Chapter 35: The Journey from Childhood to Fully Empowered and Engaged Adult Member of the Community

Under Capitalist paradigms, the journey from childhood to adulthood is a daunting obstacle course of trying to learn survival strategies amidst the constant hovering impending threat of denial of one's right to exist. At the age of legal adulthood, that threat becomes actual, immediate and unrelenting, unless the new adult is fortunate enough to have a family high enough on the economic pyramid and supportive enough to provide a safety net.

For the majority, this is not the case. In order to maximize the chances of being able to thrive economically and pay for their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, a growing child must begin early to compete for academic grades, try to plot a career or trade path, and strive to develop economic survival skills and strategies in a largely hostile and life-denying environment.

A child optimally grows up through natural developmental stages: being a child, then an adolescent and finally an adult. In a healthy society, a growing child is afforded the chance to experience what those stages naturally entail such as playing and being curious as a child; exploring, experimenting and stretching their wings as adolescents while discovering their hopes, dreams, and talents, and then evolving naturally from that starting point into a fully actualized, empowered and engaged adult. Under Capitalism, such a child would most likely reach adulthood at a distinct disadvantage with regards to economic survival.

Most teachers, academic advisors, counselors, social workers, job search agencies, trade school representatives, family members, clergy and even friends would mock such aspirations on the part of the young adult, reminding them that such ideas are the purview of the wealthy, that they should "face the cold hard facts of life" and seek a way to pay for their existence, to forget about dreams, meaningful life, fulfillment, community involvement, doing what they love, or freedom of choice. There are exceptions of course but that is the dominant cultural norm and prevailing attitude in Capitalist societies.

To further understand the damaging impact of growing up in a Capitalistic society, we must also look at peripheral factors. The lower down the economic pyramid one is, the more likely it is that parents do not have much time or energy to devote to their children. They are most likely working long hours, constantly stressed with very little energy left once they have attended to basic survival issues as best they can. It is more likely that such children will have poorer nutrition and medical care, under-funded schools, and a predatory environment often dominated by gangs which themselves are an outgrowth of Capitalism. Gangs are in fact businesses, even though illegal ones, which offer young people the prospect of quick money, a sense of belonging and a kind of illusion of a support system.

Another less dramatic but still impactful factor is the psycho-sociological phenomenon of bullying that is exacerbated by social stratification and the mutual resentments and hatreds among socio-economic, ethnic, racial, and cultural subgroups.

When attempting to enter adulthood and become self-sustaining in a culture that makes every person an island in a stormy economic sea, a young adult typically encounters a disempowering, caustic environment in which closed door after closed door gives a message of "Who do you think you are, you little worthless piece of nothing? Why should we hire you instead of any one of a thousand other applicants? Prove to us that there is some reason why we should pay you so you can pay for the privilege of being allowed to exist." Even a month with no money is a month of hunger and homelessness if staying with family or friends is not an option.

The longer this pattern continues, the steeper the road becomes, the less likely the applicant is to be hired. "You've been out of work for that long? There must be something wrong with you. If nobody else wants to hire you, then we won't either."

Remember that under Capitalism, there are more reasons not to hire you than to hire you. Yet without money, survival is not possible, no matter how contributory a member of the community may be. Denial of income is identical to denial of your right to exist, declaring you unfit to live without going so far as to blatantly take your life. Go die unseen and unheard, someplace else. That is the pervasive truth of Capitalism. This message is devastating to a young person trying to launch their adult existence and find a place in the world as a human island. Many are buoyed up by published success stories and cultural myths that anybody can “make it.” When they don’t “make it” they blame themselves and consider themselves “losers” and “failures.” For the overwhelming majority, “financial independence” is forever in the future.

One feature of Capitalist paradigms and systems is that they support only those at or very near the top of the Pyramid, at the expense of those farther down the Pyramid, who are judged, economically shackled, punished and their obstacles multiplied for being in that position. No wonder there are so many school shootings and other forms of violence! No wonder suicide has become one of the leading causes of death in younger generations in the United States and is still on the rise! Such phenomena have only been observed in Feudal and Capitalist cultures.

Each individual is expected to find a niche, any niche, in which to survive. Actualization, empowerment, fulfillment of dreams, connection to a greater community, engagement of talents and abilities in ways that are mutually beneficial to self and community, these play little or no part in the process as Capitalism inexorably accelerates its transformation into neo-feudalism.

To reinforce this point of view, there are abundant scams in such societies that fraudulently advertise themselves as offering the chance to make an easy living doing what you love or with little effort. Encountering these scams further reinforces the perception that the only reality is to be downtrodden, exploited, and to accept that it is one’s lot to be a modern-day serf. Anything to the contrary, from experience, must be a scam.

Capitalist cultures are characterized by alienation, disaffection, confrontationism, cynicism, isolation, lack of empathy, materialism, depression, anxiety, stress, exploitation, nihilism, mental and emotional stagnation, lack of dreams or frontiers, and exaggerated superficial enthusiasm over distractions and trivialities (sports teams, the lives of celebrities, the latest consumer products and services, fashion, etc.). Alongside this is a (sometimes aggressive) lack of interest or belief in improving the overall situation in society. This is especially so since such societies condition their members to perceive themselves as helpless to change the status quo. This belief is programmed into them as the natural, inevitable, and even best possible way of things. If you aren't ascending high up the Pyramid, it must be because of a lack or defect of your own, because the Pyramid is the best possible system and must not be challenged.

Even if one becomes one of those anecdotal rags-to-riches stories, the culture reinforces keeping it to one’s self, not propagating it to a greater community or even particularly caring about the situation of one’s fellows.

Of course, other important factors also profoundly influence and impact the growth and development of a child into an adult: genetics, physiology, neurochemistry, individual experiences both positive and negative that cannot be foreseen nor controlled, family dynamics, even chance conversations, books read or movies seen that have profound effects. This will be the case in any system, culture or paradigm. Under Capitalism, however, the prevailing level of alienation, stress, and forced preoccupation with making money to pay for one's existence, all combine to place a strain and stress on family dynamics that cannot be ignored or minimized. In such an environment, there is no question that the level of dysfunctionality in families is dramatically higher than it would be under a more synergistic, dynamic, empowering and supportive paradigm.

In post-Transition communities and countries, this journey from womb to world will change dramatically for the better. Children will be free to be children, adolescents to be adolescents who will grow into balanced, actualized, empowered, deeply engaged contributing adult members of their Communities. In place of pressure to develop a survival strategy to make money to purchase the right to exist in a world that denies it, children will be encouraged to both play and learn, to explore in depth their talents and interests, their passions and questions in both play and practical applications, blurring the line between "work" and "play" to the point where work becomes a fulfilling play-like activity and play is a natural part of life.

Schools will still of course teach math, language arts, history, science and so forth, but they will also teach effective communication, collective decision-making, conflict resolution, collaborative skills, critical thinking, philosophy, scientific method, and other "soft" skills.

There will be a subtle change in the mandate of educators. Teachers will no longer be expected to train students to develop skills necessary to survive by finding their place as wage-slaves at the lower reaches of the economic pyramid. Teachers will no longer be expected to process students as products for the labor and consumer markets. Instead, they will be tasked with teaching both knowledge and skills, fostering the development of conscious, self-actualized, collaborative, contributory, empowered human beings by supporting the discovery, exploration and development of their interests, talents and passions. As students ease into adulthood through adolescence, they will naturally merge into the flow of the life functioning of their communities, which will naturally open to accommodate them as valued members.

Though there will still be classrooms, study, homework and the like, there will be a higher degree of accommodation, adaptation to and support for individualized courses of study as students at every level seek to pursue chosen areas of inquiry. The greater community will become more involved in the educational process.

Imagine a student who is interested in and shows aptitude for automechanics. If the school has facilities to accommodate this, the student will be able to avail him or herself of them. If not, then arrangements will be made for the student to be mentored, either at the post-Transition version of a trade-school part-time, or at an automechanics shop nearby as part of their curriculum.

Similarly, if a student shows interest or aptitude for medicine, then their curriculum will adapt to accommodate their taking classes part-time at a nearby medical school, or work-studying part-time at a nearby hospital or medical practice as a trainee or apprentice. Thus when a student graduates from high school or the equivalent, they will already be partially or completely trained and experienced in their field(s) of choice.

If a student changes their focus one or more times before settling on specific areas of study or skill, this will be accommodated as well. This process of discovery is a natural aspect of human development and experience. It does not need to be suppressed. Along the way students will gain valuable experience and knowledge that will make them more well-rounded, informed individuals and community members.

Apprenticeship and mentorship models of education will become more common in the new Paradigm, thus further engaging different generations and sectors of the Community with one another, increasing the sense of connectedness and community, and reducing the alienation and isolation among individuals and subgroups. This practice will result in individuals in every field with both knowledge and practical experience, in contrast to the Capitalist model where college graduates typically enter the workforce with little or no practical experience in an environment where both a degree and experience are expected.

Trade schools typically suffer less from these defects than colleges and universities; but trade schools will become more balanced, organic and nurturing, less like mills churning out human products to sell on the job market.

The for-profit schools that now proliferate through Capitalist societies like a pernicious infection will either disappear or completely reorient themselves to become full participants of the free educational infrastructure of the Community. Otherwise their facilities will be taken over by those who will do so after the former owners inevitably move on to other pursuits.

With no restrictions or barriers to any level of education or training in any field, other than those of ability and discipline, we will see a drastic rise in the level of education, skill, awareness, competence, integrity, and quality of work and contribution in every field and area of endeavor. Job satisfaction will rise dramatically. Alienation, stress, antagonism, apathy, and incompetence will sharply decline.

As mentioned elsewhere in this writing, once equilibrium has been reached between actual demand and supply of goods and services, the demands on individuals and facilities will likely stabilize at around 20-30 hours a week for most industries, with a concurrent reduction of the level of pressure and stress both individually and at the community level. Since money will be irrelevant and obsolete with all necessities of life guaranteed, this reduction in work hours will have only beneficial effects upon individuals and communities. There will be no downside.

Another beneficial effect of post-Transition cultures will come from the shift from hierarchical to peer-based organizational models. Modern data-sharing, analyzing and collecting technology will allow this model to scale well to larger entities and organizations such as school districts, which in high population areas can be quite large and unwieldy. It is not practical to assemble 35,000 teachers and school staff into a single space for a meeting to vote on policy or practice.

It is, however, practical to create a distributed interface, accessible from every classroom, in which educators, staff, even students and parents when appropriate, can communicate, collaborate, and coordinate in open dialog. This will form a collaborative model in which those directly involved in the educational process will share data, discuss, learn from one another and develop educational processes in much the same way as the international Linux/Open Source development community (discussed elsewhere in this writing) develops Open Source software and operating systems. In fact, in the early days of the Transition, we will benefit greatly if we study how these models operate.

This mode of operation will result in constant evolution, adaptation, and improvement in the educational process, the perpetuation of modalities that work and discontinuation of those that don’t. A school system is presented as an example of a larger scenario, chosen here because we are looking at growing up in the new paradigms. This model, however, will find wide application in every field in post-Transition Communities, industries, and undertakings, as it has proven in practice to be a vibrantly effective model on a large scale in any field.

This will be in sharp contrast to the situation in hierarchical organizational models, common in both Capitalist paradigms and government institutions under Capitalist and other dictatorial models, in which decisions, policies and methods are decided at the top and imposed upon those down the chain of command. There is little or no opportunity for input from those at the bottom, who are generally the ones tasked with implementing and being directly affected by these decisions.

Hierarchical school districts are rife with stories about educational methods, standards, metrics, policies and rules that were decided upon by a Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools or other ranking officials and imposed upon teachers and students with disastrous, absurd, or meaningless results, until the next new methodology is pressed upon them from above.

All hierarchical, top-down organizational models suffer from this and other fatal flaws, whether it takes the form of a committee in Moscow in the Soviet Union telling farmers in the Ukraine how many potatoes to grow and how to grow them, a corporate headquarters in Nebraska telling employees in a plant in Puerto Rico how many widgets they have to make and how to make them, a board of education telling teachers how to teach, or a health insurance company in New Jersey telling doctors what procedures to perform or not perform on a patient in Alaska. In all such cases the results are poor and utterly avoidable by effecting a change of paradigm.

Educators typically know from the beginning that such schemes and methods will not work, because of their experience and knowledge gained from front-line classroom experience. Yet in typical school districts, teacher, staff, student, or parent input is not taken seriously into account where it conflicts with policy or directives handed down from above. This is yet another way in which the quality of education will vastly improve at all levels in post-Transition communities. Education will truly more closely accomplish the goal of arming growing citizens with knowledge, skills, awareness, and development that will empower them to take their places as actualized, highly-motivated, fully-engaged members of thriving communities.

Post-Transition Communities will experience a Renaissance at every level that will likely rival and exceed any previous Renaissance anywhere in the world.