Tag Archives: social commentary

Negotiating Volatility

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Limitless Possibilities

           Confusing, Volatile, Hateful, Loss, Changing, Compassionate, Loving, Opportunity, Joy

Negotiating Volatility

Though retired, I keep one foot in the museum world. This February’s American Alliance of Museum magazine was about navigating the future during a volatile time. Trendswatch, a center forecasting the future for museums, supplied data for the article. Since insights are as pertinent for ordinary people as they are for museums, I decided to share them.

The magazine begins by summarizing data that affects us all. I was surprised to read that one hundred sixty educators have been fired for political reasons since 2022, and the increase in global carbon emissions since 1970 is 90%.  By 2090, with the adoption of generative AI, they project job loss to be as high as 30%. The number translates into 300 million current jobs being eliminated globally. Last year, 53 % percent of hiring managers reported that their company eliminated the requirement for a bachelor’s degree in some or all roles.

I knew that book banning was a problem but was horrified to learn that over 2,571 book titles have been challenged or banned in U.S. public libraries and school libraries between 2020 and 2022; so much for freedom of expression, with so many people becoming morality censors.  I’m not surprised that the segment of U.S. adults who reported feeling lonely a lot of the time yesterday is 17% of the population (44 million American adults).

The speed of change is increasing exponentially. Google’s director of engineering predicts that a year’s worth of change that occurs today will only take three months to do by 2041. ChatGPT, launched in November 2022, had over a million active users by January 2023. It and other AI platforms are changing the landscape for thousands of writers, illustrators, and journalists. Rapid change is unpredictable and can be terrifying for those unprepared.  AI is a record-breaker. It processes data and completes tasks faster than humans. Plus machines, don’t need bathroom and lunch breaks.

Frey and Osborn, who accurately predicted job loss over the past twenty years, predict that the following jobs are at immediate risk. 

  • Transportation and material moving (nearly 12 million jobs)
  • Sales and sales-related roles (3.8 million jobs)
  • Production (2.8 million jobs)
  • Office and administrative support (14.4 million jobs)
  • Food preparation and service (4.4 million jobs)
  • Business and financial operations (700,000 jobs)
  • Other, which include:
    • Art, design, entertainment, sports, and media (14,000 jobs)
    • Building, grounds cleaning, and maintenance (3.8 million jobs)
    • Legal occupations (414,000 jobs)
    • Personal care and service operations (179,000 jobs)
    • Protective service operations (91,000 jobs)                               These predictions are causing people to rethink career paths.

What does this mean to you and me? The future will be frightening and challenging for anyone set in their ways. There will be exciting possibilities for individuals with a broad outlook who are not afraid of technology and can adapt. Those who survive unscathed will set a course that helps them adapt without becoming overly stressed.

They will–

  • Pay attention to hot-button topics likely to set people off, realizing that verbiage matters. They won’t use words designed to hurt or likely escalate emotions.
  • Find purpose through meaningful social interactions with people who support their beliefs. It will be a mechanism for developing friendships and close family relationships. It can start with discussions around the dinner table, getting children used to analyzing the risks and benefits of their positions. It will mean joining friendship groups to get help with employment opportunities.  
  • Learn to deal with angry, aggressive people and find ways to engage them in a more productive dialogue. They will do this by participating in discussion groups that include people with differing backgrounds and beliefs. They will take into account the perspectives of others, respecting their viewpoints even when they disagree with them.  
  • Participate in neighborhood watch, become friendly with neighbors, and are willing to help and be helped in an emergency. They will discuss ways to deal with extreme weather situations and will stock up on supplies so they are prepared for natural disasters predicted in their area.
  • Monitor local legislative and legal decisions to ensure that water, utilities, and land use aren’t areas for corporate exploitation. They will take a stand on issues that concern them—knowing that everyone loses when cultural and educational institutions are held hostage by partisan politics. These institutions are among the few that can be trusted to deliver non-partisan information.

Navigating the future will be difficult and not for the light-hearted. We are headed for a time of extreme poverty, displaced people due to climate change, and increased mental illness due to stress. Maintaining a democratic society will be difficult, but it can be done. We can’t give up hope.

While working through confusion, we’ll have to roll with the times and find enjoyment where we can. We can love and be loved and expand our love to include those less fortunate than ourselves. Compassion can get us through bad times and stir up peace. Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to start expanding love. 

I look forward to your comments about the volatility of your life. Do you find change stressful? How do you deal with it? Please share at www.eichingerfineart.com/blog

Art is always for sale. Limitless Possibilities is a 24″ x 18 “acrylic painting on canvas. Available for $595. Free shipping within the continental U.S. To purchase, contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com or go to the abstract work category on my website at www.Eichingerfineart.com

and buy online.

Case for a History Sleuth

Art, education, For Parents, social commentary, , ,

 

  Family in a Turkish Village 

 Acrylic on Canvas/  Black Frame24” x 48” / $690

The Kurds are an ethnic group that spans Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Historically and linguistically they are classified as belonging to the Iranian people. Since the end of the Ottoman Empire they have been separated by boundaries created by foreign interests. During the 20th century the Kurds regained their voice  and instigated a call for Kurdish nationalism. What is the right path for these people? Who is to decide their future?  And who should take responsibility for upheaval and displacements when they occur?               

Case for a History Sleuth

In the New Reformers (1844) Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “We are students of words: we are shut up in schools and colleges and recitation rooms for ten or fifteen years and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words and we do not know a thing.”

Emerson’s sentiment rings true to me.  I had a difficult time studying history and found the required readings had little relevance to my life.  As a teen, anything that occurred before I was born, was unimportant. My focus was on the present moment and what I would do with the rest of my life. 

This myopic view is not uncommon. What occurred  hundreds of years ago doesn’t matter to most children. One of my grandsons is an exception. His interest in history was actually peaked in school by a teacher that did not require him to memorize dates and battles but inspired him through games and play acting. More likely, though, he likes history because he has been fortunate enough to travel abroad with his family and see remnants of the past for himself. Walking grounds where past civilizations tread or reading letters by eye witnesses can make the past come alive.

Yet, despite visiting ruins and reading about the ancient world, I doubt that teens understand how history influences what is going on in the world today. For most children, the past is represented by storybook tales that have nothing to do with computers, YouTube, cell phones or space exploration. They are enthralled by League of Legends, Minecraft, and Tetris.

A grasp of history is imperative for our leaders but also important for the rest of society. It is not the facts, but the values, mistakes, and influences on the direction human civilization that matters most.  Past events provide avenues for contemplation that test our values and contribute to our sense of identity. 

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said philosopher George Santayana. There is truth in his words. Wars in the United Staes and Europe have often served as breeding grounds for more wars.  After WWII we carved countries into new entities without understanding the ties that previously stabilized the regions. Distrust and ongoing fights within these new borders continue to plague these politically created entities. Men like Napoleon, Stalin, and Mao Tse Tung used war as opportunity for regime change.  Over time their initial good intentions led to dictatorships. When foreign powers intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign states, war becomes protracted. This pattern is repeated time and again throughout the ages. 

How can studying history be made fascinating yet useful? Primitive people used to gather around the fireplace to teach through oral presentations that stimulated emotions. Stories of creation and historical events were combined with moral lessons often animated by dancers and masked actors. Until television, storytellers in were in great demand and commanded respect. Troubadours in the middle ages sang about historical as well as current events. Abraham Lincoln mastered the art of storytelling and spun tales that captured the imagination of his audiences in order to get his point across.  Information is digested more easily when facts  are connected to emotions. Stories help people to remember what is said and provide a way for them to relate to one another.

Another way to teach history is to develop cases that challenge with hidden messages.  Students are asked to become detectives who unravel clues from by gone eras. Facts become illuminated as the past is unravelled and not because it has been presented for memorization. Cases can be entertaining and offer opportunities to observe, interact, and understand human nature. 

Just as forensic experts are scientists who use sleuth-like strategies to solve crimes, case system participants are similarly immersed in the scientific method. They form hypotheses, collect data, analyze it, and report results. The outcome may shed light on a current societal issue and inspire a new hypothesis to be tested that is relevant for today’s.  Using the scientific method as a system for solving  problems can help understand conflicting and confusing data. 

For example, the Supreme Court is often asked to clarify what the signers of the constitution meant when they wrote certain articles. Though it is difficult to put ourselves into a dead person’s mind there are many clues that can help in our analysis. Were the signers religious? Well educated? Family men? What were their professions? Were they wealthy or poor?  And a topic I find most interesting—what happened to the founders later in life because of their earlier involvement? Did you know that that some were considered traitors? Several became bankrupt.  A few had their homes ransacked? 

Change does not happen smoothly as can be seen by many convicts that plague the world today. By studying past revolutions, however, students learn to question and develop insight into the cost of freedom. 

As parents and grandparents it behooves us to help youth become history sleuths. We have an opportunity during vacations to look behind the surface when we take children on trips to parks and historical places. It is our job to teach the next generation how to think.  I do believe we can do a better job of showing them how the past relates to the many conflicts of today.

References:

Clairmont, N. (2017) “Those Who Do Not Learn History are doomed to repeat it. Really? Big Think. retrieved from http://bigthink.com/the-proverbial-skeptic/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really

Do comment below. Your thoughts are meaningful.

The Unsung Revolution

Art, For Parents, Impact of Technology, social commentary, , ,

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A Pretty How Town
How has technology changed the balance of power within the family? The above 3-D painting is based on ee cumming’s poem written in response to cookie cutter suburbs built in the early 60’s. Today another revolution is happening inside the homes of these Pretty How Towns.

The Unsung Revolution
When I hear the word revolution I am not thinking about the Arab Spring or Syria. Instead I am focused on a revolution occurring inside most of my neighbor’s homes. What I have observed is the shift of power from father, to mother, to child. According to Webster’s definition, revolution refers to a fundamental change in power. That transition has definitely occurred within families, for the young dominate the household.

My great-grandparents worked along side their elders on the family farm. After several poor harvests they moved from their rural community outside of Riga, Latvia to Philadelphia, a city teaming with immigrants. To make ends meet their children sold newspapers and shined shoes. Earned income was handed over to their parents to help support their multi-generational family.

My own parent’s changed that pattern by living as a small nuclear unit. My father worked long hours to pay for household expenses while Mom stayed at home, available to chauffeur me to activities around town so I could reach “my potential.” Her word was law when it came to most daily activities. The money I earned from babysitting or being employed as a camp counselor stayed in my hands and was not turned over to support my family.

I behaved in a similar way with my own kids. When my children were under foot my husband worked and I, as suburban mom, drove them to activities and play dates. I made sure that homework was completed on time and that sporting and cultural events were part of their diet. We spent a great deal of face-to-face time together.

Now my children and their friends are parents and they operate in a changed landscape. With single, same sex and two working-parent families their generation has ongoing pressure to juggle daily responsibilities. To keep in touch with their children they rely heavily on electronics, and it is their use of technology that has spurred the latest revolution. Cell phone, text messaging, YouTube and Facebook rule!!! Even email has become cumbersome.

Adults contribute to the technology boom by paying outrageous mobile phone bills and annually upgrading home tablets and computers. By doing so they have inadvertently changed the power structures within their family unit. This article is my way of saying “buyer beware!” Know what is happening with your kin and learn how to manage both good and bad consequences.

In a seminar conducted by anthropologist Jan English-Luck titled “Technology and Social Change: The Effects on Family and Community,” results he collected from interviewing Silicon Valley families were shared with the audience. A typical story he related is illustrated by Sharon, a mother who is in constant contact with her children through computer and mobile phone. Dr. English-Luk claims that Sharon’s children feel safer, stay out longer and are more independent than earlier generations since they are in constant contact. Yet the family no longer operates as a unit. The only time parent and children were physically together over a two week period was when the anthropologist visited their home for an interview.

Today’s youth text in short blips rather than communicate more fully by phone or in person. Since texting is limited, it is rare that the entire story gets through. Voices portray emotion and face-to-face encounters give non-verbal cues that transmit between-the-line messages. Through texting it is possible to discover the location of your child, assuming that he is truthful, but you will never know what he or she thinking. Full descriptions of situations and events are rarely given. Gone are opportunities to develop verbal communication skills needed for future employment. And because letter writing and now e-mails are also becoming obsolete, the written word is suffering as well.

Benefits of cell phone use are many . . . contact, entertainment, safety, wellness help, and photography. But the hazards are also many. With the introduction of smart phones, parents started working around the clock answering texts and emails. Instead of paying attention to their children while at home they often find their mind wandering to the latest business or social communication. Conversations between family members are interrupted by a constant stream of incoming calls and messaging.

Since technology is the root cause of this power shift it is not surprising that role reversal occurs when the child knows how to use a new gadget better than the adult. When parents do not fully understand a device’s potential they find it difficult to control it’s use and as a result are faced with a host of new problems.    I’ll mention a few:

Bullying and harassment: text messages increasingly are sent by bullies
Memory: Use of cell phones is destroying short term memory.
Eye strain and digital thumb stress: Heavy use puts children at risk for early myopia.
Bacteria – Devices are not cleaned and are crawling with germs.
Sleep disorders – Teens tend to keep their phone on and are awaked during the night by incoming text messages.
Reliance – Impacts daily routine.
Dishonesty (39% of users 18-29 are not always honest about their location) they find it easy to cheat on tests.
Cost – Parents have sticker shock.
Health risks – Question of brain damage still unresolved.

Yes, technology is great and not going away! It is wonderful to have a computer for researching papers, scheduling activities, staying in touch with the news, finding directions and even getting gossip through one minute news blasts. Mobile devices can be helpful additions if precautions about their use and costs are taken into account and rules of etiquette established.

But it is good to remember that educating a child and maintaining relationships with family members still requires personal interaction. Face-to-face communication can not be replaced by gadgetry. Electronic transfer of information does not take the place of a hug or chat in the warmth of your home.

Staying in control rather than being controlled by your children requires both time and patience. Keeping parental power is the main way to pass on your values. To be a respected boss it is important to be on the job.

For more information about children and cell phone use go to:

http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/kids_cell_phones_staying_connected – kids and cell phone use.

Delilah the Do-Gooder

Art, For Parents, Psychology, social commentary, , ,

Delila is delightful once you get past her serious exterior.
Delilah is delightful once you get past her serious exterior.  Acrylic painting  30″ by 24″.

Delilah the Do-Gooder     by Marilynne Eichinger

Managing a museum and running a household have a lot in common. You think you’re in control only to discover that you have more bosses than you care to consider. In a museum, government, bankers and board members are the ultimate bosses, but staff, consultants and even the public also have a say. To the director it seems like everyone knows the best way to do your job and they are not shy about telling you how to develop and market new programs, oversee the budget or supervise your staff. Disgruntled visitors are quick to use social media before contacting you and relish telling others about their dissatisfaction. Success is judged by attendance and the bottom line while being the first to create a blockbuster exhibit becomes a contest among the presidents of sister institutions. With tight budgets directors become timid about taking chances and refrain from bringing critical issues before the public.

In a family, there may be a spouse, partner parent or child who claims to understand you “better than you do yourself.” These relatives consider themselves to be Good Samaritans who are the knowledgeable gurus needed for your survival. My now deceased grandmother offers a perfect example of a well intentioned meddling do-gooder. When I was a teen, Grandma was not shy about sharing her opinions. She would sit in my room while I dressed for a date and tell me tales about the women she knew who ruined their reputation by engaging in pre-marital sex. Though Grandma never addressed the subject directly, through stories she did assertively make her opinions known along with her expectations of “good girl” behavior. She was relentless in her insistence that I pay close attention to her tales. I loved my grandmother and did not want to disappoint her but there are times I look back at her advice and wonder if it led to my eventual divorce.

Do-Gooders tend to be concerned individuals who do not like to witness sadness or incompetence. It is often hard for them to hold back what they perceive to be helpful words and actions because they are sure they know the way to improve your situation. I may be one of those caring people who want to jump into the difficulty and help immediately. I worry that I have a do-gooder gene that is similar to my grandmother’s. Now that my children have families of their own I find it difficult to sit on the sidelines and just watch them unfurl their lives.  I still feel protective and have a strong desire to share my life’s experiences through stories of my own. It is difficult to let go of control and just observe my child as she or he heads towards a pending disaster, especially when from time to time there is a return home for additional support. My husband has a standing joke that says, “when the children reach 60 they are on their own.”

I don’t think parents ever relinquish a sense of responsibility for their own children no matter how old they are. Without realizing what they are doing they often make their point known through a psychological concept known as magical thinking. They wind up using a process that applies unjustified reasons to a relationship between action and outcome. A funny example of magical logic can be found in a bowling ally where bowlers try to control outcome after the ball has been released by making movements with their bodies. It is humorous to watch them use hands and feet in an effort to bewitchingly guide the ball down the ally.

Magical thinking is often employed in subtle ways. When a brother-in-law of mine lost his job his father told him that his prayer group was going to pray for his success. His father made sure to keep his son informed of the group’s weekly intervention asking the Almighty for help. My brother-in-law was reminded regularly that quite a few people were thinking about him and acting on his behalf and that he had better progress towards solving his problem or his father would be disappointed in front of his friends. The psychological effect of the group was powerful and did have some effect in getting my brother-in-law motivated and moving in a useful direction. No one told this young man what to do but the message was clearly communicated that sitting around and feeling sorry for himself was not OK.

There are times when troubled family members become victims of gossip that at first appears to be malicious but may actually be helpful. When caring relatives pay attention to chatter that helps them better understand a dire situation it has a chance eo leading to positive action. Once a family gathers to share ideas about remediation, the group can work together in offering a beneficial intervention. Rather than having ten nagging voices, the relative in need is more likely to accept help that is given from a pool of love and respect.

Over the years I have learned that it is good to take the time to listen well and plan intercessions carefully. A short wait and see period gives me a moment to contemplate an appropriate response. I realize now that those in need of my assistance, want it given freely without strings attached, and though sometimes this is not possible, it does help to understand that the unhappy individual does not want another boss in his already confused life. A person in need does appreciate being heard but utmost tact must be used when giving advice, even if it has been requested.

One approach I’ve employed is to help a troubled friend or relative expand his or her thinking processes in order to become open to new ways of problem solving. In this way, the individual becomes empowered by skills that can used in finding solutions to a difficult situation. However, if there is the slightest hesitation created by this type of conversation then it is best to back off after explaining that you are available when the time is appropriate to continue the discussion. It is only when the individual is ready to hear suggestions that there is a chance of being an effective Do-Gooder.