Social Change in the current economic climate

Sleepy

As a nation we've changed dramatically for both better and worse over the course of the last two decades, largely fuelled by an increase in material wealth for the majority of the Irish population. We've become more cosmopolitan, the wealth divide has broadened, we're now a 'multi-cultural' country, the sense of community has diminished with large amounts of our population leaving their hometowns to work in Dublin and live in impersonal commuter towns surrounding it...

Surely the reversal of economic fortunes will have some major impacts on society over the next 5 or 6 years of recession as the celtic cubs come to grips with the economic reality that boom times cannot last forever?

So, how do you see Irish society changing? Do you see a rise in zenophobia? A return to community values? The local becoming the hub of the community again as 'posh' theme bars fail?

brianthebard

To be blunt;

Commuter towns have been around since the eighties at least surely?

What exactly are community values, and when were they a focus of Irish culture?

The main issue behind the question is whether the recession is temporary, in which case the economy will pick up with all other western nations in X amount of time and all will return to "normal", or whether the bubble was in face one that encompassed the whole of Ireland and we see a complete and unpreventable loss of productivity that cannot be made up in the future. I'm a bit tired but if you want I'll discuss this point in further detail tomorrow.

djpbarry

Sleepy wrote: »

Do you see a rise in zenophobia?

Not sure about this. Xenophobia is a constant in most societies, during both the good times and the bad. I think the difference is the silent majority, as this minority like to dub themselves, become more vocal during the bad times; “I told ye the refugees would cause a recession, etc., etc.”

Sleepy wrote: »

A return to community values? The local becoming the hub of the community again as 'posh' theme bars fail?

I believe this is a reference to the masses of “impersonal” urban development around Dublin, in particular? I’m not sure what will come of these “commuter towns” (I actually dislike that term – many of these places bear absolutely no resemblance to a ‘town’).

I grew up in Lucan and I looked on as it was transformed from a relatively quiet village on the cusp of the countryside into the sprawling mass of poorly-constructed properties that it is today (thank you very much Liam Lawlor). There’s no going back to the quiet village of the 70’s, but I do believe that there is a demand for a local economy of sorts and this could possibly develop over time as people tire of their current (very suburban American) way of life. Either that or the whole place will become a desolate suburban wasteland in which antisocial youths run riot.