[Buddha-l] Re: S. Pinker

[Bshmr at aol.com]

>{Stanley J. Ziobro II}: I don't share your belief that nobody ever set out 
to "attack" the family, since some people do with undisguised intention, some 
as a result of adopting an ideology the principles of which are antithetical to 
the well-beng of the human person as a being in relation with others 
(especially those immediately related by blood), and some as unreflectively 
assimilating an ideology and substituting its principles for specifically former 
religious principles and customs that had the effect of promoting familial cohesion 
and well-being.  However, I agree with you that the break up of the family, 
nuclear and extended, primarily for reasons of economic viability, is an 
important factor in analyzing this sociological phenomenon.
>

First, I draw attention to the length and complexity of the 'rejection' in 
contrast to the 'agreement'. As a struggling, unsophisticated Buddhist 
kindergartner, I am intrigued by that.

Second, I would like some concrete substantiation for "some people do with 
undisguised intention", including some proportion or scale. At this level, I 
have no idea (or faith) that we conceptualize even similarly.


>{Stanley J. Ziobro II}: I'm also thinking that immigrants who are welcomed 
and assimilated into sub-communities of their people who came here before they 
did fare better than those who do not.  In short, I don't think that the fact 
of mobility itself explains the breakdown of the family in contemporary 
America, which would be the case if mobility were the primary reason.  There are 
other, more radical influences, and I would posit that they are the reasons I 
mentioned yesterday, reasons you question in a fruitful way.
>

Again a reference or substantiation would be helpful to me. While I can 
speculate that having assistance in the form of a 'dual culture functioning' 
models/mentors is helpful, the only fact to me is that second generation immigrates 
earn more, all other things equal and as a rule, etc.

Perhaps more than one answer/factor is major, depending upon which is the 
better coping technique if in function this is not single or identical factor of 
cultural familiarity. I muse of a car versus walking, as well as driving 
versus riding, or car versus van -- having a model helps whether experienced, 
observed, or fictional.


Richard Basham