I Want To Know Your Business

In doing more reading, it is stated that social exchanges have moved from being personal to being "impersonal and limited." An example is in the marketplace. Once, you walked into a store and knew the grocer, the butcher, clerk, etc. Now, you walk into a store and make no personal contact except small talk and to ask where to find an item.

The reasons why this has occurred are numerous. Growth of capitalism. Changes in society. The movement from locally owned to large franchises.

But what are the effects?

Now, unless you interract with someone outside of the business they are in, you rarely have personal and intimate conversations.

Once upon a time, running a tab was an everyday practice. Now, it's foreign.

Once upon a time, genuine concern was expressed over the loss of a loved one and joy was shared when a great achievement occurred. Now, they don't even know.

But, I want to take this one step farther than the book does...

In society now, everyone is varied. There is a diverse population of people that we encounter every day with a variety of situations in their personal lives that they are enduring.

Is it better or worse to have a society as we do now, that is "impersonal and limited" in its interactions?

Once upon a time, a clerk was harrassed if he was gay because the entire community knew. Now, he's not. Many people are more accepting and those who are not, have no way of knowing.

Once upon a time, a woman may have been scorned if she was unwed and pregnant because the entire community knew. Now, she's not. Many people are more accepting and those who are not, have no way of knowing.

Once upon a time, a person could not go out after a traumatic experience without being spoken to about it. Now, he can. The community is unaware of his hard times that he is facing.

However, now, a man can sit at a bar with a woman who is not his wife and have no one say anything, because no one knows.

And a person can walk away from a store, stealing hundreds dollars of merchandise, and no one can identify who he is.

Children can be kidnapped with their parents in the next aisle.

Credit fraud can occur.

So, does the mega-store atmosphere that we are accustomed to worth it? Is there anything that can be done to change it? Does the urbanization of life lead to its own demise?