11-24-2008, 05:12 AM
I'd guess I'd say an "endemic attitude" is a cultural value that has been so broadly accepted that it's very nearly intuitive--which is important, because 9 out of 10 people don't think. In this case, the attitude would hopefully be "my neighbors are as valuable to me as I am to myself, and I will look after their property and welfare with the same level of proactivity as I might my own."
These ideas can be manufactured. A good example is women drinking during pregnancy. At this point most all segments of society "shuns" or disapproves of a woman that does so. Rightly so. Of course, in context, this attitude while now "endemic" isn't necessarily sensible. A woman over the age of 35 has a higher risk of birth defects than a drunk at 20, but culturally it isn't acceptable(yet) to disapprove of such reckless behavior. My point in this is that none of this necessarily makes strict sense, and a lot of attitudes will be prohibited by other attitudes, also endemic, that don't necessarily make sense either. In this case, the now endemic notion that a woman can have a child and a career both at the same time and should expect such and no one has any business telling her no! or whatever. There are many examples.
These ideas can be manufactured. A good example is women drinking during pregnancy. At this point most all segments of society "shuns" or disapproves of a woman that does so. Rightly so. Of course, in context, this attitude while now "endemic" isn't necessarily sensible. A woman over the age of 35 has a higher risk of birth defects than a drunk at 20, but culturally it isn't acceptable(yet) to disapprove of such reckless behavior. My point in this is that none of this necessarily makes strict sense, and a lot of attitudes will be prohibited by other attitudes, also endemic, that don't necessarily make sense either. In this case, the now endemic notion that a woman can have a child and a career both at the same time and should expect such and no one has any business telling her no! or whatever. There are many examples.