How to resist the atomization of society?
Atomization of society is the disintegration of ties in society, social separation, social isolation of individuals from each other on the scale of the whole society. Atomization of society is expressed in a significant decrease in trust between people, loss of skills for collective problem solving and collective interaction.
The classic sociologist Emil Durkheim believed that the disintegration of social ties is a negative, but in many ways inevitable consequence of the ever-increasing division of social labor. If in early societies all people were similar because they did the same thing, now we all have different professions, different hobbies. All this leads to a blurring of generally accepted rules, difficulties in establishing contacts, and there is already a decline in mental health and an increase in suicides.
Nevertheless, according to Durkheim, atomization is not only necessary, but can also be countered by developing new collective concepts and rituals that will re-socialize disparate individuals. First, through the creation of professional associations and trade unions that would bring together people from similar segments of the economy on horizontal principles. Secondly, by creating a civil nation that would unite people not on the basis of a narrow ethnic identity, but around the idea of living together in one state. Third, Durkheim did not deny the positive value of traditional institutions, such as the family and religion, provided that they are not fetishized and do not completely subjugate the individual.
Thus, according to Durkheim, sociology is a science that can help people avoid the negative manifestations of modern society by rationally learning about them and offering institutional solutions instead of affective reactions based on stereotypes.
this is normal, this is development: society grows and flourishes, becomes more complex, draws new patterns of its unique history, and we are in a sufficiently interesting and delightful part of this small flash on a huge canvas of the vast that religious ecstasy cannot fail to arise from the mere consciousness of the limitlessness of possibilities.
parenting needs more attention, much more.
Atomization / Consolidation of society is a mutually related but opposite socio-political phenomenon. In order to reduce atomization, society needs to be consolidated. How to do it? How to consolidate the company?
The society is not homogeneous. It consists of a passive majority and an active minority. This includes the active minority, most of whom are in power or are able to influence the government (for example, oligarchs), and the passive majority.
One way to consolidate is to educate the younger generation. It's very long. Japan followed this path after its defeat in World War II. Education was revised, and schools were given a clear task-to educate such a person that, as they matured, they would lead Japan to the forefront of progress. This strategy was successful. Already in the late sixties, it reached the forefront in the field of radio electronics, automotive industry, and shipbuilding.
The example is certainly specific, but few people will deny that the correct upbringing of the younger generation gives the effect of consolidation, if such a goal is set.
The second way is shorter, but at the same time more complex. He should have a leader of a social movement with high authority and charisma, honest and fair, who would organize and lead a passive majority and an active part of society supporting the ideas of the leader.
If we go deeper into history, the development of society and human civilization began with a primitive communal system, in which any atomization threatened to destroy the community. People were consolidated to survive. Then society began to atomize, and a series of changes in its social structure began. Moreover, each subsequent way of life was more and more atomized, and more structured according to management strata and public clusters, rather large and consolidated within its cluster. Moreover, the change of way of life took place precisely in the second way, a leader appeared who organized and headed the passive majority of the largest oppressed cluster.
I do not know of any other ways. Every single person lives the way they live. His life is conditioned by psychological attitudes that were acquired in the process of upbringing and acquired by the acquired experience. Therefore, calls like “Start with yourself” do not encourage many people to consolidate.
It is obvious that the rampant liberalism, its impact on the individual, unnecessarily atomizes society and ultimately leads to its (society's) degradation. Since a person begins to put his own personality above the personalities of society, and his actions are aimed at preserving his life, even at the cost of the death of the entire society.
Trends are such that it is almost impossible to resist. Quarantine, self-isolation, removal, family breakdown… they only contribute to the atomization of society. The only thing that can save us is the strengthening and consolidation of families, the development of family ties, and, of course, the reduction of property inequality.
What makes a simple set of people a society? Common interests, the more long-term they are, the more they unite people in society. So you need to look for these interests, look for people who are ready to implement and defend these interests together with you.
Why do you want to resist it?
You want society as a whole to develop and progress, or for personal reasons such as fear of loneliness/future/family difficulties, etc.?
If the first reason, then it is necessary to radically change the structure of society.
To do this, it is necessary to inform the members of this society about the shortcomings of the current system, and most importantly, to come up with some encouraging alternative.
In principle, almost all the shortcomings of the system were listed by Marx, some of them were fixed as best they could, some were globalized and became less noticeable. It is necessary to update and inform.
The problem, of course, is to get to the brain through the wall of information noise that envelops each of us.
Break through the indifference, to the underlying needs and tell them that everything can be different. The work is long and there is no guarantee of success. Therefore, it is necessary to act not for the sake of winning in a particular country and even more so in the whole world, but simply because “I can't help it”.
Now from lengthy arguments to specific problems:
1. Misunderstanding (communication problems, conflicts of interest, guilt/resentment neurosis);
Gradually solved by upbringing.
2. Selfishness (natural selection, the strong eats the weak and the principle if it is good for me, then everything will be gut in society);
It is solved by increasing the level of awareness, understanding that without society you are no one, you will not even last a week. And if everyone tries to make others feel comfortable, then everyone will feel comfortable.
3. Ownership rights;
It is solved by cancellation, but not everything is so simple.
Obviously, there is no property right in nature. Yes, some animals protect the area where they live from the invasion of their own kind. But this does not mean that they have the right of ownership to this site. They have a temporary use right secured by force.
People have artificially turned the right of temporary use into “property”. In fact, this is an agreement that everyone follows, and those who do not follow are punished.
The vicious system of distribution of benefits grew out of this agreement. Everyone worked for 8 hours with full dedication and in the end we built a house and a barn. But since the saw and hammer were mine, the house and barn were also mine. But I'll let these two live in the barn if they work on the back garden and do other chores.
If these problems are solved, then most likely people will be much less drawn to the virtual world and listen to information noise.
Well, if you want to solve your personal problems, it's easier to find a way to use atomization to your advantage.
It is strange to see the reasoning of the respondents that the atomization of society is good and so be it. And who is better off? Dissociation is not at all in the hands of those who are dissociated. If you want to be alone for a while-please, but one in the field is not a warrior and if anything, they will take you warm…
What is the problem of loneliness in densely populated cities? People have become unable to agree peacefully on simple things, run around with their individuality, as with a written bag, losing the skills of productive communication and trust in each other. They do not consider it necessary to get along even with family members, teenagers snort at their parents, showing them disrespect, and at the same time they are consumer-oriented towards them. They complain about their parents on the Internet, and psychologists agree with them: yes, yes, you are a person, they don't have the right to say the wrong word in the wrong tone! Is it normal to use obscenities against parents, because there is freedom of speech? As a result, children's suicides, and adults lose the meaning of life. How many of these “I don't want to live” already! Yes, just for the time of some!
Atomization of society is vitally necessary to resist, it is a pity that they caught on too late. Nothing artificially invented will take root without running in, so first it's enough to focus on strengthening family ties. In general, efforts are alarmingThe STENCH of splitting the family through the promotion of contradictory “values”. So we need to hear about the universal independence of all from all and do the opposite, because at least this is not true. Fight the flow of negativity from the stench and make fun of other people's stupid stereotypes. Do not absorb other people's negative experiences, do not wind yourself up, do not collect gossip about bad relationships, including in social networks and talk shows on TV. And create your own relationships and build your future by communicating respectfully in the present. Without going to extremes, it is wise to seek a balance. To do this, you will have to re-learn to trust each other and learn to listen to your heart.♥
A. Fursov explains why they destroy the institution of the family
It depends on what it is caused by. Atomization of society can be caused by the following things::
1) Temporary negative factors (natural and social disasters), during which, for example, biological (food) resources are reduced, they are not enough for everyone, and hence there is alienation and separation between people. Under these conditions, atomization can be overcome only after eliminating this factor (whatever it is caused by)
2) Social negative factors (socio-political geopolitical, socio-economic), for example, when we are dealing with a situation of systematic oppression (one class by another or one people by another) with a situation of interstate or civil war or occupation. So, during the siege in Leningrad, people were eaten . Naturally, it was possible to eliminate the atomization of people that began in Leningrad only by breaking the blockade (first partially, and then completely, which was done). That is, we are again talking about eliminating the cause. In the same fictional” Kingdom of crooked mirrors ” Gubarev starved children who were forced to work by overseers. It is clear that only the elimination of the power of the aristocrats and the rich could lead to the fact that children were no longer oppressed.
3) Mass information impact, namely mass propaganda of hedonism, cynicism, permissiveness, social Darwinism, etc. In this case, there is a stable pathological tendency of a person to isolate himself from other people. In fact, we can talk about the induction of social anomie – the destruction of public morals and morals. To stop it , it is necessary to eliminate this effect.
4) The cultural factor – namely, the formation in society over the centuries of an individualistic competitive culture of appropriation and development of goods (first in the elite), and then the spread of this to mass culture. I must say that in this case, atomization is usually restrained by powerful complementary factors – the rule of law, the promotion of healthy behavior (including healthy solidarity), the presence of solidary social institutions (religious, military), and so on. In this case, society itself puts up with atomization as the reverse side of individualism (it allows it to exist, but at the same time rigidly restrains it). In this case, nothing can be done (until the culture of society changes). By the way, the reverse side of atomization is forced conformity, spontaneous pathological collectivism (sectarianism, witch hunts, public panic, and so on).
It is not a fact that you can successfully resist such social processes. The atomization of society is caused by the distrust of its members for each other, the understanding that you can not wait for help and support, but you can get problems. In the 30s, people wrote denunciations in bundles against each other, since then the psychology of people here has changed little. Social breakdown is more of a natural process for an unhealthy society.
Although at the local level, you can do something yourself, make friends with neighbors, create a local community or community of interests, etc.
You can't do that. It is not enough to identify the problem and state it. To demand her treatment immediately afterwards. Atomization is not accidental, its manifestations are clearly determined by society, the logic of its development. To treat its atomization is to recognize its society as sick. So give him a diagnosis right away, not just on his one sign. He / she has a whole bunch of these signs. What's the point? The specialist's symptoms are disturbing. Even more – their background.