Conflicts Between Modern And Traditional Culture Cultural Studies Essay

Probably the most noticeable alteration towards society in the last few old ages has been the manifestation of the word `` alteration '' . We talk of altering our procedures and ways of making things, how to present new methods, merchandises, and patterns into a fast development universe, that can sometimes be immune to alter whether it is good or bad. However when we refuse to give in to this impending storm of modernness which is set out to alter our well-established patterns struggle arises.

This struggle is being fought but states all over the universe who are on the brink of losing their deep rooted rules, its civilization to modernness or Westernization.

Change or modernness can be used interchangeably they are be presented in two signifiers it 's either positive or negative. As a consequence of globalisation some civilizations and traditions are been lost. When alteration emerges in such a manner that it condemns your ain traditions sing them as old and stale, such state of affairss give rise to struggles like in the instance of Michael Obi.

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The fact that both modern methods and traditional ways are both of import and valuable for our community can non be over emphatic. What is it about tradition that makes it so of import to people, that even as the respond to alter they still do n't desire to portion with it? We normally think of traditions as something that is passed down through the coevalss, they can besides be started once more by making the same thing for three old ages in a row to positive emotions and feelings of love.

Traditions today are our most prized ownerships that stay the same it reminds and links us to our yesteryear, our roots, and our household. Finally as we yield to alter we can merely come to the realisation that modern methods and traditions are both of import to us, and with the aid of our cognition and experience we have gained over the old ages we can confidently state that a common land can be established on which modernness and tradition can coexist in such a manner that it benefits the parties involved.

Chinua Achebe 's `` Dead Men 's Way '' is a short narrative, where the author embellished the struggles between modern and traditional civilization of a society. For person to understand this short narrative you have to delve deeper into the secret plan, the struggle, the characters, and the whole puting itself in order to to the full understand what the author is seeking to convey to the readers. This narrative tries to foreground some facets of human nature through the character of Michael Obi. Michael appears to hold adopted the ways of the western universe or the modern society. He has a really ambitious dream to `` overhaul '' the school where he has been deployed. Mr. Michael Obi is a contemplation of how blind the human head can be at times. His aspirations have gotten into his caput excessively much that he loses regard of other civilizations which he himself is from by virtuousness of his name `` Obi '' which is an Ibo name. Obi 's high aspirations have surely infiltrated his head in such a manner that in his conversation with the priest of `` Ani '' he condemns the traditions of the small town when he says:

`` The whole intent of our school, '' he said eventually, `` is to eliminate merely such beliefs as that. Dead work forces do non necessitate pathwaies. The whole thought is merely antic. Our responsibility is to learn your kids to express joy at such thoughts. ''

Obi feels appalled at how their traditions `` smudge '' the luster of the school that he runs. He is excessively engrossed over making a good image of himself and the inspectors, that he feels the dwellers and their `` junior-grade '' imposts are a large obstruction to achieving his end. Although the belief of the small town people appears to be unlogical and ineffectual, any agent of alteration should be open-minded and respectful to their beliefs and patterns. Michael Obi fails to accept the assortments of civilizations bing in his community, and by enforcing what he thought is right he gets his `` wages '' : a bad study from the authorities inspector. A adult male who could n't believe of a more civilised manner of accomplishing his dreams, therefore, yielded to the bad influences of modernisation and impacting the peaceable religious beliefs of the residents in the small town. In the character of Nancy, Michael Obi 's married woman we are able to see that she has to the full adopted modern ways of making thing. He character symbolizes the western influence. The school represents the effort to divide tradition from modernness, and on a greater extent eradicate superstitious belief wholly from the hereafter. The school is where immature heads are molded and is a perfect topographic point to get down infixing thoughts of change.A

One of such similar state of affairss was an incident that happened many old ages ago in my ain native land. The name of my small town is `` amokwe '' which means in our community which is called `` ibuzor '' there were many villagers who were heathens. This traditional worship had been in being even after the missional came in and construct a church. Most of these diehards later became parishioners at St Patrick 's Catholic Church. Some of the villagers denounced their beliefs and recognized Christianity and some swung both ways they still stick to their traditional beliefs and Christianity. During a certain period the parish had a new priest who openly preached about how devilish the traditional beliefs were and how they hindered the advancement of the people. The instructions of this priest infuriated some parishioners. They held a meeting with other members of the community and came up with a solution. The distinct to deprive him of his fabrics and do him walk with his drawerss round the small town. Normally public shame was the highest signifier of penalty you could confront. It fundamentally entailed that you had to walk around the small town with no fabrics and palm fronds were tied on your waist and caput while people followed you at your dorsum and American ginseng vocals and flogged you on occasion. This happened to be the penalty that the meeting concluded. Some yearss subsequently early in forenoon the villagers set out to the abode of the priest and subjected him to the above explained penalty. This went on for some hours till they reached the local authorities caput quarters called UDI were through the advert of some police officers the priest was speared and released. The instance was reported to the bishop of Enugu bishopric. The bishop came in and took the priest along with the Blessed Sacrament. The act of taking the Blessed Sacrament meant that multitudes could non be celebrated at that parish. For one twelvemonth the community was without Sunday service. After a piece some seniors came to an understanding and decided to travel back and plead with the bishop to reinstate a priest to observe Sunday services and have the Blessed Sacrament retuned. Though the bishop agreed a meeting was held with the full community was a decision was drawn. This solution was precisely what the priest of `` Ani '' said. `` Let the hawk perch and allow the bird of Jove perch '' which fundamentally means Lashkar-e-Taiba 's allow everyone unrecorded. This meant that whoever chose to lodge to their traditional belief was left to make what they wanted every bit long as they did n't traverse or reprobate each other 's patterns. They fundamentally had to larn to coexist in peace and harmoniousness. This coexistence was eventually achieved with clip and things bit by bit returned back to normal. Although today I can state 90 % of the villagers are now Christians but there are still the staying 10 % that still pattern these traditional religions.A

Traditions are really of import but when these traditions start to impact us negatively its best we do off with the bad facet of it or do an attempt to modify it into something positive. In our lives today we can merely posses adulthood when we 're able respect the assorted beliefs of people around us ; even if, we think it is absurd. These narratives explained above rhenium fundamentally reminding us that tradition and modernness should non be as sole entities ; instead they should complement each other. It is necessary for Traditions to come on with modernness, yet it should non be destroy the past as was portrayed by Michael Obi when he said, `` Our responsibility is to learn your kids to express joy at such thoughts. '' We 'll so must look at the past with fear than with disgust because no affair how modern one possibly our tradition makes us complete. There should ever be an ideal blend of modernness and belief each individual posses. The secret plan nevertheless is slightly unfinished for full understanding it will depend on what the readers ' imaginativeness may comprehend.

Every now and so human existences become overwhelmed with joy that we forget that there are people around us who may be affected by our careless actions. Michael Obi is a alien to that topographic point merely like the priest but as a caput principal or public figure he should hold observed their civilization and non enforce his ain manner. Given the incorrect instruction, the pupils may be damaging to society, in the same manner that Mr. Obi has been damaging to the small town people.

In our universe today, the younger coevalss are excessively busy seeking to progress their mundane life by holding everything explained scientifically. They tend to pretermit the beliefs of their ascendants. However, the devastation of the school created a turning point for the people to accept that `` the beliefs of the ascendants are every bit powerful as the inventions of the western universe. No affair how powerful a construction may look to be if its constituents are empty on the interior, there is practically no uncertainty that it will disintegrate. The obstructor of this way could intend that instruction in Africa becomes non a existent instruction of impartial acquisition but a shrouded manner of reaping of the people of their heritage and wealth. The school 's intent becomes non to learn but to make wealth for the colonial Masterss. The school is a symbol of subjugation to the people of Africa where they are mocked in the face by being referred to as some petroleum, backward and illiterate people, merely because they lack the optimism and modern-day ideas of their colonial Masterss or the western universe.

SourcesA

Gusfield, Joseph R. `` Tradition and Modernity: misplaced Mutual oppositions in the Study of Social Change. `` American Journal of PsychologyA 72.4 ( 1967 ) : 351-62.A Jstor, Web. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //http: //www.mnstate.edu/robertsb/380/tradandmodernity.pdf & gt ; .

Liscombe, Rhodri Windsor. `` Modernism in Late Imperial British West Africa: The Work of Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 1946-56. `` A Journal of the Society of Architectural HistoriansA 65.2 ( June 2006 ) : 188-215.A JSTOR. Web. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/25068264 & gt ; .