The Decline of the Perceived Concept of Family - Literature review Example

The Decline of the Perceived Concept of Family since the 1950s with Examples from “Trainspotting” and “Brick Lane” Introduction The family was defined for the modern world during the 1950s when domestic bliss quickly followed the increases in consumer culture industry after the technological advances that came from World War II was applied to civilian life. As industry inclined, do then did increases in income that could be used to support the various luxuries that were created within a world that no longer struggled with food and shelter. However, with the decline of the village style of life and the increase of the consumerist culture, a divide was caused between the adolescents and their parents. Thus, the decline of the family can be seen to have come from the financial redistribution of wealth. In an examination of the two novels, “Trainspotting” and “Brick Lane”, the results of these changes in culture can be observed and compared. In “Trainspotting”, the youth culture can be observed at its worst, filled with the consequences of drug use and defined by the lack of connectivity that the characters have experienced within their community. Without the imposition of responsibility within a community, the young will find ways to rebel and act out against the unknown future. In “Brick Lane”, the consequences of a future that is defined for a woman becomes the central discussion. In contrast to the indulgences of the freedoms of individualism, this novel emphasizes the obedience to family that creates a designed future. In looking at these two extremes, an understanding of the decline of the family can be framed within the context of the observations made by the authors of these novels. Cause of the Decline in the Family Since World War II, the definition of the family went through a rapid incline in exalting its nature through the 1950s with a slow deterioration since that time, lamenting the concepts that were developed in that period. During World War II, families went through a period of emotional trauma with the war both pulling them apart and forcing them to cling together in order to survive the threats that the nation faced. However, in the aftermath of war, the generations began to divide, the youth not connecting to the experiences of their elders. When examined from two different aspects of literary content, the concept of the family has been torn by a development of an elitist youth grouping that now continues to define popular culture as each generation rises to meet a consumerist power that has been put into their hands. During the 1950s, a divide was experienced between the youth of the generation and their elders, incited by the economic changes that took place during that time. A consumerist culture developed through a redistribution of income that favoured the youth with more disposable income. With the rise of individualized transportation, the independence of the young began to change and the reactions of those in their teens and twenties to those of an older age began to exhibit a less dependent nature.1 Industrialization allowed for the separation of generations as the young can leave the family to find work rather than continue within a familial community. Individualism created differences in parenting styles, leading to less connectivity to both the smaller community of the family and the greater community. As the individual began to become more important than the community, the way in which children have been reared has dramatically changed. With the changes that were initiated by the shifts in Western culture where work is concerned, an unknown future for each next generation was created. Rather than continuing forward the traditions of survival of their parents, children are now faced with the challenge of seeking out their own path, somewhat negating the experiences of their parents for the design of their life’s work in favour of a design they must create themselves.2 Where the meaning of life was far more simple in villages where the sons and daughters saw clearly defined roles in which they had to adhere in order to perpetuate survival, the increases in disposable income, combined with the unknown nature of the future created a chasm between children and their parents as they felt the pressures of forced independence from the collective. Because of this separation and the increases in disposable income, children have found themselves in a position of anxiety which creates behaviours that can be defined as rebellious. Where basic survival is no longer a central issue, the authority of parents becomes diminished because strict obedience is no longer the key to food and shelter.3 The sons and daughters of those living in the industrialized world are not required to do anything in order to contribute to survival, thus their role in society has become confused. Roles are no longer clearly established and children are told they can do anything they want with their lives, but unfortunately when you can do anything you want, sometimes what you want is not good for the self or for the community. Without defined roles, the youth of the generations that followed the rise in industrialization in the 1950s with increases in income that caused the rapid incline of the consumerist society had time and money with which to explore aspects of life that were not always positive. The results of this lack of context within life can be seen in the novel “Trainspotting” by Irvine Welsh. ‘Trainspotting” Previous to World War II, the concept of the rebellious youth was an anomaly in a community. Without the obedience of the young, the survival of the community was in question. Responsibility was a necessity and the continuation of family businesses was often the only way for all the roles to be fulfilled.4 Not only did each family member know what they should do in order to fulfill the needs of their community, it was essential that each member take responsibility for their role in order to ensure survival. The novel “Trainspotting” discusses the consequences of the young as they have little to no connectivity to a community that depends upon them, thus allowing for the money and the time to explore drug use to create dire consequences for their lives. The way in which the young view their elders is based upon the idea that they have caused them damage. Welsh writes “People talk aboot youngsters and vandalism, but what about the psychic vandalism caused by these auld bastards?”5 This comment helps to frame the point of view of the characters within this novel towards a world that gave them no guidance and no purpose. The section of the novel titled “The Skag Boys, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Mother Superior” discusses the addiction to heroin and its affects. The section discusses the use from a hedonistic point of view, the use of the drug compared to an orgasm, the insertion of the needle the penetration and the injection of the fluid compared to an ejaculation. The response of the female is described as orgasmic, her face reflecting this comparison.6 Hedonistic needs begin to become important in a society that no longer fears for its survival. This need for the rush that comes from behaviours that are self-destructive seem to be comparable to those experienced in Rome after its rise in materialistic wealth. When survival is no longer a daily threat, hedonistic activities appear to supplant the requirement of responsible behaviour.7 The novel reveals a complete lack of connection to the community outside of themselves, their activities all revolving around the core use of heroin. In this microcosm, the community has become interdependent upon the resources that each can provide in order to create their lifestyle. “Sick Boy hugged Swanney tightly, then eased off, his airms arooned him. They were relaxed; like lovers in a post-coital embrace” 8 Without the roles that would have made them integral to the survival of their families and their community, these youths create a community within themselves, filled with hedonistic gratification and interdependent upon one another in order to seek out this gratification. This is why one of the first things that happen when a person goes into recovery is that they must stop associating with those members of their life who participated with them in chemical dependency.9 The community that has become so tightly dependant must be broken in order to find the support of a healthier community. The cause of this type of interdependent community can be associated with the need for defined roles within a social group. Through the rise of the concept of the need for individuality and the forced independence that is expected of the young, the authority that should have been conferred to parents is diminished and the losses of specified familial roles has created a gap that must be filled within the person through some sort of sense of belonging within a community.10 The characters in “Trainspotting” all fulfil a role within their social group. Some lead, while others follow. Because the family rarely defines the roles of their children, it can be observed that in searching randomly for roles within a community, the wrong community can be discovered. “Brick Lane” The story of “Brick Lane”, however, observes a contrast between children from the same family who seek roles outside of those prescribed to them. In the caste system, the people within the system understand that individualism is not the primary context in which they live, but collective needs are put above those of the individual so that the survival of the class is maintained. This supports the greater community in that all of the roles continue to be filled. The country of origin that is explored within this novel is Bangladeshi, a small country that borders India and shares the caste system of social grouping. In the caste system, people develop a collective mind their needs set aside for the needs of the collective, a hierarchy of authority guiding the big decisions of life.11 In this system, while also beginning to see deterioration in the face of Westernized industrialization and consumerist ethics, forms a structure from which life is defined. The protagonist in “Brick Lane”, Nazneen, is sent to Britain for an arranged marriage, her obedience to her family more important than her own desires. Her sister, on the other hand, married for love but ended up in a marriage that was violent and to her own detriment. However, in entering the Western world, Nazneen also finds that the way in which her life had been framed begins to change. Ali writes, “The village was leaving her. Sometimes a picture would come. Vivid; so strong she could smell it…As the years passed the layers of netting multiplied and she began to rely on a different kind of memory. The memory of things she knew, but no longer saw”.12 In discussing the nature of things with her children, it is the memory of how things are suppose to be that drives her answers. Sometimes, her answers are only framed by the comment “that was God’s will”13 When a member of a collective does not know why things happen or are expected, a fatalist type of construct must be made in order to explain life. This becomes a resignation that can be accepted. Conclusion In comparing the differences between the youths in “Trainspotting” and to the events of the life of Nazneen in “Brick Lane”, it can be seen that there are human needs for individualism, but that the way in which society has grown has left a great many people feeling displaced and without a position within the family. Therefore, the family has disintegrated as connectivity between the members of the family and the family to the larger community is no longer needed. It takes a great deal of strength to find direction within one’s own life and the fact that parents are no longer charting a course for their children leaves many of them adrift. This disconnection between the past and the future has diminished the authority that parents once had, thus furthering the loss of family strength. The novels both provide a discourse on the way in which family has changed since the 1950s when examined through a sociological point of view. Bibliography Ali Monica. “Brick Lane”. (London: Simon & Schuster, 2003). Bee-Gates, Donna. “I Want It Now: Navigating Childhood in a Materialistic World” (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007). Bedarida, Francois. “A Social History of England, 1851-1990” (Paris: Librairie Arthaud, 1975). Doweiko, Harold E. “Concepts of Chemical Dependency” (Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, 2009). Esquith, Stephen L. “The Political Responsibilities of Everyday Bystanders” (University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2010). Mines, Diane P, and Sarah Lamb. “Everyday Life in South Asia” (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010). Rosen, Bernard C. “The Industrial Connection: Achievement and the Family in Developing Societies” (New York: Aldine, 1982). Welsh, Irvine. “Trainspotting“. (New York: W. W. Norton, 2002). Willis, Katharine S, Konstantinos Chorianopoulos, George Roussos, and Mirjam Struppek. “Shared Encounters” (London: Springer-Verlag London, 2010). Read More