The Generation Gap of Social Cohesion

Social Cohesion is a great idea for society; however, it is difficult to make it achievable throughout the different age differences around a community without having a common bonding idea. For example, in Uganda, Helen Epstein in her article “AIDS Inc.,” mentions “but while Uganda was terrorized for decades by a series of brutal leaders, they could not destroy the traditional rhythms of rural family life” (pg. 116). In this, Epstein is saying that the reason the success of the HIV/AIDS conversation is happening is because the society all can bond or unite over their roots and way of life. Here in the states on the other hand, not many of us have something that we can necessarily bond on with everyone off the bat. In today’s society, it seems as if the generation gaps are only getting bigger and harder to break apart. With the rapid advancements of technology it has left some of the people in the dust — primarily older people — and taken the newer generations to new ways of living. Due to this scenario, it creates conflict that will need some serious conversations if there is a desire to fix the way that we interact with each other. Anne Hallward in her article “How telling our silenced stories can change the world,” claims that “there are thousands of closets. All with different names and shapes” (2:05).  In a sense this relates to the different lifestyles of people living in the United States because there are a huge amount of people that are all different and have different stories. If we listen to all of them, and treat them all with the respect they acquire, then there will be a way for us to have great social cohesion as a country.