Play is the topic for the program aired 6-22-10 and available as a podcast at www.yttshow.org. Adults sometimes totally forget about the way they played as children and the way the world was then as compared to current times. Those older depression era G.I. Generation children grew up with play as a secondary and sometimes non-existent part of their lives. Boomers, on the other hand, were very spoiled and have even gone on to spoil their grandchildren Millenials and Homelanders even more. Play to the younger generation is very isolated and not socially interactive, unlike the common misconception that they are interactive. They often set aside in groups and do not volunteer their participation very well.
The most revealing thing that I learned from this program came from our older generation guest, J.J. Lacey, who described how the very act of play was also discriminated between blacks and whites when he was a child. They had two YMCA's and did not mix at all. His explanation is much better than mine, so give a listen.

Blogging may be something many can do daily and it is no big deal, but for me, with all that it takes to work and produce this program...I generally forget to update this thing. However, I just finished editing a great program on Peace Advocacy and want to get this off my mind before I do get swallowed up in tomorrow. This program is available as a podcast at www.yttshow.org and will remain active for about 15 weeks. After that you can request a copy at yttkuar@gmail.com.

OK...what came out of the taping for me is that the older generation, those over 70, are still worried most about nuclear matters. Rightfully so too. As I see it and heard from my guests Caroline Stephenson (W.A.N.D.) and Betty Bumpers, wife of ret. Sen. Dale Bumpers, that even though so much time has passed since the Soviet Union and the Cold War threats have passed, we still have enough active missiles to totally destroy the human race. Their major concern is that the successive generations are not as tuned in or concerned with the nuclear issues.
David Norman from Winrock International, speaking from the middle generation perspective, came of age after the draft was ended and his generation, even though they were brought up in a post Viet Nam era with all the strident movements for peace, were allowed to begin lives, families and businesses without all that terror. Malcolm Glover, the younger generation guest and morning news anchor on KUAR Public Radio in Little Rock, has nor connection to the draft, Viet Nam or WWII. However, speaking from his perspective, young people are just as concerned about peace as we Boomer's were at that time, but they have so many various avenues of service. Their concerns about peace revolve around finding solutions to those issues that formerly led to war when not addressed.
The podcast has so much more detail, but if are interested in Peace Advocacy...give a listen.

As for me, I remember the peace movement as a very active and volatile time when the cause of peace was fueled by the inner knowledge that our nation had taken the wrong path and we tried our best to intervene...my fear is that today's younger generation will someday face a trying situation that will render their peaceful lives threatened and they will have to serve once again in a non-peaceful manner to preserve peace for the future.

If you would like to learn more about our weekly program, check our site at www.yttshow.org

Our program this week was on Domestic Violence and if you are or someone you know is dealing with this very serious problem...you can download the podcast at www.yttshow.org. Our special guest was Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of 'Crazy Love.' She along with Charlotte Carrrol and Amanda White spoke from their own experiences with domestic violence...and so did I. Yes, men are victims too. I must tell you that his was one of the most difficult topics we have covered because it is so painful to relive. If you have not experienced this very destructive violence, be thankful, because it really does go deep into your memories and can affect your later life relationships. Since our program compares the generational aspects of each topic, I must be honest and tell you that...up to now...little has changed. To hear our older guest's experience and then the middle followed by the younger...they sound the same. Will we ever rid our society of domestic violence? It does not look like it will be soon at all. If there is one thing they all agreed on it is that the only way to stop domestic violence is to LEAVE and LEAVE as soon as you can. It does not get better with the abuser...EVER! They do not change and you must get to a shelter or another place. As Leslie Morgan Steiner told us about how she thought loving him would change him...it did not. It did not for Charlotte...it did not for Amanda...it did not for me, and IT WILL NOT FOR YOU EITHER. This was a very hard topic for all of us, but talking about it does help so talk to someone now. If you want more information please check Leslie's website. It is great. www.lesliemorgansteiner.com/

Our program this week is on Masculinity and what a topic to try an cover! My guests were UALR Sociology Chair Dr. Jeff Nash speaking from the older generation along with Penn State Prof. of Sociology Dr. Derek Kreager in the middle generation and from UC Berkeley Dr. Robb Willer, author of 'Men Overcompensate When Masculinity Is Challenged,' (Science Daily 2005).
We had a very good discussion covering many areas and issues. I think most striking about the program, from my perspective as host, is that the older generation, while aware of the changes over their time frame, has largely ignored the need for their own change, leaving that to the younger men...why bother...the ask? In addition, the younger generation, while aware of their new roles, freed from the stereotypes, or so it seems, is not fully engaged. Rather they seem to be in a limbo between what they may think masculinity is now, and what they see as their future role in so far as their relationship with women is concerned. I guess the take away is that in older generations, in fact many, many older generations ago, the roles were not even questioned and masculinity was a given, whereas now...who knows what we men are suppose to be. As Dr. Nash observed, industrialization has had a major impact taking men from hunting and farming and leading the home to city life and middle class responsibilities, all of which, over time, has changed the masculine/feminine dynamic. I think he has a great point. In fact, those of us who have never lived on a farm or been out of urban life, have a struggle to imagine the day to day life men must have lived eons ago. I guess the best example (and it is a poor on at that) is in some of the old time movie depictions where, by observing the fashions and backdrops, we can extrapolate what it must have been like.
It was a great discussion and you can access the podcast at www.yttshow.org. Next week I will re-air a program we did back in 2004 - 'Men's Thoughts On Women' - hearing this after masculinity will be a treat.

Our topic this week was Civility and it airs Tuesday at 7 pm Central. You can listen then live at www.kuar.org, but that is the 29 minute version. The longer (1 hr 5sec) Podcast is already posted on our site at www.yttshow.org. My guests are Dr. Jeff Nash, Chair of Sociology here at UALR. The middle generation guest is Richard Bird from Columbus, Ohio and he is the author of 'The Collapse of Civility'. Our younger generation guest is Kelli Zellner from Elkridge, MD and she is with the Howard County Public Library project called ChooseCivility.org. I have posted their sites on our Archive page.
So much has been said about Civility over the last couple of weeks, but as far as I have been able to determine, the only discussion that compares what the older, middle and younger generations think about Civility, is on this program. It is a very interesting discussion and if you are using Itunes we are listed there too. The fastest way to find it there is to enter Phil Mariage in the search box...if you think about it, not too many people have Mariage as a last name????
Next week our program guests are descendants of the 1896 Supreme Court decision Plessy vs. Ferguson, which is the Separate but Equal case that seemed to be one of the first shots fired in our nation's racial growth to where we are today.

September 8,2009 Program topic - CRIME

This week we discussed the nature of Crime from a generational and philosophical perspective. With so many types of crimes committed, it was really just impossible to speak about specific crimes. Rather, we tried to compare what Crime means to each generation. Paula Stittz with the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) spoke from the older generation and she emphasized that crime, while terrible in any instance, has a victim and a perpetrator and that person who commits the crime must be prosecuted and punished appropriatly, but that there is value in rehab. Not so with our younger generation guest, Rick Stallings, also with ACIC. His generation does not place much confidence in rehab and more importantly, his generation also does not have confidence in the criminal justice system itself. They find that, for the most part, criminals have little fear of punishment and therefore feel imboldened to keep committing whatever crimes they want.
The middle generation, spoken about by Brad Cazort, also with ACIC, is kind of in the middle feeling fear from crimes and disappointment in punishent and at the same time hoping that the rehab, trusted by the older generation and scoffed at by the younger, should still be tried...at least for some.
For me, as host of the program and now a memeber of the older generation, I agree with Brad's assessment. It is getting worse. There seems to be little control. I fear being a victim, but I think we have to try still to stop the causes of crime.
In all three generations there was agreement that no new crimes are being committed these days...only the coverage and awareness seems to have been stressed in the media. Also, there is agreement that it probably will be just the same when the younger generation is the older generation. There, I tend to differ. I think it will be much worse to the point of vigilanty groups and gangs being even stronger. I hope I am wrong.
Check us next week after the program. Phil

I know this is not supposed to be an annual thing about posting, but I swear I did not realize that a year had gone by. This last year has seen many positive things happen for the program, so I want to bring the Blog up to date.
First, and probably best of all, we are now a weekly program. For the first 8+ years we were on every other week, and that was fine. But to finally become a weekly program makes all the difference. With over 180 past programs in the Archive, all of which are unique topics, it gives us a deeper connection to time as it passes so quickly. I produce a new topic every other program and bring pertinent past programs back on the other two weeks. Nine and a half years on the air is almost the time each of our generations has progressed half way to the next age group. If you were 20 in our first year, you are now almost 30...still young, but your life is certainly different at 30 isn't it? Another great aspect of bringing older topics back, is that we have a chance to actually hear the changes, even in that short time, for some of our relevant topics. For example, we recently rebroadcast a program on Health Insurance and tomorrow we bring back a program on Prescription Drugs. Both programs originally aired in 2003. With all the talk in Washington and around the country on Health Care Reform, it is very interesting to listen to what my guests were saying about those topics back then.
We have also increased our Podcast coverage on Itunes and PRX. All of our programs are taped and usually are about 50 minutes long. For many, they do not have time to stay tuned for an hour program. I edit down to 29 minutes and Pocast the longer version for those who really want to hear more. Those Podcasts are available at www.yttshow.org.
I hope you can join us every Tuesday at 7 PM CDT on KUAR FM89 and we stream live on the web at www.kuar.org.