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Developing Communities in Changing Times

Developing Communities in Changing Times. Seminar presented to the South West Development Commission By Dr Ma l Bryce Bunbury June 23 rd 2008. An Outline. The Drivers and Shapers of Global Change. Some fundamental changes in Australia. Key changes to Australian communities. Why Bother?

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Developing Communities in Changing Times

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  1. Developing Communities in Changing Times Seminar presented to the South West Development Commission By Dr Mal Bryce Bunbury June 23rd 2008

  2. An Outline • The Drivers and Shapers of Global Change. • Some fundamental changes in Australia. • Key changes to Australian communities. • Why Bother? • Some suggestions and reminders.

  3. The Drivers and Shapers of Major Global Change

  4. Unrelenting Technological Change 21st C convergence of Biotech, NanoTech, Cybertech and New Materials

  5. Unprecedented Environmental Pressures Climate Change, Sustainability, Industrialization, loss of bio diversity Atmosphere, Oceans, Forests and Bio Diversity.

  6. The Great Population Explosion 1800 = 1 Billion 1900 = 1.6 Billion 2050 est 9.5 Billion Ageing population & mass migration

  7. Massive Increase of the Worlds Middle Class • 300 million in India • 200 million in China • 200 million in Europe Conspicuous consumption, clean environment, safe communities and democracy

  8. Major Threat of Water Shortages Contaminated water causes 80% of world’s health problems. “Politics of Water” now centre stage. Precipitation and Ground Water !! Salinity !!

  9. Tribalization after the World of Empires. Fragmentation of empires and nation states esp post WWII

  10. Democratization of Nation States. 12 Democracies in 1945 122 Democracies in 2006 Great pressure on autocrats Barrel of the gun doesn’t seem to work

  11. Globalization of Investment and Capital Movement

  12. Major Pressure on the World’s Non RenewableResources.

  13. Greater Integration and Interdependence • 19th Century = Dependence • 20th Century = Independence • 21st century = Interdependence

  14. Ever Increasing urbanization.1950 V 2015 In the developed world 75% of people live in urban areas. 1950 eight mega cities 2015 fifty nine mega cities

  15. Globalization of Terrorism and Organized Crime.

  16. Major Labor Force and Workplace Changes New flexibility

  17. What’s been happening to Australia and Australians?

  18. “We have changed our environment more quickly than we know how to change ourselves.”Walter Lipman.

  19. Australia has experienced four ubiquitous revolutions in the last thirty years • An economic revolution. • A gender revolution • A technological revolution. • A social revolution.

  20. After Twenty Years of Restructuring Australia is seriously modernized.BUT: we have re distributed work and wealtheg: Household Income • Av income of the top 20% = $180K • Av income of the bottom 20% =$12K

  21. Australians working full time are working long hours.Boundaries have blurred !!

  22. There is a great deal more precarious work with the casualization of the workforce

  23. The ICT Revolution has changed, • The way we work. • When and where we work. • The way we communicate • The way we inform and entertain ourselves.

  24. We have become a much more diverse society

  25. We have seen the face of Australian racism and intolerance.

  26. We have experienced a fundamental shift in our thinking about marriage.

  27. Australia’s birth rate is now the lowest of all timeHugh Mackay “Advance Australia Where? 2007

  28. Households are shrinking fast.More than half of all Australian households contain only one or two people.

  29. Consumption/Consumerism has gone crazy.We now exploit even the “Tweeney Market”…..Children 6-13 years

  30. Television viewing has reached the pits !! • Escapism • So called Reality TV • Focus on crime, drugs, violence, corruption and deceit.

  31. Many of our traditional institutions have been rocked by scandals

  32. Australian individual citizens and businesses enjoy unprecedented mobility

  33. So who are we now? • Born before WWII: The Silent Generation (real seniors). • Born 1943-60:Baby Boomers are the “new seniors” • Born 1961- 80: The X Generation • Born 1981-2003: The Y Generation • The Thumb Geners and E Geners.

  34. The Baby Boomers ( 1943-60) • The stress and the great expectation generation. • Created the two income household. • Became the most divorced generation. • Redefined the dynamics of family, delayed having children. • Lead the gender revolution • Voracious appetite for information.

  35. Generation X (1961-80) • Individualism and self sufficiency is valued • They are sceptical of institutions. • They work to live NOT live to work. • They live with change and embrace it. • Pragmatism before “Truth” and reason. • They are technology and media savvy. • Music is huge.

  36. Generation Y (1981-2003) • Fierce Independence as active information seekers. • Constantly pushing technology to its limits. • Views the world as 24-7 and demands real time. • Understands the need to verify resources and authenticate people. • Online people for whom race and prejudice is not important.

  37. Quote:Generation Y will be superbly informed…..will it have enough emotion and involvement to be concerned ? Will virtual reality breed actual indifference?Justice Michael Kirby 2002 (Chain Reaction Foundation)

  38. When we sit in judgment on the youth of today remember Aristotle and Socrates.

  39. “ When I look at the younger generation, I despair for the future of civilization. Aristotle (300 BC)

  40. “Our youth of today love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority, disrespect for older people and tyrannize there teachers” Socrates (500 BC)

  41. In Summary: We are a rather diverse and interesting bunch, • well educated and information hungry. • technologically savvy and relate to the online world. • demanding, impatient and ambitious. • Increasingly comfortable with change. • Increasingly respectful of the value of knowledge.

  42. How communities have changed.

  43. Fragmentation. Decline in Social Capital. New definitions of Community.

  44. The static and somewhat stable concept of the geographic community (the village) has disappeared for many.

  45. Quote:“While some forms of locational community will continue to be important- Australian society will not return to dependence on local communities as the sole or even necessarily the primary form of community”Hughes, Black (Building Stronger Communities 2007)

  46. Communities are not necessarily dying – rather they are fragmenting.

  47. Reasons for fragmentation. • Busyness, time pressure • Greater mobility • Two career families • TV and the electronic revolution • Privatization of entertainment.

  48. In the “old world” • People’s identity was based on their geographic location. • Several generations lived in proximity. • Work and leisure all happened locally.

  49. Today • Our residential communities • Our occupational communities • Recreational communities …….often have very few overlaps

  50. Our social capital base has declined.

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