Robert Nisbet, author of the 1953 book The Quest for Community, defined alienation as “the state of mind that can find a social order remote, incomprehensible, or fraudulent; beyond real hope or desire; inviting apathy, boredom, or even hostility.” While Nisbet correctly believed the problem was concentrated in young Americans in their twenties, he recognized that alienation wove itself throughout much of American society after World War II. No longer did Americans revere churches, labor unions, businesses, and even families in the ways Americans had once done automatically as second nature and had, indeed, taken for granted as simply a part of the good and meaningful life.
A Heart Full of Love . . . or Disdain?
What do you think when you see a person on the street or elsewhere who is wearing worn, outdated clothing and appears to be uneducated and poor? What we think about that person is a reflection of who we are, and, more importantly, it can affect the person we're...
