The Stack
The pillars of society
“The divisions within society have increased and feelings of inequality have grown. Inequality includes income gap, gender, health care, and social class but polarized political views and opinions have also widened the gap.”
The current state of the world forces us to look at our societies and the ways in which they have developed over the past decades. The divisions within society have increased and feelings of inequality have grown. Inequality includes income gap, gender, health care, and social class but polarized political views and opinions have also widened the gap.
Problems are stacking up causing an imbalance and indicating that the foundations of our society are not stable. Stability depends on global cooperation and local cohesion. A stable society operates on a human scale and recognizes nature’s limits. Many issues are interconnected and influence each other. It is essential to understand the mechanisms and history of inequality. Historical institutional inequalities, that linger on for decades and even centuries, affect long term outcomes.
Uncertain times can change who we are and what we stand for as a society but by basing our thinking on our interdependence we create solidarity. The current situation is a starting point for future world direction. Important issues need to be addressed such as cultural and racial identity, how to avoid inequalities and truly embrace diversity.
The government plays an important role but companies and individuals also have a role to play in creating greater stability. Common ground, interactions with each other, and culture is what binds us. Creating a more balanced outlook helps create a greater sense of unity. We have more in common than that which divides us. We are much more united than it seems.
Banner image: Remixed Properties by Lorenzo Vitturi
1/Greater cohesion
The glue of society
The global middle class is expected to grow and reach 5.5 billion by 2030. Some 87% of the additional middle-class population will be Asian. Across the US and Western Europe, the middle class has been shrinking since the mid-1980s.
By 2050, a quarter of the world’s population will be African. Where the population of Asia will have multiplied by a factor of four in this time-frame, Africa’s will have risen tenfold; expansion on this scale is unprecedented. Chronic youthfulness is the result: 40% of all Africans are children under the age of fourteen, and in most African countries, the median age is below twenty.
In most Western societies, the birth rates are declining, and the population is ageing. Longer life expectancy and reduced fertility, leading to fewer workers and more retirees, changes how societies are structured. How to provide for the elderly is a concern for the future. Labour shortages and worker displacement due to automation create tensions. Immigration is needed to address the demographic shift. People will have to learn the STEM skills required for the future.
The middle-income workforce is seen as the glue in society. Social cohesion is an essential driver of long-term prosperity. Cohesive societies are politically stable and will focus on green economic growth and business development. Universal basic income, a federal job guarantee, and a shorter working week are possible strategies to improve people’s lives.
Why this matters
Population imbalance and the future of work will change societies. Future planning, communication, education and equity are essential to creating cohesion.
State of the World/ Mathieu Lehanneur
Population data from 140 countries, 3D-printed in aluminium to get an overview of the demographics of the world. Read more here
The Emerging Global Middle Class/ Peng Yew Wong
The middle class of India and China will grow fast while in the EU and US the middle class is declining. See more here
Untitled/ Lucas Samaras
Part of the Chair Transformations series, seeking balance, taking in space causing the other to pull back. See more here
2/Female Realities
Closing the gap
Seeing the unseen and recognizing a broken system is the only way forward. Acknowledging the many challenges facing our society’s homelessness, poverty, mental health issues alongside a broken mental health system and lack of access to affordable housing are all some of the first steps in acknowledging the challenges that need addressing. We can no longer look away and see these challenges as unresolvable.
Rising prices, falling incomes and pandemic stress have led to social unrest. Closing the income gap starts with affordable, accessible, quality education for all. We need to adopt more progressive income and estate taxes and model our economic policies on countries such as Japan and Scandinavia, where income disparity is at its lowest.
Inequality of income and wealth has increased across the world since the mid-eighties. The top one per cent benefited the most from economic reforms, while the middle and lower-income groups benefited less, and poverty remained at the same level. Income inequality can lead to higher rates of health and social problems, lower rates of social goods and a lower population-wide level of satisfaction and happiness.
There are still significant strides to be made worldwide when it comes to perceptions of gender equality. On average, globally, one-third of men agree feminism does more harm than good and that traditional masculinity is under threat. There is still a long way to go.
Why this matters
Societal dilemmas are complex. The story is entirely ours to write. We should view transformation as an motivator for new ways of thinking for the world we all inhabit.
Deodorant Type/ Osang Gwon
Photosculptures blurring the lines of sculpture and photography questioning the perfect picture, real life and culture. See more here
Rise/ Amanda N. Nguyen
Amanda is a social entrepreneur, civil rights activist, and the CEO and founder of Rise, a non-governmental civil rights organisation, combating violence against women and girls. See more here
She Me Free/ Richard T. James
Equity through craft/ Cara Marie Piazza
Equity and working with natural dyes as a way to transform waste in the fashion and food industries. See more here
3/The foundation of trust
Safe spaces
In a democracy, people can disagree and have discussions within a framework. When the debate is broken, society is broken. The best way to keep democracies’ backbone intact is to maintain reliable institutions. Trust cements relationships by allowing people to live and work together, feel safe and belong to a group.
High levels of integrity and competence builds trust, always telling the truth, no matter how inconvenient or costly. Trust is contagious; when government and the market have earned people’s trust then that trust tends to spread and create more trust within society, individuals and groups. It is a chain reaction.
Psychological safety is defined by how people think they are viewed by others in the group, while trust refers to how one person views another. When people feel safe, it is easier for them to engage. A positive climate means that there is no place for racism; people value each other’s contributions and care about each other’s well-being and contribute to psychological safety.
To create change, people need the space to think creatively and bring their whole selves to the table, speak up when they see something happening that they do not understand or disagree with, and challenge themselves and those around them.
Why this matters
In volatile, uncertain times, psychological safety and trust are not just important but essential.
Imagine Peace/ Yoko Ono
Fifty-three years after her Amsterdam and Montreal Bed-Ins with John Lennon, Yoko Ono staged a new global intervention by pausing commercial advertisements on the world’s most prominent digital screens to share a message of peace with the global community. See more here
The Edelman Trust Barometer 2022/ Edelman
Societal leadership is now a core function of any business. Read more here
Reflection Room Tent/ Meschac Gaba
A space for dialogue and engagement between visitors under the colours of all the flags of the world. See more here
4/Cultural awareness
Cultural innovation
Cultural identities are influenced by many different factors such as religion, ancestry, ethnicity, language, class, education, professional skills, family and political attitudes. Individuals with multiple cultural identities do not define themselves as citizens of a single culture but are used to switching between multiple cultures. Because people have backgrounds in more than one cultural group, they can develop identities that reflect and even combine more than one source.
We may see ourselves as global citizens; however, our local differences matter as it is essential to understand that our view of the world is limited. Local knowledge is important, as it gives the perspectives of diverse groups. Todays’ complex needs require a 360 view without cliches or stereotypical views.
Culture is fluid and multidimensional; it influences our thinking, language and behaviour. Cultural innovation is innovative expressions that consist of an ideology that depends on mythical and cultural codes. The main driver of cultural change is diversity.
Cultural awareness helps us break down cultural barriers, build bridges, and learn to love and appreciate those who are different from us. The better we understand ourselves, the better we can deal with different people and cultural differences.
Why this matters
By being more than one culture, different cultures are bridged. The space that is evolving is very much a “both/and” not an “either/or”, it is multiplicity.
History in Question/ Alexandra Koutsaftis
Who is in charge of history? The exhibition ‘History in Question’ cultivates a dynamic re-evaluation of the past by displaying questions in a setting for conversation and communication. Read more here
Mirror Shield Project/ Cannupa Hanska Luger
The Mirror Shield Project was initiated in support for the Water Protectors as Oceti Sakowin camp near Standing Rock. See more here
Competing with Lightning/ Eamon Ore-Giron
Paintings inspired by historical and cultural influences ranging from Brazilian Neo-Concretism to Italian Futurism. See more here
Further reading
The Age of Unpeace/ Mark Leonard
Many of the forces that we thought would bring us together have ended up driving us apart. From individuals on social media to war in Eastern Europe, connectivity and globalisation are in fact driving us apart.
Worn: A People's History of Clothing/ Sofi Thanhauser
A history of clothing and textile and a deep dive into how everyday garments have transformed our lives, our societies, and our planet.
Anthro-Vision/ Gillian Tett
Anthropology can make sense of the world. The book unpicks the subtle cultural shifts and shows how anthropology can shed light on the workplace and the rituals are binding together a team.
The Conversation/ Robert Livingston
Racial equity is achievable. But the honest conversations we need to have to foster that change can be uncomfortable and are all too often avoided. It is a guide to transforming the social order with clarity, wit and deep understanding,