Two hypothesis to be tested by sociologists.
- Fear for social control as it determined the lives in former times, is a wrong reason for the diasporing middle generation to inhibit contact with the new neighbourhood.
- Contact with neighbours can be built up in a structural way and so be a basis for unversal mutual help!
For our grandparents it was mainly the family who provided help. Later on in Belgium the helpstructure was divived into political structures called "zuilen". Such a structure was built up by the catholics, one by the socialists and one by the liberas. One was practically forced to make a choise between them. Otherwise there was more chance that nobody would help yuo. These "zuilen" provided for your trade union, sportsclub, school, sickness-and worklesshelp and so on… So my parents got help from the "zuil"-structure they adhered. The political friends, the workmates and the fellows from the clubs had regular contact and helped eachother mutually. The temporary financial society offers professional help between 9 to 17h and partilally in the weekends. One can ask help for cleaning, for meals, financial aid at the CPA (Commission of Public Aid). There are homes for elder people, daycenters for disabled or dement people. One can ask for medicial help at the mutuality. But there are still people who do not find the way to this help. The children live further away from the parents. Family swarms around. There is a real diaspora of the middle generation. The "zuil" looses impact. There capacity to detect, the frequency of contacts is deminishing and so the possibility of being in need without help is growing.
2. Contact with neighbours can be built up in a structural way and so be a basis for unversal mutual help!
The neighbourhelp, which was obvious in my grandparents'life seems much more unusual now. Why? We do remember quite well the strong social control (= environment decides how you should behave: "What will the environment say!" restricted freedom) and we don't want it back. Everybody knew everybody then. The group did decide how one behaves. This grouppressure was sometimes more or less suffocating. As we don't want to be emprisonned in that way again many prefer to be anonymous and cocoon. This is not necessary anymore because the social control does not exist anymore as a result of the diaspora of the middle generation! You're not anymore Stevens'grandson and Mariy's daughter who everybody knows everything about! You're a in may aspects a stranger and nobady can point you to something ore someone. You can be free to be yourself!
2. Contact with neighbours can be built up in a structural way and so be a basis for unversal mutual help!
The professional helpstructure is quite a blessing. But possibility to detect a need deminishes because the social structure, that is responsable for detecting needs, is damaged. The neighbour remains often as the only one who can see the needs an get help. It is not simple anymore. If we did observe that for some time the neighbours windowblinds are not opened in daytime, we feel inhibited to do something because we never take contact.(cocooning). We don't even know the name! But anonimity does not means that we do not know anything! In a conscient or subconscient way we know very much about the neighbours who live withing the eyerange. Very ofen we know if they have children, if they live alone, if they go to work, if they have a party, if they are sick or on holidays. If only we make acquaintance it would be much more easy to do something when one thinks there is a need. If we would built this acquaintance in a structured way it would be a great help.
We are able to restore a universal helpstructure when we take up our responsibily towards our neighbours. Everybody got some neighbours, so nobody should be provided of help. It is a kind of universal brotherhood and solidarity disregarding differences between people.