Community Happiness Through Manufacturing
“… my definition of happiness is to be on the sixth level- "self-transcendence" - of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, when my basic financial and psychological needs are met and I am helping others in my community get their well-being, too.”
-Soichiro Fukutake.
Historically, rural communities thrived through their own micro-economies, providing employment in specialized manufacturing industries like piano factories, furniture making, shoe-making, and even car production. These small towns also played a crucial role in supplying agricultural products to the growing cities. Big cities contributed their own strengths—offering access to higher education, sports arenas, libraries, cultural hubs like concert halls, medical research, banking, and more. This created a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship between rural areas and urban centers, where each supported and enhanced the other.
Both rural communities and cities complemented each other, exchanging their specialized outputs and fostering a sense of balanced community well-being. However, over time, this balance shifted as production began to be outsourced to countries with cheaper labor and resources. This outsourcing created a void in manufacturing jobs, particularly in remote areas. As manufacturing declined, fewer trade training programs were offered to younger generations, limiting opportunities to develop essential skills.
Political and economic pressures began forcing farmers to sell their products at more competitive prices to large grocery chains. While food prices in stores continued to rise year after year, the earnings farmers received for their output steadily declined. In many cases, it became increasingly difficult for farming to provide a sustainable livelihood, leading many farmers to sell their land to developers—often bringing an end to generations of family farming traditions.
This unfortunate chain of events forced an entire generation to leave the tranquility of rural communities for larger cities in search of work and a means to support their families. As a result, rural towns everywhere suffered a tragic decline, losing the generational lifeblood that had sustained them for so long. With local economic opportunities disappearing, many once-thriving small communities fell into abandonment and disrepair.
For those living within commuting distance of cities, many were forced to endure hours of long daily commutes to maintain affordable housing while securing viable income. This left people increasingly disconnected from their families, transforming their communities into places where they merely slept, rather than lived. The constant physical toll of long commutes, combined with the diminished quality of rural life, has taken a profound toll on society. Rising rates of health issues—including mental stress—along with increases in drug use, divorce, and other social challenges are evidence of the broader impact on people.
Consider this: a typical full-time job amounts to around 1,920 hours of work per year—40 hours a week for 48 weeks, assuming four weeks of vacation. Now, if we factor in a one-hour commute each way, that adds an extra 2 hours a day, time that individuals must sacrifice from their personal lives just to maintain their jobs. This adds up to an additional 480 hours per year—equivalent to another 10 years of work over a 40-year career!
Furthermore, commuting from the suburbs contributes to this burden. According to data from TomTom, for instance, in Toronto, individuals spend an average of 255 hours each year commuting just 10 kilometers during rush hour in the city center, and 129 hours in metropolitan areas.
All of this contributes to the physical and emotional toll that work takes on people's lives, leaving many feeling aged beyond their years and facing a premature decline in their health. This growing burden places an increasing strain on a healthcare system that is itself no longer robust, but rather in decline and struggling to survive on "life support".
This article only scratches the surface of the deepening societal problems we face due to the systematic elimination of rural manufacturing and food processing, which, alongside agriculture, once served as the pillars of our historically strong and resilient society. In recent years, the geopolitical landscape has shifted, prompting questions about whether our current reliance on outsourcing production—including food manufacturing—can be sustained in the long run. This situation is both dire and unsustainable. There is a growing desire to bring certain manufacturing processes back home and create a better balance between exports and imports. Reshoring manufacturing is increasingly engaging more companies and attracting investment.
There is a positive possibility for rebuilding society from the ground up. Smaller operations that utilize innovative manufacturing approaches require fewer human resources and a comparatively manageable amount of power. Many manufacturing facilities can be both small and profitable. The advent of modern technologies has the potential to lay the foundation for a strong, dynamic, and resilient new society—one that harmoniously blends the conveniences of the modern world with the emotionally rewarding and fulfilling lifestyle that rural communities offer. By minimizing commuting and ensuring well-paying jobs become the norm again, local employment can thrive.
In future blog posts, we will explore how technology can enable those who desire it to live successful and prosperous lives by returning to their rural roots. This shift allows individuals to enjoy the simple pleasures of natural beauty, spend quality time with family and friends, and build fulfilling careers that contribute to society without the burdens of long commutes.
These opportunities are especially achievable in smaller community settings, where residents are eager to take ownership of rebuilding their towns as contributors to the new manufacturing economy. As career growth opportunities emerge in remote areas, they will attract talent and potentially revive small centers of excellence.
Creating a more balanced relationship between exports and imports through reshoring offers win-win benefits for all. The ultimate goal should be to recreate a harmonious connection between rural communities and large cities, harnessing The Power of Small® to restore communal happiness and balance.
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