LONELINESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: COMMUNITY FORUM 18 th AUGUST 2019 By Rev. Jan Crombie Indeed welcome; and very special gratitude to the panellists today, Liz, Stewart, Carolyn and Kelly – we look forward to their insights in a while, and then their involvement as we open the forum for us all. As Graeme has said, the idea of a Community Forum, on this particular topic, grew from a talk I did with the local Men’s Shed in March. Prior to that my interest had grown with work I was doing in Melbourne with the Anglican agencies, particularly the Brotherhood of St Laurence. The Brotherhood has a significant research staff and the community effects of loneliness was emerging as a major area of research. My work in Melbourne was in partnerships, engaging parishes with the agencies and the community. Increasingly, we were identifying the simple action of gathering people as a need in the neighbourhood; gathering for social interaction, hospitality, and the opportunity for human contact. Mixed in the awareness for me was my responsibility also to coordinate the 63 Parish Op Shops through Melbourne and Geelong. The stories of regular visitors, as in often daily, again for that human contact, were noticeably increasing – and the Op Shops were responding with areas to have a sit down and cuppa, and other spaces for getting together, amongst the bric a ’ brac of the Op Shop treasures. 1
As my consciousness of these things was stirred, the Hugh Mackay phenomena of books focussed on the social issues affecting Australians was moving increasingly into this area of community connection and human isolation. Mackay is a significant social researcher who continually diagnoses what gives hope and meaning in Australian society. His latest book “Australia Reimagined: Towards a more compassionate and less anxious society” is very telling . His 2014 book “The Art of Belonging: It’s not where you live, it’s how you live” was a substantial influence in naming human loneliness as a social health disorder. Meanwhile global research and response was taking off in this whole area of the cause and effects of isolation and lack of community connection. It was diagnosed that loneliness is now a cause of death, on the same level as smoking. And then the UK Government appointed a Minister for Loneliness in January 2018. 2
So, a purpose of today’s Forum is certainly to raise awareness of this issue – but I think also to help each of us discern the reality in our own life, and community. I would hope then we can open the forum to imagine ways we can continue to connect to ensure the common good in our neighbourhoods. My sense would be that many of us gathered here today are passionate about community. Not only do we recognise the inherent human need to group together, to be human together, to find our belonging place, but we are also passionate about the nurture of communities so that we can indeed be creative, flourishing places that are best- practice ways of community life. Another key issue for me is how we approach this whole issue of loneliness – it has been moved into a “health crisis” status by many, and, it seems to me, is merging into carrying a stigma about it, almost of judgement of failure that loneliness is somehow a result of not reaching your human potential. Or, is it a fad? I mean why has this condition emerged now? Have n’t there always been lonely people? These are good things to think through to enable us to construct our own belief framework. Australian culture is always too ready to move into naming and categorising groups of people and conditions…. for example – ‘boat people’, ‘yuppies’, ‘dole bludgers’, ‘lone rangers’, ‘inner - city latte sipping elite’ , etc. The definition of “alone” – no one else present. The definition of “loneliness” – sadness because one has no friends or company. So straight away we understand the human condition of loneliness is associated with feeling; and we know this is true because you can be surrounded by lots of people and feel acute loneliness. 3
The crossover line that is causing the social alarm in this present day is the line into a chronic condition that is causing significant consequences around human health, in particular, mental and emotional health. In the course of life we can all expect to experience loneliness, that sadness of spirit, but we all expect to shift out of it – and for it not to happen too often. Something has changed in our society for this to emerge as a worrying condition – and it is being notic ed worldwide. Let’s look at key contributing factors. The stark reality of a fragmented society within which important connections are breaking down is upon us. It now seems like a throw-away line to acknowledge that the rate of change of our day to day structures has never been as rapid – but we have to acknowledge that there is a huge consequence to the revolution of information and technology communication and its by-products. Most particularly, our social cohesion. What are some of the cause and effect contributors? Trust breakdown – the public have developed a deep distrust of institutions, politicians, banks, businesses, churches, and even sports people. This framework has infiltrated neighbourliness culture. Hugh Mackay made the shocking revelation that neighbours don’t trust each other now. So, it’s not just a matter of not knowing your neighbour, but that next level of human disintegration of trust. Emotional breakdown – relationship breakdowns continue, with partnerships, families, friendships…this causes huge emotional pain; including loss of probably the most important connection of life identity; i.e., intimacy loneliness. It would seem a related effect could be the increased number of people choosing to live alone; the most recent ABS survey showed 25% of households are single people. The deep reaching effect is that emotional breakdown is connected to the breakdown of community. Here I will quote Tony Doherty a “retired” Catholic priest in his own comment on Mackay’s book . 4
“ As society becomes more fragmented because of such matters as our fear of accepting change and failure to appreciate the qualities of those from different backgrounds, the pressure on our emotional life and our sanity becomes more intense. In some form of tragic spiral, this social dislocation breeds epidemics of anxiety, depression and obesity, which in turn lead to greater community disintegration ” Mental breakdown – Which segues into the most pronounced and alarming symptom that is on the increase through all age groups, but particularly the young – anxiety. Again, a summary from Ton y Doherty as he comments on “ Australia Reimagined ” . “ Our country is experiencing a troubling epidemic of anxiety. Cultural change has been swift and unpredictable. Income inequality is growing. The stability of our harmonious society is threatened by the attacks on cultural diversity. The gender revolution is stalling. Individualism is rampant. We no longer trust our major corporate institutions, political leaders, or our churches. We are deeper in debt and increasingly addicted – whether to our digital device, drugs or to buying stuff . ” The statistics are alarming: ▪ One-third of us are likely to be affected by mental illness at some time in our life. ▪ Over 65,000 Australians each year attempt to suicide. ▪ Two million of us suffer from an anxiety disorder in any one year. ▪ One million will be engaged in the silent battle against depression. Australia’s unprecedented run of economic growth has failed to deliver a more stable or harmonious society. Mackay asks how, despite all of the natural advantages we enjoy (peace, affluence, stable parliamentary democracy, freedom of assembly, press, religion), we have reached this dramatic state of emotional breakdown. 5
These factors of fragmentation – of trust, emotional health and mental health – together create a huge whammy effect that encompasses human isolation and changed landscape of community. When I was at the Men’s Shed meeting in March I asked, “what have you noticed has changed in how we live as communities in your lifetime, even in the past 20 years?” Some of the responses included: • House sizes are increasing; households are shrinking. • Fences are tall and at the front of houses; the front porch has been replaced by the back deck. • Increased busyness to a point where there is limited time for engagement with neighbours – hurried people, hurried children. • The increased communication technology has actually made people disconnected and inward looking – screen people. I have certainly noticed the decrease in eye contact in conversation… “look at me, look at me”. • The big gathering places are shopping centres – which are not social based places. • Children are not allowed to walk the streets, play unrestrictedly. There is a fear culture that is reshaping again this issue of trust. • The counter side of technology communication is of isolation, mainly of the elderly, who haven’t adopted smart phones, internet and “the Facebook”. 6
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