Moral And Civic

Keith Benson Civics, Citizenship, and Social Studies 9.28.2006 Dr. Beth Rubin Is there a crisis in moral and civic life?

In a short answer, I do not believe there is a crisis in moral or civic life any more than there has ever been. There has always been a tendency for older generations to criticize the younger generation for avoiding responsibility. Stephen Bennett writes, “Adults’ tendency to identify wayward attitudes and conduct among the young is well established.” (Mann, 11) The “new” moral and civic laziness on the part of younger generations is nothing that has not been experienced before. At present, I do believe there are many people who are not engaged in the American civic and political scene; and I do believe the reason for this may be different from years past, but overall, the inactivity on behalf of the larger American population is and has been part of our national culture. Using an example from American history to draw support, the American Revolution which gave our nation its independence is a shining example of American civic in-activity. The revolution was initiated by groups of colonial, New England men who would meet in taverns to complain about the unfair practices of British rule, and to propose possible solutions and courses of action. These groups of young men would later be called the Sons of Liberty. Over the course of time, events would take place and allout war would occur with our mother county, Great Britain. And all though, it is widely believed Americans were united against England during the American Revolution, history teaches this was not the case. While the patriots and Minuteman may not have been some

“fringe” group, many Americans took no part in the conflict and had very little interest in it at all. Many citizens in colonial America passively observed the events concerning the Revolution with a more or less curiosity. Moving ahead to modern Americans lacking of civic and moral participation, a few issues within the readings raised some interesting points. Putnam and Bennett seem to take the concrete position that there is a real moral and civic crisis in terms of younger Americans being unaware, inactive and apathetic toward the country’s civic life. “Some means must be found to overcome youthful indifference to politics; otherwise the future of America’s democratic experiment looks bleak.” (Parker, 9) While Putnam looks at a variety of “suspects” that lead to this phenomenon, like the invention and inclusion of televisions in the American households, former housewives entering the workforce, suburbanization, etc., I do not believe Putnam adequately addresses the holistic effect of the combination of all the factors he mentions. Putnam mentions there is a decline in participation of civic organizations like “PTA’s, the Red Cross, the Elks club and even “bowling leagues.”(Putnam, 1) All of which may be true, but he doesn’t mention the motives of people who were once involved in these groups and organizations. Putnam’s article is based firmly on the assumption that people were involved in civic groups because of a feeling of civic duty or responsibility. What if that wasn’t the case? Suppose, for instance, a single young man joined a bowling league simply to find entertainment. When before the Generation X era, televisions weren’t widely used to fill the entertainment void, today it is. Therefore, the cause of inactivity within the bowling league may not be due to apathy or indifference, or the invention of the TV, but the motive of the young man was fulfilled through another medium. Also, is it

possible a housewife may have joined a PTA to simply to have something to do, or be apart of? Now more than ever, as Putnam points out, more women and mothers are joining the workforce – as a result, their desire for something to do is filled through another means. Also, we cannot overestimate what the boom in population from the 1940’s to the present, has contributed to the opinion that Americans young are especially disinterested. According to the US Census, in 1940 there were 132,000,000 million Americans, compared to the 280,000,000 today. The population since 1940 has more than doubled. With the rising population in America, there is also a rise in younger people. And, as a general rule, older generations are more inclined to be active civically and politically. And their opportunity to “witness” what appears to be apathetic behavior exhibited by the country’s rising rate of young people, also increases. Neither Putnam, Bennett, nor the Civic Missions of Schools mention this seemingly glaring factor. The Civic Mission of Schools article comments that “Young people’s voter participation rates have declined substantially and that they are less interested in public affair than they once were.” (21) Most of the figures in both this article and those in Bennett’s, are based solely from surveys and polls, which in itself, is mostly opinion based and, therefore, biased. One question that was asked in a survey in the Bennett’s article was, “How often do you follow public affairs?” What does the term “follow” mean? The definition of “follow” can mean different things to different people. Responses to questions like these in unscientific surveys and polls are the foundation of all of the article’s argument and assessments.

I do believe, however, that more young people need to become civically aware, knowledgeable and active. But that can be said of all generations in this country. After all, only about 55 per cent of all eligible American voters vote in presidential elections; and even less in congressional and local elections. This is not wholly the fault of younger Americans. Further, I am in agreement with Putnam in saying television has led to a downturn in public, and civic activity but I do not believe it is the “prime suspect” as he leads on. I am inclined to believe there are certain economic issues today that did not exist before, or to a lesser degree. In this country presently, the middle class is vanishing. It costs more to do less; now, more so than in past generations. As a result, more people in the household, not just women, are seeking more ways to bring in more income. The traditional 9 to 5 job has been largely replaced by “round the clock” operations. Also, many more Americans are working more than one job, and more Americans, younger generations included, are working 2nd and 3rd shifts with more frequency. It is no longer a given that the whole family will be finished working, and home together by 6 pm. None of the articles take this into account. Also, none of the articles mention that more young people are pursuing postsecondary and graduate education than ever before. School, for many young generations, is their civic engagement. It would be beneficial to America to have younger generations more involved in American civic life, but I do not believe the country is witnessing an especially alarming deficiency in regards to their involvement.