It is no secret that the United States faces a cultural crisis.
In the last decade, the U.S. has gone through profound social changes brought about by the internet, globalization and a massive demographic shift. All of this confusion and anxiety is compounded by the breakdown of communities across the United States since the mid-20th century. Americans are increasingly lonely and have fewer friends than they used to, while participation in community events and organizations has declined markedly.
Americans are also increasingly skeptical of one another; around one-third of Americans feel they can trust others while, a generation ago, half of Americans trusted their fellow citizens. Our atomized modern world has shifted the focus from community and social bonds to the individual. These cultural and psychological changes have not only made Americans lonelier, unhappier and more unsatisfied, they have also eroded the importance of traditional social institutions that give people meaning in life.
These cultural changes have also come alongside massive worker displacement. The labor force participation rate is at 62.9 percent; in 2008, it was 66 percent. Some of this can be accounted for by the rising number of retirees, but some of this decline is the result of the disappearance of jobs due to technological progress and cheaper labor overseas. The decline of well-paying, blue-collar jobs is another form of social degradation. Many people take real meaning from their work, especially if they have a family.
This trend is only getting worse. This month, Tesla Motors unveiled the closest thing to a self-driving car we have seen. At the same time, 3 million men across the United States drive trucks or cars for a living. Self-driving cars, when they are inevitably embraced for their benefit to public safety, will displace millions of workers.
The results of these massive cultural and economic changes can be seen in the changing fortunes of middle-aged white Americans. This group saw mortality rates rise between 1999 and 2015, a marked deviation from the general downward trend in death rates. Some of this increase is attributable to opioid and heroin use, suicide and alcohol abuse. The divorce rate in these communities has also risen.
Lack of employment and a general feeling of despair have also created a deep divide between affluent and non-affluent communities. Young, affluent Americans have actually increased their rates of civic and community engagement while less fortunate American youth have withdrawn from their communities. High rates of divorce and single-parent households have meant that parents have less time to spend with already at risk and disillusioned kids.
Rates of churchgoing have actually increased for affluent communities and decreased for non-affluent Americans. In short, the feeling of cultural and economic displacement has driven these communities into despair and degraded important social institutions like the nuclear family and a strong community based around trust. These specific trends are more recent, but the same trends can be seen in poor minority communities all over the United States, a legacy from the disappearance of manufacturing jobs, poor policing and discriminatory hiring practices.
Secular, upper-class liberals, many of whom attend university, generally look down on traditional social structures. They disdain nationalism and oppressive traditions while emphasizing the paramount importance of individual empowerment. Unfortunately, these traditional social structures provide for stability not only in disadvantaged communities but in privileged ones as well. The only cure for a deeply unsatisfied, unhappy and lonely United States is a reinvigoration of national purpose and mission, to give us a sense of direction, hope and community. The only way to heal our deep scars is to rediscover the joys of community and belonging that have long fallen out of fashion.
One way to do this is to invest in a massive civil service program that can at once give young Americans everywhere, from all classes and regions of the country, an opportunity to meet others who are different from them and provide necessary services to disadvantaged communities. Additionally, a civil service program can instill in young Americans a positive sense of community and nationhood, binding us together through shared values like hard work, charity and unity. Another necessity is the reform of our deeply troubled education system which has failed too many children for too long.
While making our schools more efficient, our public education system should also engage in rigorous civic education, making a concerted effort to instill children with the importance of charity, democratic values and community engagement. I have great confidence in the American capacity for change. Now we just have to set about making it.
Aaron Bondar is a sophomore double-majoring in economics and political science.