Evening star., 1933-02-13
CHANGING TIMES
PRESENT PROBLEM
Dr.. 0gburn Points to Stress
Resulting From Life in
Modern Cities.

This is the fifth article in Sc
ries in which Prof. William Fielding
Ogburn Of the University Of Chicago
discusses what he considers the 10
biggest problems facing America.
BY WILLIAM FIELDING OGBURN,
Research Director, Presidents Commit
tee on Recent Social Trends.
written for the Associated Press)
Something should be done to ease the
rough spots of life for us.
The stress must be great. Otherwise
one out Of 20 boys and girls OF high
school age world not at some time IN
their life 90 insane and be placed in an
insane asylum.
Otherwise there wouldn't be so many
Of us nervous with morbid fears ana
anxieties. Otherwise there wouldn't be
SO many crimes comm sed-l6 per
1000 urban population pc yer. Other
wise the suicide rate would not be in
Creasing.
There are many troubles in this vale
Of tears. But there seems to be a pc
culiar group that arises because our
human nature doesn't adjust very well
to the psychological requirements OF
modern civilization.
Human Nature and the City.
Suppose q cave man should be
brought to live in modern city. The
rules and regulations would get on his
nerves very probably. The repetition
in his jobs would tire him. Temptation
would get him in trouble. The codes
Of moral conduct would be hard to live
up to.
It is somewhat like this with mod
ern man. He is born with a certain
biological nature, not to roam the for
ests but to live in factories and cities,
In an ethical world. Whether this an
alysis Is right or not there is no dodg-
ing the fact that modern life places q
strain on man.
The biological nature of man cannot
be changed very well. Nor do any but
the egotistical or idealistic think civili-
zation can be changed in a wholesale
fashion.
Removing Life's Friction.
But the points of greatest friction
can be dealt with. They may be within
the family, in hours Of labor, with
mans code of behavior, or with the way
he was brought up as a child, or in the
school system. These frictions form a
which emerges an important problem
with practical ways of dealing with 1t.
The way man spends his leisure time
would seem to be related to this prob
lem. The right kind of recreation is
restful and should relieve stress and
strain.
Mans leisure time has been increased
about Is per cent in the past third OF
q century, and 1t has certainly been
employed in the satisfaction of an
enormous hunger for recreation. Out
door physical recreation must also have
psychological effects.
Religion, of course, is the great COM
forter and has been mans greatest sup
port in his tribulations. It has been
perhaps the greatest single force in
helping him bear the stresses of life.
Adequate group life and family life
must also be considered in connection
with one Of the 10 great problems be-
fore man in the future.
Tomorrow: "Molding the Nert
Generation" We are Dhdt Ue are
largely because of the influences of our
early childhood and not because of
heredity, says Prot. Ogbarn, ercept
aDithin broad limits. Whether 1pe shall
be happy, 1ceH adjusted, make GOOD
mates, and successful parents depends
largely on hoiD 1Ce are brought Gp,
Parent education, the reorganization
OF schools IL, the line OF progressive
education and the proper group lite are
policies to be pursued, he says in his
merit article.
Copyright. 1888, by the Associated Press).