Social Ordering

Dr. Asangba Tzudir

One of the greatest challenges which our society is facing today is the maintenance of social order. It is a kind of order which is in contrast to social chaos or disorder, and refers to a stable state of society where the various components of society work together to maintain the status quo which includes social structures and institutions, social relations, social interactions and behavior, cultural aspects such as norms beliefs and values.


But ironically, the linkages of our social structure are not linked properly which is evident from the unending social unrest, which today has become a normalized condition. This has happened because of the convergence of ‘politics’ and ‘socio-economics’ in almost every sphere of our human activity. A linkage in the building of social structure that is supposed to provide a social order finds itself intricately ‘mislinked.’ A byproduct of our own creation and its doggedness is because we as humans within the normalized condition of disordered order fail to realize the values associated with humans as a moral being and the struggle for a dignified living. Morality, which lies at the core of human values, finds misplaced. 


There is talk of change in the social, political, culture, religion and the moral domain and the current socio-political predicament demands the coming together of these aspects within a ‘commonness’, but the larger good and well-being of the community as a whole is sacrificed within the social disorder which finds itself lost to the ‘mislinked’ relationship between ‘politics’ and ‘socio-economics’ of life. This is largely the cause of the existing social disorder.

 
A revolutionary recreation is thus needed for a social restructuring towards the creation of the desired social order. And at the base of the social structure moral values should take centre stage at every level of governance and human activity. Only then there will be change followed by a social order. These social linkages, more so, the ‘relational’ aspects between politics and ‘socio-economics’ need to be properly linked by the principle and values of morality in order to create a desirable pattern of a socially ordered living. And of course, in tune with the present times, a well informed orientation of the political, social and its associated economics needs to be located within a fine blueprint that expresses the language of freedom and aspirations in order to create a social order free of violence and disorder. 


Our society is going through a process of depressing uncertainty and seemingly pushed within a ‘programming’ of the mind. We live in interesting times, a normalized disordered human condition that ‘exists’ without meaning and purpose. Moreover, the existing social unrest is also because materialism blinds our wisdom to sensibly address the consequences of our choices. 


As such, a greater responsibility is demanded of our actions. Time is ripe for a moral appraisal to reorient our ‘politics’ and ‘socio-economic’ compass towards a meaningful valued based life and to restore the real normal social order.

 

(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)