Society: why has it gone and how do we get it back?

[YoYoYoItsTillyMinto]

According to Wikipedia: "A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations".

I don?t believe it exists anymore and this cannot be a good thing.

When did it go wrong?
How do we get is back?
Does it exist in parts of the UK?

I prefer the Tories, thanks. If you want to vote UKIP, you can. I don't need to ask longfingernails, because I make my own mind up.

new Labour are indeed bollocks.

I think i will stand - treat miself to 68k

Read today's Independent about the LIBOR scandal.
Good night, it's very late.

Claig - a lot of this is about "making your own mind up", isn't it? Good luck on your quest to learn more about political theory and practice.

And yes, New Labour were and are bollocks.

'How does this fit in with 'The Big Society'?'

Picking up litter, while crooks fix rates and pick up bonuses is a mug's game.

Good night.

'Good luck on your quest to learn more about political theory and practice.'

WHo needs luck when there are clever people like you around? You can explain that it is the Toryscum. Simples, a bit like you.

Good night.

Night Claig. Sweet dreams.

In answer to the original question we never had a society just a group of little self serving tribes and that still remains.

walks off.

ryoko

Damnit- Ryoko beat me to it. Have been pondering this one today and that was my conclusion too. This nostalgia for a time where we all helped each other out is just that.

There have always been groups united by a common set of values or objectives but they have tended to be a fairly narrow demographic.

amicissimma agree with your last par. It was just the old take-it-out-of-context quote that the opposite party to any politician likes to jump on if it fits their argument; same as the old Andy Murray "anyone but England" quote was totally taken out of context. Cheap shots.

amicissima - agree (and grimbletart - good name!_

I hate the world we live in.
I find it cold and cruel. Am currenlty begging my dp to relocate somewhere else- but hes says its too backward there!

We appear to hae spent the whole thread on the first part of the Op's question -'What is society?' - and appear to have reached little consensus, but have not even looked at the second.

FWIW, re the first part, I suspect that there has always been and still is, though very diluted,a core sense of shred values and experience and inter-connected reliance that makes us a society or community or whatever you want to call it. I suspect also that (a) the huge population growth since the war has watered it down, (b) the large rise in immigration has meant there are less shared cultural bonds and bonds of shared experiences which is part of (c) the increase of globalisation - which means that everywhere has become more similar and with less cultural differentiation and also specifically that people have moved about to other countries more so ideas of being tied to a 'local' community have been stretched to breaking point, which links to (d) that improved and cheaper transport methods together with increasing wealth and education have meant that people are no longer syicking to the areas they grew up and so geographical community is largely a thing of the past.

Which brings me on to the second part. Whilst it is harder to keep alive local communities (except ones with lots of old people who've been there for years maybe, or geographically pretty cut off like rural villages), there is still eough sense of a wider British community (and Welsh/Scottish though I think less so English?).

However community need not be tied to locality. I am part of a religious community which I feel part of wherever I'm living. Others may feel part of other non-geographical communities - fans of particular music etc. It's about shared values.

Was reading something yesterday about trust and how trusting people made them trust you back and create nice social bonds - would be relevant if I knew where I read it. Did anyone else read it and can find the link?

Oh, and leave off claig. it takes a rare person to have the courage of their convictions and refuse to toe any party line. Some of what she says I agree with, some makes me gasp or laugh, but she has a right to state it.

shared values not shred values! Apologies for numerous typos.

Society has become so much more fluid now -I mean there is no loyalty .In employment neither employer nor employee is loyal now and half of all marriages end in divorce People do not put up with anything nowadays - as soon as it gets tough they up and go.