The fractured society

There is a general impression, whether true or not, that the UK is now a fractured society with widespread discourtesy, too easy a resort to casual violence, to theft (including shoplifting) and a readiness to feel insulted and abused by any form of criticism.

It might be too late to initiate a broad cultural and policy-driven effort in the UK to combat discourtesy, casual violence, theft, and resentment toward any kind of criticism. These problems are complex and deeply embedded in social behavior, culture, and public discourse.

 We might include school classes in debate and argument. We could train school students to respectfully argue opposing views. This combats both fragility and aggression. We might teach critical thinking and social media literacy, equipping students to respond thoughtfully, rather than reactively, to difficult ideas or news. This might include openness to feedback and dissenting views, especially in education, politics, and media.

 They could be taught that online culture often rewards outrage, whereas youth needs frameworks for processing disagreement and critique without resorting to resentment.

 Part of the problem is that people have been fed the notion that some views are so important that any behaviour is justified to promote them. Whether it is the environment, fossil fuels, or support for one group of foreign extremists against others, people have been given the impression that discourtesy, violence, and spoiling the enjoyment of others to draw attention to themselves are all justified by the righteousness of their cause.

 Young people want to make a difference, and in cases where they cannot, they need to be convinced that violent language and behaviour achieve nothing.

 Crime is more difficult to deal with. Some people in the UK come from cultures where petty crime is the norm, and where respect for the persons and the property of others is much lower than it has traditionally been in domestic UK culture. That traditional culture should be asserted, with leading public figures and influencers extolling the merits of decency, restraint and respect.

And maybe the police could be redirected into tackling real crime, even petty crime, rather than pursuing ‘disrespect’ on social media.

People have been taught to feel a sense of victimhood, to feel a sense of thwarted entitlement. The reverse lesson needs to be put across: that they have responsibilities to treat others decently, and that achievement and success have to be earned.

 Could it be done? The rot has set very deep and it would take a major cultural change to reverse it. But no-one ever made changes by sitting on their backsides and accepting the status quo.

Madsen Pirie