How do we improve the quality of life in our community today?  It starts with every individual person.  Each person can help by taking responsibility for himself, equalizing opportunities in society, infusing character and values into his children, preparing students for the work place, and removing fear and disdain that many members of the oldest and youngest generations feel towards one another.

First, each person can help improve the quality of life in our communities by taking responsibility for himself.  Richard Eckersley writes, “How we choose to live affects the world, there is no escaping that, we should choose to live to change the world.”  Each able-bodied person should take care of himself.  In other words, each person should have a job or occupation.  A study of skills in inner cities by the Milken Institute, a think-tank in California, depressingly found that 35% of former welfare recipients could not perform simple tasks, such as finding a place on a street map, and 41% could not use a calculator to work out a 10% discount.  With a job each person is able to have money for the necessary things a person has to have to live. This way he doesn’t have to live off of the governments money.

Second, each person can help improve the quality of life in our communities by equalizing economic opportunities in society.  With equal opportunities, the poor will be getting better chances in life.  Eckersley emphasizes, “If people don’t see the economic opportunity, they drop out of civil society.”  “We live in a society where the rich are getting richer much faster than are the poor, many of whom are getting poorer,” Eckersley points out. 

Third, each person can help improve the quality of life in our community by infusing character and values into his children.  By doing this people can help their children grow up as responsible and independent adults.  When they become adults that are responsible and independent, then they can teach their children character and values.  Truett Cathy states, “Children will do as their parents say until about the age of 14; from then on, they usually do as their parents do.” 

Fourth, each person can help improve the quality of life in our communities by preparing students for the work place.  Eckersley states, “The main political justification for promoting growth is jobs.  Economic expansion may be better than contraction in increasing employment, but it is also now creating more overwork and underwork, more job insecurity, and a widening income gap.  All these things, like unemployment, put pressure on individuals, families, and the whole fabric of society.”  If we prepare them for the job field, then they will find better jobs, know how to work well with other people, and maybe find a higher paying job for their experience.  The poor unemployed may be a new labor pool, but companies may not find them all that useful.  Truett Cathy set up an institution of foster homes for kids called the WinShape Homes.  “ Everyone involved in the WinShape Homes is in it for the long haul.  That means that the relationship doesn’t end when the children turn eighteen.  “We don’t throw them out at eighteen.  We help in career planning and make sure their future is taken into account, just like a real family would,” says Truett Cathy.  This helps them to know they are needed and wanted, and they become responsible individuals because of this.

Fifth, each person can help improve the quality of life in our communities by removing the fear and disdain that many members of the oldest and youngest generations feel towards one another.  “The baby boomers are the healthiest and most educated generation in history,” Challenger notes. Most likely, a large amount of these people will start their own business, instead of staying at home.  They might hire other retirees to work for them.  This would establish “gray businesses” made up of older workers.  Years of experience and extensive prospects will make these older workers greatly competitive. “Some of these retiree entrepreneurs will offer services to the large number of Generation X’ers who will be having families,” Challenger Predicts.  If this is accomplished, then they can learn to work well with each other.  This keeps order among members of the community.  

Improving the community requires a lot of responsibility from every individual.  Each individual person can help by taking responsibility for himself, equalizing economic opportunities in society, infusing character and values into his children, preparing students for the work place, and removing fear and disdain that many members of the oldest and youngest generations feel towards one another.

                                                References

Barry, J.W.  (1998).  Doing good by eating chicken.  Philanthropy 3 (96), 5.

Eckersley, R.  (1998).  Is life really getting better.  The Futurist (January).

Eckersley, R.  (1998).  Tomorrow’s child.  Newsweek 133 (19), 54,56.

Minerd, J.  (1999).  A “gray wave” of entrepreneurs.  The Futurist (January).

The pockerts of poverty world tour.  (1999, July 10).  The Economist, 23.

Q1- How does society invest in marriage in the USA and in Manus?

    A1- In the USA a marriage is hardly even considered anymore.  To live together two people do not have to go through all the legalities.  In Pat Wingert’s article, “I Do-I Do Maybe,” she exclaims, “Getting married used to be a prerequisite for the most important decisions of life: having sex, living together and making babies.  Today it’s common for unmarried couples to move in together, pick out china, buy a dog-even conceive a child- without bothering with the legalities.”  In Manus a marriage is a major investment, just as factories, stores or export companies are major investments in the USA.  In the betrothal payment for a male child, a number of relatives invest dog’s teeth and shell money, and the recipients on the bride’s side pay back these amounts later in pigs and oil.  They base their investment on tried or enduring marriages; they are canny about backing a man who has been divorced many times.

Q2- Interview 10 married people.  (No Names.)  State the length and number of each one’s marriages and a line or two of advice from each on how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

            A2- 1) One marriage of nineteen years- Be sure you don’t rush into anything just to be getting married.  Make sure they are the right one for you.

2)     Three marriages,  first marriage-three years, second marriage-two years, third marriage- 10 years—Don’t get married to young, and don’t get married unless your in love.

3)     One marriage of five years-Make sure that the person is someone that you’re going to be happy with.

4)     One marriage of 50 years- You need to have good communication and cooperation with each other.

5)     Two marriages, first marriage-two years, second marriage- three years—You need to have trust, love and respect.

6)     Two marriages,  first marriage-34 years, second marriage-four years—You need to love each other with your whole heart and trust each other. Companionship is a good quality, also.

7)     One marriage of 25 years- A good relationship with God and each other.

8)     One marriage of ten years-cooperation, love, and respect towards each other.

9)     One marriage of six years- trust and communication

10) One marriage of 31 years- You need to love God and each other , and be able to communicate.

Q3- According to Richard Eckersley, what should our collective goal be?

            A3- Our collective goal should be to dematerialize society without reducing the quality of life.

Q4- Write a worthy goal for your community.

            A4-A worthy goal for our community is to choose to live to change the world.

Q5- Comment on the excerpts from “Tomorrow’s Child.”

            A5- I think that children need their parents around, or adult supervision, to be brought up as responsible adults.   I think that we need our middle class, and we need to help save the middle class.

Q6- How does the fact the USA is a democracy make lawyers particularly helpful, according to Kathleen Sullivan?  How does our diversity, wealth, and size make lawyers particularly helpful?

            A6- Lawyers are helpful in a democracy, because Americans tend to be mistrustful of centralized government.  They help mediate across diversity of custom, or faction.  In wealth they help solve problems like clean air, clean water, healthcare, and the longevity of human life.

Q7- Ms. Sullivan claims bad practices are changed either by regulations or punitive damages.  Which do you prefer and why?  Can you think of an alternative?

            A7-????

Q8-Briefly describe three ways society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers, according to the required reading.

A8- They will start their own business and hire other retirees, offer services to the large number of Generation X’ers, who will be having families.

Q9- Evaluate the likelihood of President Clinton’s anti- poverty program making a real impact.  Give at least three reasons to back up your conclusions.

            A9- ?????

Q10- Name three things Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have in common.

            A10- They were both very active in the school system, set up summer camps, and set up scholarships.