HSB 4MI
HSB 4MI
Reflection Writing Assignment
1. Do you think that pressures of conformity and alienation are likely to increase or decline as you get older? Explain.
I believe that the pressures of conformity and alienation most definitely increase as one gets older. Even though there are probably reasons why both conformity and alienation might increase or decrease as any person ages, the reasons which cause the increase have more weight. Karl Marx wrote about the alienation of the lumpenproletariat (the people who are unemployed) and discussed that these people could not reach their full human potential when so many aspects of their lives are being controlled by others. This ideology could be applied to the aging population in many ways. They have stopped working and have settled into retirement, which naturally alienates them from the younger generations, as contact through work or other social events become optional. Also, because the society is changing, the older generation might feel isolated because traditions, technology and social norms are also evolving from what the older generation has seen for the most of their life. This may cause confusion and some discomfort because they do not want to change what is usual to them, and they may not share the major views of society and feel like an outsider. This would fit in with the modern broad definition of alienation. One more way that the aging generation might feel alienated is when they can’t take care of themselves independently. They need to rely on the younger generations to take care of every aspect of their lives, including food, shelter and hygiene. As for the pressures of conformity, the aging population may feel these demands increase because they have comfortably fit in a nook of beliefs and values, and if the society changes their beliefs the older generation will be pressured to follow. This would cause conflict because the aging people will feel like their views are right and proper, thus having a
Reflection Writing Assignment
1. Do you think that pressures of conformity and alienation are likely to increase or decline as you get older? Explain.
I believe that the pressures of conformity and alienation most definitely increase as one gets older. Even though there are probably reasons why both conformity and alienation might increase or decrease as any person ages, the reasons which cause the increase have more weight. Karl Marx wrote about the alienation of the lumpenproletariat (the people who are unemployed) and discussed that these people could not reach their full human potential when so many aspects of their lives are being controlled by others. This ideology could be applied to the aging population in many ways. They have stopped working and have settled into retirement, which naturally alienates them from the younger generations, as contact through work or other social events become optional. Also, because the society is changing, the older generation might feel isolated because traditions, technology and social norms are also evolving from what the older generation has seen for the most of their life. This may cause confusion and some discomfort because they do not want to change what is usual to them, and they may not share the major views of society and feel like an outsider. This would fit in with the modern broad definition of alienation. One more way that the aging generation might feel alienated is when they can’t take care of themselves independently. They need to rely on the younger generations to take care of every aspect of their lives, including food, shelter and hygiene. As for the pressures of conformity, the aging population may feel these demands increase because they have comfortably fit in a nook of beliefs and values, and if the society changes their beliefs the older generation will be pressured to follow. This would cause conflict because the aging people will feel like their views are right and proper, thus having a