Posts Tagged ‘society’
Nesting Blues
One of the uniqueness of Life on Earth probably is the ability of all life forms to procreate and another is evolution of species. Human beings stand at the end of evolution chain, tall above all, armed with consciousness, intellect yet having the same natural instincts and needs like rest of the species of life on Earth. Apart from Natural laws human beings have added whole set of new laws to bring an order in human society.
Human beings (for reasons best known to different law-makers of the land who have reigned for thousands of years) seem have added more checks and balances and put institutions in place just to protect procreation of species. Human nests (family and home) have extra legal, religious and societal laws as walls of protection. Yet human world is fraught with all kinds ‘Nesting blues’. Is it wrong to associate nesting and procreation as far as human life is concerned? How long classical concept of ‘family’ (mother, father and children) will survive as a basic building block in a modern and more than ever complex human world?
What is more intriguing is that human beings seem to have lost choices and freedom as authorities (religious, legal, political) keep amending laws just to protect human nests. These artificial walls become almost like prisons from which there is no escape. Do they really protect the child and create favorable conditions for procreation? There are marriage laws, there are laws against adultery, there are laws for breaking the nest and divorcing the partner, laws which protect the child – there are all kinds of legal protection for saving the family and further procreation of human species and holding familial lineage and wealth. But yet the very need of so many legal enforcements raises doubts whether the concept of a ‘family’ being basic building block of human society is itself flawed.
Any rigid framework gives birth to rebels. Rebels against classical family and marriage institution have given again birth to parallel institutions and alternate community living models. There are people asserting with live-in relationships or same sex relationships or even living alone. Procreation does not seem to be main agenda of human life anymore. Yet authorities never give up efforts to save the family, every other day a new law or a clause is added to save the dying institution of marriage. Even live-in relationships have legalities now – once again to protect the child and the inheritance of wealth. But same sex relationships are held in contempt and even declared illegal. Is it because they don’t procreate?
“Where Will Boys Play?”
This question has been doing rounds in one neighbourhood for past couple of months. There are three important words used in the above question which can place this local insignificant issue in bigger global context. Human attitude is best manifested at micro level and holds mirror to the culture of a place.
Here is a small background from where this question and debate started. Above picture shows a small green patch in an apartment complex – ‘Landscaped Garden’, an important trump card and showcase of the housing project from its very inception. The other facilities include club house (open for all residents and their children) with modern gym, play room (with chess, carrom, pool, table tennis, and also basket ball, volley ball court on the roof), a community hall with banquet facility for social functions and a swimming pool. Another important fact is that this green patch with jogging track is a common space for some 500 residents!
So, there is already an answer to ‘where’ of the above question. There are enough options for the boys to play, but their choice is the game of cricket (similar to baseball) with a hard ball that can break window panes and damage cars. So natural demand is to open up this restricted ‘Landscaped garden’ (where only barefoot toddlers, joggers, residents are allowed for soaking in sun and fresh air). With nearly 200 families already residing and many with children, this move will surely turn the green lawn into dusty playground. Added threats of damage to window panes and cars will remain unsolved. It would be wiser move to encourage ‘boys’ to play other games which are available. But that is not going to happen. Why?
First of all it is human instinct to want to ‘use’ all available land that they own. This attitude of ownership and right to destroy has lead planet to climate change and global warming. We have cut forest, trees for human dwellings and enterprise. Now in spite of choked lungs in the crowded city we don’t like to think deeper and make that small extra effort to save the green. Ironically, it is also true that all builders and architects are being forced to accommodate green space in their plans, precisely for environmental concerns. There is an active green bench in all courts of the lands. Saving planet from perils of climate change and global warming is top priority of UN, Obama and all world leaders. Big changes are being implemented to cut carbon emission. But majority of residents want to be one large happy family oblivious to all harsh realities. Moreover the arguments say that greenery can be restored and green grass and plants amount to very little oxygen. Wish one could restore greenery around the globe so easily!
On Conflict, Gender and Rethinking the Battlefield
Conflict. While I do not think that letting select issues just “fly under the radar” will solve any problems I get a feeling that fighting across well-worn battlefields will only obscure the ultimate goals of reducing the need for conflict at all. I am responding creatively here to a previous post about the predominance and apparently endless ascendency of Man and masculinity at the cost of Woman. I agree that there is a certain undeniable centrality and power that has been assumed by the male in relation to the female in culture, history, media, politics and so on. However – I feel that the battle is being fought over ground so wretched with despair and the intellectual corpses of so many great thinkers that it has come to resemble a kind of Somme battlefield of muddy and endless carnage and destruction. I frame this as a separate discussion than that of the analysis and uncovering of the many ways in which men do exploit, dominate and abuse women – the argument as demonstrated here is about what may be underlying issues to this gender imbalance.
