A three-year study by a British charity called the Children’s
Group has uncovered some unsurprising problems with individualistic culture. The
report, called A Good Childhood, found that children are suffering from “a
belief among adults that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most
of their [sic] own life, rather than contribute to the good of others."
Thanks to a me-first culture, the study contends, people are
more accepting of excessive materialism and widespread economic inequality that
leaves millions of children in poverty; are unfazed by harmful advertising
aimed at children; and see school as a place to compete rather than make
friends and have fun.
This all makes sense to me. What boggles my mind is the
solution proposed by the study’s authors: keep women in the home. According to the report, “excessive individualism” has lead
women to get all uppity, believing they should take on paid jobs other than child-rearing and housecleaning. This is bad for children because clearly all working moms
neglect their kids. Plus, women now have the freedom to break up families
with their selfish desire to end unhappy marriages.
The study’s authors write: “Women's new economic
independence…has made women much less dependent on their male partners, as has
the advent of the welfare state.” Hold on a second here. I thought this report signaled
the need to have compassion for others, which would mean supporting welfare for
needy families and other government programs that help the less fortunate
succeed.
Then, of course, there’s the little problem with the
assumption (which I thought died circa 1950) that women should be dependent on
men for all their basic needs. This way, even if men are physically abusive or
alcoholic or can’t hold down a job, women would not be able to divorce them
since they would have no means of caring for themselves. This would be good for
kids, because divorce is an evil that must be smote out.
Oh, did I mention that the study’s authors have ties to the
Church of England?
Image: phawker.com
