YOUTH OUT OF CONTROL OR MERELY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES?

Ashley R Cain (Third Eye)

Preface
The following article was published in St Vincent the Local Newspaper – The News in
in 2003. It still is as relevant today as it was then.

Dear Sir / Madam

Permit me space in your valuable newspaper to examine an issue that I have pondered
consistently for several weeks. What do the following have in common; Roses
Crew’s experimentation with the national anthem and religious songs; the increasing
violent behavior of our youth; the varied and often derogatory and disrespectful
contributions of our people on call in programmes, whether as hosts or callers and the
alleged wearing of G-String underwear or “thongs” by cheerleaders at the recent
Girls High School Sports meet? All these occurrences cross the boundary of what is
normally considered appropriate behavior, either to grab attention, gain popularity, or
make certain definitive statements about the individuals or group. All these incidents
point to a deeper underlying issue confronting us as a society.

Are our youth and people out of control or are they merely pushing back the
boundaries on acceptable social behavior? A society is a dynamic and living entity.
Society is normally guided by a set of rules (institutions) which set the boundaries of
acceptable social behavior. These rules often arise from and rest on an underlying set
of values which emerge from the society’s culture and history. Every society also has
various ways of passing on (transmitting) these values and institutions from one
generation to the next so that the society remains cohesive and able to maintain its
identity through time. If the values which are passed on become destructive then the
society may disintegrate until it can develop more viable and cohesive ways of coping
with changed values and behavioral rules.

Why then do I raise the initial question? Are our youth and people really out of
control or merely pushing the boundaries of what is considered normal for our
society? Every parent knows that children, in order to gain attention or in exploring
their space, will constantly push you to the limits of your tolerance until the
boundaries are firmly defined or redefined. The young are notoriously good at testing
acceptable boundaries. Human history is littered with instances where young people,
in pushing at the boundaries of accepted dogma, doctrine, or practice, have forced
societies to re-examine their many rules, norms and values. It is often this process of
pushing back boundaries that have led to tremendous advances in science, technology
and the arts. It is this process that has led to the creative evolution of many societies
and new possibilities. It is also true, however, that when social boundaries are pushed
back to accommodate behavior and values which threaten the security and cohesion of
the society, social degeneration results until newer and more viable norms and
boundaries are re-established.

What then should we make of the case of the GHS cheerleaders?

Many must have been shocked to either see or hear of the boldness or bravery of these
cheerleaders to turn their backs to the crowd and almost bare all for public viewing.
Did these cheerleaders set out to shock the crowd and make a statement by the
manner of their dress or has the wearing of G-String underwear among young and
older women become so commonplace and normal that several of our nation’s
brightest and best saw nothing wrong in wearing them during their roles as
cheerleaders? Haven’t our women already pushed back the boundary on highlighting
what type of underwear is worn in public?

How many of us, as men, have looked longingly at these same school age young
ladies outside of school uniforms, when it is obvious, in tightly fitting clothes, what
they are wearing or almost not wearing underneath? How many of us, as adult men,
have even gone so far as to “put questions” to these same young ladies? Haven’t we,
by this type of behavior, said to our young females that they are “old enough” to be
counted with the adult women? How many adult women have found to their chagrin
that some of these same “school girls” are their keenest rivals for the attention and
affection of their menfolk?

Haven’t we already, as a society, pushed back the boundaries on acceptable “adult

behavior”, sexual or otherwise of our young school age females? Are our young
women pushing back the boundaries or merely exploring the new space created by us
adults through our liking for X- rated content, whether in dress, song, film or speech?
Our society is truly in a stage of ferment as we seek to build a new world from a
multiplicity of the old. So many instances abound of youth and adults pushing back
boundaries of acceptable behaviour in our country.

When we promote the view that the private sector is the engine of economic growth
without considering the social ramifications of private accumulation of wealth by
individuals and without due regard for the overall development of all groups in our
society, haven’t we already pushed back the boundaries on what should be our main
economic policy orientation? When such policies directly or indirectly encourage us
to put as our new Gods; “making plenty money” and increasing the private wealth of
individuals by whatever means necessary – legal or illegal; (drugs, prostitution,
homosexuality, theft or corruption)- haven’t we already pushed back the boundaries
on acceptable ways to earn a livelihood? Should we bemoan or be surprised that
armed robbery with guns and “choke and rob “ methods are the order of the day when
for over fifteen years our welcomed introduction of television exposed the same
“choke and rob” generation to the use of these methods either to take life or establish
“who is man”?. Again I ask, are our people out of control or merely operating within
new allowed social boundaries that many of our people now find either shocking or
unacceptable?

And what of the interest rate policies of our financial institutions and the pricing
policies of our businesses? Do they push back the boundaries every day by making
our salaried workers and entrepreneurs struggle with loan repayments that force them
to live a barely tolerable life while struggling to satisfy even basic necessities? Do
these policies indirectly encourage our youth to see “making a big quick killing”
through drugs or a life at sea as their only options for achieving their life goals
including house, land, car and a reasonable standard of living?

It is time for us as a society to step back and consider the various boundaries within
which we function. Are we happy with them as they are evolving or should we begin
to redefine and re-establish new boundaries that will make us a better society and
people through time? I await the answers to the deeper questions posed in this
reflection.