Beyond You and Me Reading Response 1

Beyond You an Me Reading Response 1
　
Much of the focus of the reading centers on the concept of community. That through community there is a connection not only with others but a connection that enables empathy, awareness, connection (to environment as well as others), and the facilitation of collaborative changes (or collaborative efforts to change). This concept really enabled me to see (from a new standpoint) the destructive love affair with consumerism (and the negative environmental consequences) that our society suffers from. Here in the U.S. individualization is prized and promoted. The concept of self betterment/fulfillment outweighs group thoughts and community connectiveness. This ‘self’ thought means that there is a disconnect, a disconnect with the community around us as well as a disconnect with the environment around us. It is through this disconnect that we enable destructive environmental damage to continue. At the source it is because of our individual consumer needs that promotes and continues these destructive problems. Moving out towards the macro level of society you can see the cause of our current environmental predicament is that most people function through this disconnect so ultimately society functions through a level of disconnection. “For people raised within the hyperindividualized paradigm, or in settings where people come from diverse or even warring factions, learning the subtleties of constructive and mutually beneficial interaction within a community setting may take a major effort. Rebuilding human community is an endeavor whose immense challenges should not be underestimated. Sustaining community necessarily involves a healing process in which we step out of the cycles of pain, mistrust and violence that run through human history and take responsibility for initiating new patterns” (Beyond You an Me, xi i).
What I found really insightful was the concept of trust that was discussed or implied throughout many of the readings. From the Dagara to the Kitezh communities have trust as a main functional component. When trust is removed as it is in individualized cultures fear and mistrust blockade connections and foster the detrimental consequences of a disassociation with people and the environment around us. Trust enables working towards a common goal, trust enables a supportive environment where positive change can be initiated and facilitated. The reading helped me think of the way so many of us raise our children to mistrust others. We so often only teach our children of the ‘dangers of strangers’ while this is necessary to protect our children it is also necessary for our children to develop trust in others. As a parent I think trust in others must also be taught and shown to children by example. I think that active community involvement harbors these positive feelings. Community work is a start that everyone can participate in to counter the disconnect that disables our societies need for effective positive change. The reading was a real eye opener to me on the importance of helping my children see the need to participate and care for their community, as well as the need to trust in others to facilitate positive change.