In the middle class, reasonably well- heeled Melbourne neighbourhood where I have lived for the last 25 years, I have observed when out walking what I would consider to be somewhat abnormal human behavior in the form of a seeming local autism amongst the humans in the area.
I will describe what happens which has led me to this realisation. Typically, I go out for a walk and in the distance I can see another person approaching on the same footpath. If the person is middle aged, as I am, the inevitable footpath meeting will pan out like this: As we pass one another with less than half a meter between us, I attempt to catch the eye of this passerby in order to make mutual acknowledgement.
A low energy smile, nod or greeting in my opinion would be adequate. In 98/100 cases, I am ignored.
Admittedly, I am talking about people I do not know by name and may not even know by sight, but I still find it abnormal. I would not expect or want to catch anyone’s eye and acknowledge strangers in the busy streets of the city, but in a quiet suburban street where two people are fairly obviously locals and the only people in sight, I think it is strange that they do not acknowledge one another!
Today I even took the risk of smiling at a woman about my age in sun glasses walking in the opposite direction on the footpath directly towards me so that at least I was doing my bit! She completely ignored me walking past not remotely changing her blank expression. She didn’t have a white cane or a dog with her, so I assume she was able to see.
On the same walk, a middle aged couple walked towards me side by side with the male coming straight at me on the same side of the pavement with no apparent inclination at all to give way. I was on my extreme left on the edge so I could not move any further aside. I thought it was really incumbent on him to momentarily move behind his partner as we passed one another so we could all stay on the footpath. I held my ground, keeping to the pavement right on the edge as we got closer. Eventually, at the last second, and looking a bit put out, he moved aside so I was not forced off the pavement. It was as though I was not there until my presence was undeniable!
Younger people in my neighbourhood, display similar behaviours. Here are some examples:
Teenaged school boys walk three abreast on the footpath towards me , completely ignoring me as they approach and making no attempt to make room for me on the footpath. I am forced off the footpath, onto the grass, as uncompromisingly the trio files past. Young joggers, without fail have earphones firmly in place and eyes straight ahead. I wouldn’t expect any acknowledgement, as the act of jogging seems to take all their energy and concentration. If they are over about 25 they look agonized and tortured anyway with the effort
New migrants, noticeably Chinese and Indian, who have moved into the neighbourhood, show similar avoiding behavior to those who seem well entrenched. The newcomers must have learned quickly!! (And perhaps I am a slow learner!)
Today I encountered a Chinese man with a white poodle who looked away as I passed by and 5 minutes later, again did not acknowledge me as he crossed my path close in front of me on his way to water his dog at the drinking fountain. This was in a virtually empty scene where we were the only beings in sight except for a couple of magpies (who had in fact greeted me). I might as well have been a post!
A bit later, I passed a young Chinese woman wheeling a well polished rosy toddler in a stroller. The young mother also studiously avoided any eye contact.
So this inept, constipated, rather autistic social behavior has even spread to new neighbours it seems!
How did it come about? What does it mean?
I imagine that it spreads by someone first being ignored and then repeatedly, so that the smiler or greeter eventually stops the behavior. It takes a little extra energy to greet or even acknowledge another person but the energy expended is returned to you if there is a response, however small and you do not feel depleted. But if you are ignored, the reward is absent and, in BF Skinner terms, the behaviour is “extinguished”! Someone in my area must have started this and it has spread like wildfire! It is de rigeur to ignore one another !
All this may sound as though I am terribly needy or have some awful facial deformity but neither is true. My face is unremarkable, I have family and plenty of friends, and my life does not depend on connecting with strangers in the street. But to me it is a matter of neighbourhood courtesy and good manners.
Greeting or acknowledging a stranger is a contextual thing though. You don’t do it if encounters are terribly frequent but you do if they are infrequent.
For example, if you are driving in the outback in Australia and only encounter another car about every half hour , you wave to acknowledge the other traveler, but you ignore other drivers on a busy highway. If you are in a lift going up 15 levels with one other person, you will probably say “good morning” to that other person or at least meet their eye but if the lift is full and you are going only three levels, you will probably not acknowledge anyone unless you have accidentally trodden on someone’s toe.
Going for a walk in less upwardly aspiring areas of Melbourne to the one I call mine is quite a different experience and there, I don’t seem to be invisible. In the the seaside suburbs, I have noticed that people still meet and greet in what I would call the normal way, with a smile, or “ G’day”, as they pass like ships in the morning or afternoon, acknowledging their common human-ness and maybe even their common Melbourne-ness!
Comments
nine of clubs (not verified)
Mon, 2015-08-03 16:53
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Acquired autism - or the collapse of community?
A great article that captures the collapse of localised community in Australia.
It's ironic that during a period when the mainstream media makes regular mention of various identity-based 'communities' (often based on ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation), little focus is devoted to the degeneration of the traditional, locally based community. Robert Putnam covered the topic in his now classic book, 'Bowling Alone', where he argues that changes to work, computers, TV and different family structures have contributed to the loss of social capital in the US.
In Frank Salter's new(ish) book, 'The War on Human Nature in Australia's Political Culture' he arrives at similar conclusions, but goes further to assail the very concept of 'diversity' as undermining social cohesion. Salter says:
Of course, Australians have always been a diverse bunch. Even in the 1950's - now reviled as a cultural wasteland of bland conformity - you had huge differences in lifestyles and attitudes. The farmer of the Darling Downs had little in common with the surfer at Coffs, who had little in common with the culture vultures of Sydney's inner city, who themselves were light years away from the suburban working classes. Nevertheless, the one binding identity that united all of these disparate folk was their national identity - they were Australian. This was unity forged in the hard times of two world wars and a depression. It was a strength. The contemporary mantra is that diversity is a strength, but Salter takes this tired cliché and dismantles it. His book is well worth reading, but will garner little attention on the left.
The organised Left argues that national unity stands in the way of class struggle, because workers will be less inclined to take on the bosses if they feel any commonality with them. The proposition is easily tested; were unions stronger in the 1940's - 1970's, or now? Was wealth in Australia more evenly distributed then, or now? Did the quality of life for most Australians increase more quickly from 1945 - 1980 or from 1980 - 2015? Was getting a job easier in 1972 or now?
A national identity that builds national unity is a strength. It is an extension of strong local community identities - which we can all help build ... just by smiling at each other on the street.
Again - great article.
Dennis K
Mon, 2015-08-03 20:22
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Local communities have traditionallY been identity communities
nine of clubs (not verified)
Tue, 2015-08-04 13:51
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Locality and identity
I think that you're generally right there Dennis. Historically, people living together in an area have been of a similar ethnic and cultural background.
With that said, it seems that in the long term, ethnic differences tend to become less important as individuals - and their children and grandchildren - merge into the broader community.
This goes to the inevitability of assimilation. I formerly lived in a small country town where there were people descended from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including 'anglo', aboriginal, eastern European and Chinese origins. Most had been in the area for their whole lives and many had families who'd been there since the gold rush. All lived harmoniously, shared a strong local spirit and considered themselves to be Australian. Just Australian, not Anglo-Australian, or Chinese-Australian or whatever. They were culturally homogenous, even if they were ethnically different. The cultural unity of the area was remarkable.
Remember that the differences between the indigenous tribes of the area, the Chinese gold seekers and the Anglo-Irish settlers back in the 19th century were huge. The Europeans who came after WW2 had recently been commiting atrocities against each other. By comparison, the cultural distance between some of the identity groups extant in contemporary Australian society is small indeed.
So how is it possible that a small country town can assimilate people of such different ethnic/cultural backgrounds, when our major cities today become more and more ethnically separated and stratified?
Obviously, size matters. Where you have a sizeable minority that is large enough to be self-sustaining, the rate of assimilation slows. Many country towns have barely enough people to support a school and a newsagent, let alone an ethnic enclave.
Fresh arrivals from overseas also serve to slow down the rate of assimilation. These folk will tend to go,initially, to urban areas where there are concentrations of culturally similar people. Over time, the more established families may over further afield, but the new arrivals maintain the existence of an identifiable enclave. This is not a new trend, I should add. Russel Ward, in his 'Australian Legend' noted that newly freed convicts and 'new chum' arrivals to Australia would congregate in the cities as early as the 1820's.
Lastly, it has to be said that the speed of assimilation does depend to some extent on how culturally similar people are. The closer, the quicker. Stands to reason, really.
I personally would favour a situation where Australia seriously limited immigration for a time, for social reasons. I believe that this would facilitate assimilation and make for a less divided nation. Looking outside our major cities for examples of how well a united community can work would also be worthwhile.
.
Dennis K
Wed, 2015-08-05 21:54
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Identity politics is growing
nineofclubs (not verified)
Sat, 2015-08-15 14:36
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Identity and ethnicity
DennisK (not verified)
Mon, 2015-08-17 12:47
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Culture doesn't matter, people do.
nineofclubs (not verified)
Sat, 2015-09-05 08:40
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When people become a people
Dennis K
Sun, 2015-09-06 22:25
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Nationhood should not be based on propositions
nineofclubs (not verified)
Tue, 2015-09-15 20:56
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Is a national culture just a collection of propositions?
Katie (not verified)
Wed, 2015-09-16 12:20
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Australian cultures
nineofclubs (not verified)
Thu, 2015-09-17 20:54
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Environmental culture
Dennis K
Thu, 2015-09-17 20:48
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Multiculturalism is a cover
nineofclubs (not verified)
Thu, 2015-09-17 21:15
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Multiculturalism is a misnomer
Greg (not verified)
Wed, 2015-08-05 13:17
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Measuring 'progress'
nine of clubs (not verified)
Wed, 2015-08-05 17:10
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On measuring 'progress'
Anonymous (not verified)
Mon, 2015-09-07 10:04
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Order of the Wattle Blossom
Anonymous (not verified)
Sun, 2015-09-13 19:59
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Safety Beach Victoria
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