Any society can be compared to a living organism that gets born, grows and changes according to the time, environment and processes that go on internally. Any group of people has their own beliefs and regulations which are backed up by history, traditions and culture.
In any society there are people who get their opinion widely known and they are sometimes called visionaries. For the past twenty years, society has experienced many rapid changes, and thinkers and writers often offered their opinions, as to what is going on under the surface and where the present world is going to be in the future.
All societies have intricate traditions and structures with work and leisure time. One of the oldest activities that people are engaged in is sports or any kind of physical games. Steve Craig, in his book titled “Sports and Games of the Ancients” looks at how societies view games and how they are comprehended personally and socially. One of the important points is that each society has a form of games that are played publicly, for people’s entertainment.
Socially, it says several things, as the population is very multifaceted. Primarily, it is that people need a form of entertainment that can be watched live. People are interested in seeing other fellow human beings in action and the key feature of the sport which is its unpredictability makes the viewing even more exciting and desired. The unique nature of games is very original because it cannot be fully predicted and people are drawn to that (Craig 1).
Comparing to the television, where people are playing out formed scripts, games are much different. Even though previously, in the early days, there were games and the need for them, people’s interest and commercialization have grown immensely at the onset of television and other mass media. This led to people wanting more and expecting sights that were non-existent before.
It begs a question of why do people really need entertainment and what would happen without it. It is a part of human soul and emotional existence, as without it, people would have work and duties that are a part of the routine and not feelings. A close connection to the pleasures of life is explored by Deborah Blum in her book “Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection”.
Just as people need mass and public entertainment, they need affection and love. This is one of the starting points in life and it very much sets up the rest of a person’s development. It is interesting that the way a person will feel about themselves, others, their ability to be in public places, feel confidence and connection to people; all these things get influenced by how the infant and child are treated.
She mentions Harry Harlow who did experiments with monkeys and was rather successful. The experiments proved that baby monkey sometimes needed affection and “warmth” of their mother more than food. This and other experiments, as well as the views of Deborah Blum reiterate the fact that people need love and any society must have healthy and loving individuals for the whole nation or country to prosper (Blum 15).
In a work titled “The Pyrotechnic Insanitarium: American Culture on the Brink”, Mark Dery describes a new age of life and society. The twenty first century has brought many changes and the focus can be seen on the rapid development of entertainment but also, on the negatives and short backs of society.
The conspiracy theory is mentioned, and people start to realize that in the fast moving world there are things that could be unseen and under the surface. It is somewhat rebated by saying that in reality, there are no conspiracies and the politics are very much openly viewed but it does not seem convincing.
The entertainment and pleasures of people are going hand in hand with the horrors that human mind offers. With the increasing crime rates and technological advancement, people are receiving more information and problems to deal with. The heights of human brain power are allowing predicting that the future will bring even more challenges and people will face something that has never been seen before (Dery 30).
It is very true that human mind is still a mystery and it is quite difficult to see what people are capable of. Alfred Lubrano discuses another part of the changing world in a book titled “Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams”. He especially points to the division between people socially and personally. For as long as there has been humanity, people have had different duties according to own views but also to the world around them.
The division between the working and the middle class is what Alfred Lubrano talks about. He describes the qualities of people who are born to be a part of the middle class and that there is no way of becoming anything else. It touches upon the moral issue of a person desiring what they want to do in their life but at the same time, creating opportunities to achieve whatever it is they strive to reach.
Education is mentioned as an important part of the process in becoming successful and this reflects in the scope of bigger things in society. This is becoming very true in any part of the world, as the evolution of technologies and workforce is delving into a different sphere, uncommon to the previous century. The world is becoming business oriented and there are many individuals who consider it their life’s calling to become a part of it (Lubrano 10).
Vivian Sobchack takes a look at the modern society and examines the future in the work titled “Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment and Moving Image Culture”. The world is acquiring so many angles and perspectives that it is becoming harder to keep track of. She refers to “Hansel and Gretel” in relation to the fact that without the “breadcrumbs” people might become lost (Sobchack 13). This representation is meant to show that people need guidance.
The future world has many mysteries and people need organization and each other’s help to find the way. The world is becoming divided into spaces that are foreign and sometimes, unequal. Even though this is an age of knowledge and people’s rights, there is still much to learn, especially in the relationship between people and different groups. Vivian Sobchack qualifies people as being lost in the world, not knowing what to do and how to adjust to the fast moving pace.
There starts to evolve a sort of separation between the world and the masses, and an individual is not aware of what is expected of them regarding themselves and society. People start to create false realities and whatever they think is right, eventually becomes empty space and people are forced to re-think their goals and dreams. Another look at the modern world and the way it is being run is taken by Linda Seger in a book “Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Republicans Don’t Have the Corner on Christ”.
The author compares people’s religious beliefs to the political system and what is expects and required of people (Seger 7). Many are faced with sacrifices that have to be made for the system to prosper. But there is also a different side of the coin, where others get rich at the expense of people who are fulfilling their duty to be a good citizen.
Linda Seger reinforces that in order for people to go into the future, they must be understanding and kind to each other. The simplicity of their actions and straightforward manner will create best conditions of life for all human beings. The new age has given people power to vote for their leaders and enjoy the rights and freedoms that are naturally given but is unclear what these freedoms can sometimes bring.
All the writers and thinkers have a very common theme that centers on people which is their needs and the evolving society. People want to be happy and keep finding ways of how to enjoy the life. Even though the majority bases their existence on goodness, there are those who want to use the population and gain more than is needed. This leads to an important question of the changing world and the expectancies that people have towards it. It must be just and equal to all and this should be the motto of the future.
Works Cited
Blum, Deborah. Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. New York, United States: Basic Books, 2011. Print.
Craig, Steve. Sports and Games of The Ancients. Westport, United States: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. Print.
Dery, Mark. The Pyrotechnic Insanitarium: American Culture on the Brink. New York, United States: Grove Press, 2000. Print.
Lubrano, Alfred. Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams. Hoboken, United States: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print.
Seger, Linda. Jesus Rode A Donkey: Why Republicans Don’t Have the Corner on Christ. Avon, United States: Adams Media, 2010. Print.
Sobchack, Vivian. Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment and Moving Image Culture. Los Angeles, United States: University of California Press, 2004. Print.