Peter Blocks and John McKnights Abundant community - Essay Example

Lecturer: Contrast essay Peter Block’s and John McKnight’s Abundant community: Awakening the power of Families and Neighborhoods is a book that contrasts two perceptions where one of the perceptions is the present mentality that is consumer oriented and entails no one being good enough. More often than not people within communities are considered as problems that require solutions usually by specialists who think they know what is best. The second point of view is of an economy that is abundant founded on life in the community, hospitality as well as gifts of the people in the community. Nevertheless, communities usually take upon themselves to assist other members in reaching their goals and achieving what they strive for (McKnight and Block, 87). According to the authors of Abundant Community, an abundant community entails individuals coming together in order to share their gifts and this allows them to recognize that they possess what they require to satisfy life within their neighborhoods. Thesis statement: Consumerism allows individuals to satisfy their lives but abundant communities allow people to develop full and complete lives. Through proposing a partial solution to consumerism, the Abundant Community seeks to create an argument towards changing the culture of specific neighborhoods towards cultures of service traditional citizenship, which is considers as the means to actual community, welfare and health. The authors support their ideology using various points along with practical suggestions of how to begin using practical suggestions that seek to define the argument while at the same time inciting the readers to act. Contrasting generosity, kindness and hospitality Peter Block and John McKnight comprehensively address the elucidations of generosity, kindness and hospitality among others. Nonetheless, what can be considered as most intriguing is the manner in which they address cooperation. They consider it as an aspect that brings a lot of joy to women even though it is not abundant as far as the consumerist culture is concerned. Conversely, competition is an aspect that the authors consider as causing joy to men, while at the same time being the symbol of capitalism (McKnight and Block, 87). The authors do not dwell on the manner in which the changing gender roles or women seeking active employment, therefore leaving their neighborhoods uninhabited during the day, might associate with such loss. Therefore, the authors do not explore the opportunities that can place consumerism in wider sociological and historical contexts that would ultimately allow for a more profound analysis of what they consider a problem. For the ones who are concerned with the impact of consumerism concerning the recessions about the welfare of children, disparity in regards of living standards, the elderly, health as well as safety as food supply, it is sensible that people actually turn to their neighbors for assistance. Neighborhoods that are functioning have the ability to sustain people and provide them with a sense of satisfaction in regards to safety, youth, prosperity and health among others (McKnight and Block, 68). In history, it is evident that being neighborly is that was able to sustain people as they made attempts for their survival in the wilderness and this is the same manner that the world is considered by numerous people in the present times. Nonetheless, if this is the case, then the question arises as to why people consider leaving their neighborhoods in order to discover new passions, talents and gifts of other people who may be strangers (McKnight and Block, 69). The arguments that are most common against abundant communities are privacy and time as one cannot have the time to interact with all the people; additionally, people do not intend to invade the privacies of others. Therefore, such concerns should not be considered at face value. The most significant message in consumer societies continue to be that regardless of what one is, what they have is not sufficient. This implies that the regardless of the amount of hard work that an individual puts in, more is needed and all the time a person has should be directed at productivity. Therefore, the prevailing message as far as individualism is concerned is that more is necessary and needed, and more is thus the point (McKnight and Block 76). Contrasting satisfaction It is also important to note that neighborhoods can have a profound positive effect on the people in current time that are characterized by pressured environments Even at times that are characterized by economic prosperity and high amounts of profits similar to those seen in the past two decades, all the workplaces continue to insist on performance while at the same time using a minimal number of resources. Economies are operating around the clock every day of the week and this best demonstrates the manner in which economies based on scarcity operate. Living under such conditions for a prolonged period of time results in a situation where the people consider it as real. The loves for speed, contraption of time along with the multi-functioning environments are some of the issues that neighborliness considers. Creating communities and neighbors along with relationships require time; additionally, citizenship and care also take time to develop. Therefore, if an individual is to come up with a future of his own making, he or she requires time to listen, relate and learn more about strangers (McKnight and Block 76). This is likely to result in better health and care for the marginalized as well as better welfare for children familiar to and taught by those in the neighborhoods. People’s attitudes for concerning what they have time for is individually constructed and is in no way a given. It is upon individuals in the society to put time in their hands and taking time back may be costly in environments of characterized by restless productivity while also saving the society. Contrasting security Communities which are considered competent support the capability of a family to satisfy its functions as they create a safety net in regards to caring for children, connections and attention for those who are vulnerable, social instruments that satisfy health issues as well as economic survival for households (McKnight and Block, 68). As far as consumer societies are concerned, these functions are not provided for by the community or the family, instead, they are catered for by the marketplace and are supposed to be purchased. The society depends on systems that provide for its fundamental functions; for instance, the society expects coaches, school as well as agencies among other institutions to assume the responsibility of raising its children. Conclusion Ultimately, Peter Block’s and John McKnight’s Abundant Community suggests that people depend on professional services such as health, education, car repair as well as child care, rather than relying on and making contributions to a diverse array of individual talents within the community. According to the authors, the families and neighborhoods therefore disintegrate; the communitarian spirit declines and the lives of people in the community become atomized (McKnight and Block 81). However, even though there is some truth in this elucidation for the delay in the society, the authors take a broad view of the blame on the marketplace and this is misplaced. The marketplace’s spontaneous order occurs naturally to allow families and individuals to share talents with each other. The book further hints at the manner in which government bureaucracies, providers of social services as well as public school systems have caused disruption in the lives of communities, but this is left undeveloped. Works cited McKnight, John, and Peter Block. The Abundant Community. [Chicago, Ill.]: American Planning Association, 2010. Print. Read More