Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-10
| Community
Cooperation
tBy A. X. NANNY

Community life is "a problem"
Tor discussion today partly be-
cause our common relations and
experiences In society have been
lett ~ largely to individual i'm
pulses. To the pursuit Of personal
ideals often untested and unfOr.
tilted by reliable thOt and cxpcr-
ience. Men are beginning to be-
lieve that life. community life AS
well as sIamiIy life, In u cO-opera-
tive affair; that we are ali CO.
partners In the working out OF
our individual and collective
ends; that our task on earth Is "A
community undertaking and that
there ~ no such thing as u pure
individual. or u group independ-
ent OF other individuals and
groups: that we are able to exist
az human beings. endowed with
elf-consciOusness and personality
OnIy because We do live In u social
medium. The family idea. the.
brotherhood Of man, In beginning
TO have Significance In our COM
munity relations. The further
history Of society must become
increasingly u history of cooper
alton.
, In order that there may be CO.
operation In the larger social
group. as In the family group. there
must be q common state OF mind,
common aims, ends and interests.
There must be agreement and
mutual understanding and conf
dence. There must be recognition
OF the common wants OF the
members OF the whole group and
the responsibilities and Iimi-
tations which the spirit and pur-
pose OF cO-partnership place on
each. irresponsible selfishness
must he supplantcd BY the rccog-
milton of the equal rights Of all
to share In the benefits OF ad- .
vancing civilization. Cooperation
In duties and co-partnership In
crApymcnts must come incrcas-
ingly to be the prevailing condi-
ton. AS In the family the men,
ber must consider himself with
reference to the group, 80 In the
larger realms OF human assOcia-
tion the individual must somehow
be brought to conduct himself
with due regard to his fellow hu-
man beings. Equality Of Oppor-
tunity. fairness, respect for the
opinions and ambitions Of one
another. patience In the face of
irritation. mutual hclpfulncss and
encouragement. readiness to -ac-
commodate ones self to the wish
es and welfare of the whole group
are some of the salient features
of the family institution that need
to be Incorporated into commu-
nifty relations.
Where We find the improperly
functioning family we shall find
disturbed community life. That
community and that nation will
he relatively strong In which the
prevailing type of relationship In
its families predisposes the in
dividuals produced by the fami-
lies to the sort of social cooper
alton upon which the nation re-
lies, or needs to rely. for its prog
ress. Fidelity. mutually, fair.
ness. gratitude. forbcarance. SYM
pathy, constancy. dcpendability
are the basic relations In all vital
human groups, whether the fam
lily or the larger community
group. These are the indispen-
sable elements In any advancing
type Of human association. II In
thru the increasingly reliable ex-
crcise Of these qualities In ever.
widening ranges Of human OK.
periencc that human pcrsqHality
II to be progressively enlarged
and our relations as human be-
ings In society are to he placed
on a valid basis.--'The Journal Of
Home EcOnomicS"