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Post by Tara on Dec 1, 2005 16:54:20 GMT -5
I recently had a discussion with a few people about why Americans seem to have such a hard time keeping the homicide level down. (We also touched up in threads on other parts of the board about whether one is predisposed t being violent, simply because of genetic factors.) Looking into the history of other countries, it isn't as if they've had more violent histories. Not necesarily the case. We also checked into the presence of guns and weaponry... wasn't the case either. There are other countries that have lots of weapons like we do.
So we've come to the conclusion that it is because we live in a fear-based society. We are trained to fear anyone and anything that isn't like us. And we are trained by the media....like the news for example.
What do you think? Do you think that's wrong?
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Post by teancum79 on Dec 1, 2005 17:09:56 GMT -5
Well my thoughts are:
1. We live in a society that promotes violence as a way to solve problems. Mr. Deeds was a funny movie, but the hero solves a lot of his problems by beating people up. The same holds true of many other movies and actors. Cage, Van Dame, Stallone, The Matrix etc.
2. We have very individualistic society. Me myself and I have to win. I saw a video awhile back (no idea what it was). This guy made a simple game of moving a peace on a board if the peace got to you side of the table you got a candy. If the peace got to the other side of the table the other kid got a candy. You could each move the peace one space at a time. Kids from America never got any candy as the peace went back and forth across the middle line. The kids from I think a South American country took turns getting candy. Anyway long story short if I come first and you don’t matter it is okay to hurt you.
3. We’ve stopped promoting the basic values that help keep peace. One person said that “guns never came to school until God was locked out.” Only one of many possible social controls on behavior, but the fewer we have the more violence is going to happen.
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Post by Tara on Dec 2, 2005 11:05:02 GMT -5
Hmm... the South American example was quite interesting. Does anyone else have a reason why we may be the way we are?
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Post by ophelia97 on Dec 2, 2005 13:00:28 GMT -5
I've heard of some studies that showed a decerase in living condition (it was restricted to urban areas, though) with a rise in aggresion and psychological problems.
It makes sense if you apply it to the US on its own, but doesn't hold up overall, since many other countries have more poverty but less violence. It seems like a cultural difference, or our fast paced and demanding soceity creating more stress and hostility.
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