Imagine Yourself Today: Alienation In Canadian Society

Alienation is an important theoretical concept to understand because it is very relevant in Canadian and global societies. It can help us to understand a variety of issues in society, such as mental illness and suicide. Alienation can be described as a disconnection or isolation from a relationship or experience. While alienation is a very common theoretical concept around the world, I focus on issues prevalent in Canadian society. I will relate the theoretical concept of alienation to parental alienation, and the problems that stem from this notion as well.

I am interested in the different kinds of alienation that may affect people. Parental alienation, in particular, is something that interests me. Parental alienation results from actions and behaviours that a parent does with the intention of damaging the relationship between their child and the other parent. Parental alienation has negative effects on everyone involved, including grandparents, step parents and extended family. Social issues that may affect the children involved can include psychological disorders, low academic abilities, and issues developing healthy relationships. Alienation in general can be closely related to many other issues in Canada and the world. Depression is related to alienation which can lead to fatigue, insomnia, and lack of self-worth. This can eventually lead to suicide. Emile Durkheim has identified egoistic suicide as a type of suicide that results from an inability to integrate into traditional society and social orders. Therefore, studying alienation, and parental alienation, allows for a deeper understanding of social issues, particularly in Canada.

I ultimately chose to research this topic because I am interested in the effects of societal norms and values, which can produce alienation. This creates social problems such as mental health problems and suicide. Reviewing the causes and effects of alienation, and how it can be avoided, allows us to have a better understanding of social issues in Canada, as well as the world. Alienation and the social issues that result from this theory originate from the theoretical framework of structural functionalism. Talcott Parsons describes the ways in which structural functionalism has converted into contemporary society. He attempts to understand why people act and interact with each other in particular ways. This can be related to how people become isolated while others do not, based on interactions. Alienation can occur when a person is unable to have meaningful interactions with social institutions. Parsons states that people participate in their daily lives in a standardized way. I suggest that alienation occurs when a person’s daily life is disrupted. This allows for a social understanding of interactions in various institutions such as school, family, work, and personal relationships. Lack of connection to any of these institutions can result in isolation and alienation.

This may lead to larger problems within society. For example, in Canada, post secondary education is extremely valued; however, many people from low class families may not be able to afford an education. These people may also have trouble establishing a fulfilling career, which causes further detachment from society. This leads to isolation and a feeling of loneliness because these people are unable to connect to the valued institutions within society. Alienation can lead to mental health problems, and possibly suicide. This ultimately displays how important institutions such as school, family, work, and religion are in people’s lives, because they work together in order to provide a stable society. In order to give myself a better understanding of the concept of alienation, I referred to a Ted Talk by Jennifer Harman. She conducts a 13 minute presentation where she describes parental alienation and the harmful effects it has on families. Analyzing this video allowed me to understand alienation from a different standpoint. Harmon describes parental alienation as a set of behaviours and actions that a parent does in order to destroy or damage the relationship between their child and the other parent (2016). These behaviours and actions range in severity and can include insulting the other parent to the child, and influencing the child to be afraid to visit with the other parent.

Parental alienation negatively affects all people involved, including grandparents, extended family members, and step parents. She suggests that this kind of alimentation can be categorized as child abuse, due to the impact it has on children. The presence of both parents in child life is extremely valued. If a child believes that one of their parents doesn’t care for them, psychological disorders could develop. Declining academic performance and problems with developing meaningful and healthy relationships could also result. Many alienated parents are falsely accused of abuse in order for one parent to get custody over the other, which is why this can be viewed as a form of domestic violence as well. Harmon’s research allowed me to have a better understanding of the interactions and social ideas surrounding the theoretical concept of alienation by outlining the effects it can have on the families involved. These concepts have allowed me to understand the implications of parental alienation and the impact it has on current society. While I previously believed alienation was more prevalent for people who were less privileged in society, Harmon helped me to understand that everyone and anyone can be affected. Parental alienation can occur in a diverse range of families. Both same-sex and opposite-sex families are affected, as well as families from all racial groups, and economic backgrounds. This suggests that alienation is prevalent in a variety of social contexts and environments, and while I focus on Canadian society, it is still present around the world in other forms.

Class, religion, and parental education, are significant social factors relating to alienation and the issues that stem from it. As Harmon mentions, parental alienation affects a very diverse range of people. Families of all classes, races, and sexual orientations are affected by parental alienation in particular. Despite this, alienation in general can be influenced by class, religion and parental education in different ways. Someone from a low class family may not be able to afford an education, which can eventually influence their ability to get a job. Isolation from these institutions can result in alienation. I am lucky enough to be from a middle class family, and I had the opportunity to work throughout high school in order to pay for my education. My parents also got a post secondary education. My parents understood the importance of education and encouraged me to work and save money in order to attend the university I wanted.

Religion can also be related to the concept of alienation. Some use religion as a source of social support; however, when religion is met with rejection and personal disagreement, alienation can occur. I was raised Catholic, and attended a Catholic elementary school as a child. This allowed me to socialize with people of similar faiths, which helped me to have a good connection with the social institution of religion. Realizing this allowed me to have an understanding of how class, parental education, and religion have been informed by alienation. I believe that understanding alienation, and how it is formed, is extremely important in order to distinguish our place in the world in relation to others. Comparing those who have deep connections to social institutions to those who do not, allows us to see differences in people’s lives compared to others. Referring to Jennifer Haman’s Ted Talk regarding parental alienation, a diverse range of families are affected. Due to this, I don’t believe parental alienation is effective in helping us to realise our place in the world in relation to others. This is because Harmon specifies that one group of people are not more affected than another group. In reference to alienation in general, a person of low class, who cannot afford an education and has trouble getting meaningful work, will have less of a connection to society compared to those with close ties to social institutions. Looking at the world this way allows people to realize their privilege in relation to institutional connections. Parsons social action theory is also relevant in order to understand our place in the world in relation to others. He states that there are certain types of actions that people are expected to perform in society and conforming to these expected behaviours and norms are how people become socialized. This relates to Harmon’s parental alienation theory. When parents become separated, they are no longer conforming to society’s standardized behaviours. This causes disruption in the daily lives of the parents and children, leading them to become alienation even further. Isolation stems from a lack of connections to social institutions. Parson suggests that the more expected behaviours we conform to, the more socialized we become. This explains why some people are more institutionalized than others, resulting in alienation.

Therefore, analyzing parental alienation is less effective in helping us understanding our place in the world in relation to others, compared to studying alienation in general. This is because there are multiple forms and causes of alienation, and viewing just one form is not effective overall. I am a privileged white woman, who was lucky enough to grow up in a middle class family. Due to this privilege, I am able to relate and find common values to the institutions in today’s society. While attending university, I found a great group of friends who relate to my values. I also have a lot of control over my life. I can choose what I would like to study and where; therefore, I don’t feel powerless in this society. Personally, I am thankful that I worked through high school because it allowed me to connect to society. If I didn’t do this, I would never have been able to make the connections or relationships I have today. In relation to parental alienation, my parents are not divorced; therefore I have no experience with the direct effects. However my uncle and his ex-wife had gotten a divorce, and I have felt the effects this way. I no longer see or talk to my aunt, who has been in my life for many years. It is a sad reality that a person who used to be active in your life becomes alienated from your family. I am able to observe different forms of alienation in everyday life. A friend from high school never got to experience post-secondary education, and got alienated from all of her friends who had. A family member has also been struggling to find a job in her field; therefore, she may be feeling isolated from society.

Overall, everyone has a different experience regarding alienation. I was very privileged growing up as I was encouraged to work and save money. This allowed me to get an education and to become socialized within various institutions of society. Karl Marx understood alienation as a loss of control, which affects those who have to work in order to survive. Marx describes a type of alienation that is created by a person becoming removed from human nature. More specifically, by human nature he is referring to characteristics that make humans unique compared to other animals. This can be related to forms of alienation that are prevalent in people with little connection to social institutions. Societal functions such as school, religion, and occupation are characteristics which specifically distinguish humans from other animals. When people have no connections or relations to these institutions, alienation is common. Marx describes another form of alienation which happens when we are isolated from other people. This can be related to Harmon’s theory of parental alienation, which is based on isolation within a family.

Alienation also allows for a better understanding of people through our differences in society. Marxist theories show differences in those who have conventional daily lives and have control over the means of production. He compares these people to others who are considered welfare workers and are exploited by the means of production. Marx relates this to the concept of power, and uses it in order to understand the inequalities between us.

In conclusion, alienation is a theoretical concept that is very important in today’s society. Although I focused on its effects in Canada, alienation is a common notion around the world. Parental alienation is a type of alienation that has direct effects on many families. Issues such as low grades and trouble with making meaningful relationships can occur for children. There are many other social issues that stem from alienation in general, such as mental health issues and suicide. This concept was effective in helping my understanding of interactions in society. It also allowed me to realize our place in the world in relation to others. Overall, alienation is present in all communities and societies in Canada and around the world. It is a concept which should be studied and analyzed further in order to understand social interactions and the importance of institutions.