with larger developments in culture and economy became a breakthrough in my understanding of our world situation and how deeply it can and will influence our personal lives.
Let me explain.
In the era my parents grew up in, there was a cultural consensus in America shaped by Christian family values; nine out of ten American adults identified as Christian and nearly eight out of ten American adults were married. Ideas such as family, marriage and Christianity were firmly rooted in the culture. Under these circumstances, quite unsurprisingly, my parents, their siblings, friends and neighbors all grew up in Christian households, married and had multiple children. But at that time a new culture was also starting to transform the mainstream, influence American thought and change this paradigm; the new culture embraced and empowered impulsive, emotionally-driven thrill-seekers who lacked the discipline for marriage and family. The next few decades seemed to bear the new culture's influence, because there were fewer marriages, families and children as well as more dysfunctional marriages, families and children. This was also true in my family.
Born into an era with a strong local economy, that same generation described above knew the luxury of lifetime employment close to home, which helped keep large families together, including my own. But local industries have since closed down or moved overseas, forcing relocation for employment. In addition, real wages have fallen and housing prices have skyrocketed, though these developments have been blunted by women entering the workforce and contributing to overall family wealth. But that is part of the problem too; with women in the working world, children are increasingly left "raising" themselves or forgone completely. Moreover, women have less of a need for a breadwinner to be constant part of their lives. Point for point, this reality mirrors my own family's reality, and has torn apart the fabric of family just the same.
So when did the above happen? More importantly, why did we allow for it to happen? The following offers a no-holds-barred search for answers, linking the transformation to two factors in the immediate aftermath of one of the most sacred events in American history (click here for Part I).
Recently, I had a revelation that my life and familial circumstances are a complete reflection of the time and place in which I was born. Few things are more obvious, I know - but how often do we think about the connection?
In any case, understanding how transformations on a personal level correspond with larger developments in culture and economy became a breakthrough in my understanding of our world situation and how deeply it can and will influence our personal lives.
Let me explain.
In the era my parents grew up in, there was a cultural consensus in America shaped by Christian family values; nine out of ten American adults identified as Christian and nearly eight out of ten American adults were married. Ideas such as family, marriage and Christianity were firmly rooted in the culture. Under these circumstances, quite unsurprisingly, my parents, their siblings, friends and neighbors all grew up in Christian households, married and had multiple children. But at that time a new culture was also starting to transform the mainstream, influence American thought and change this paradigm; the new culture embraced and empowered impulsive, emotionally-driven thrill-seekers who lacked the discipline for marriage and family. The next few decades seemed to bear the new culture's influence, because there were fewer marriages, families and children as well as more dysfunctional marriages, families and children. This was also true in my family.
 |
| Would you also get this tattoo? If so, what would be your motivation? |
So when did the above happen? More importantly, why did we allow for it to happen? The following offers a no-holds-barred search for answers, linking the transformation to two factors in the immediate aftermath of one of the most sacred events in American history (click here for Part I).
