Those We Don’t Want to Keep

Thus far, this blog has been primarily about the preservation of different cultures, traditions and practices. But just as anything in life, each of these cultures, as fascinating as they are, and with as much beauty, history, life they contain, also have aspects that are less than savory. While all the previously described aspects of culture deserve the effort required to promote their continuity, there are others that may actually require work to eliminate. It is important that in attempting to save the baby, all those things about a future that are good, that the house isn’t flooded with dirty water. This post explores some of the traditions that as a global community, we probably are better off without.

Child marriage: Almost one third of girls around the world are married before the age of 18. One in nine are married before the age of 15. The practice of child marriage is most common in Western and Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Why does it exist? In some places, it is simply a matter of traditions. Their ancestors lived their lives in this way— why should it be any different for them? Another reason is prevalence of certain gender stereotypes. In many places within the regions listed above (although not limited to these places), is a belief that girls are not as valuable as boys. In fact, they are seen very much as a burden, especially in poverty-stricken families. By marrying their daughters off, these families can reduce their expenses, and in many cases benefit from the exchange of a dowry. Last but not least, sometimes child marriage is motivated by a desire to keep the child safe, especially in areas at risk for physical or sexual assault. But all of these are things that can be made the objects of change, and decreasing the number of girls that will be married underage from 100 million is definitely a goal worth working toward.
Female Circumcision: Prominent among some tribes in Egypt, Sudan, Mali, and Ethiopia, this extremely maligning and abominable practice has persisted for religious and cultural reasons. Approximations of 130 million women worldwide, and two million per year, throw this issue into the grand scale. This procedure, if it could be called so, is dome without an anesthetic or medication, and is basically a prime pathway for infections and other complications, including severe bleeding that may eventually result in death. It is estimated that 1/3 of those who undergo female circumcision die.
Running of the Bulls: A well known tradition in Spain, this is a practice that spark controversy for several reasons. While some of the other scenarios are clear matters of right and wrong, this can become even more so complicated. The main bull run happens in San Fermín in Pamplona, a region of Spain. Anywhere from 200-300 people are hurt each year as they run like maniacs from the crush of bulls who have been penned up and then let lose to run the streets, and since its start, over 15 people have been killed. While not as widespread as some of the other issues, and affecting an even smaller population, this tradition raises question from an ethical perspective as well as a practical one. Animal activists would argue against the treatment that the bulls are subjects to, whereas others would question the sanity of apparently normal people who intentionally trust themselves into harm’s way. While not as clear-cut in terms of its standing on the right-wrong scale, this is another practice closely tied in with the culture and history of the area, that may be less than beneficial for those involved.
These are just three, but it goes to show that discerning which traditions and what aspects of culture would benefit society by their continuation is necessary and important. Hopefully this set of posts has encouraged you to seek out and explore the plethora of traditions and practices in the world, and to gain a better understanding of the traditions themselves, but most importantly, of the faces behind them.
References:
Girls Not Brides. “Why Does Child Marriage Happen?” Girls Not Brides. Girls Not Brides, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
 ICRW. “Child Marriage Facts and Figures.” ICRW. International Center for Research on Women, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
 PBS. “Child Brides.” PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
 TopTenz. “Top 10 Dangerous Traditions.” Toptenz.net. TopTenz, n.d. Web. 17

Art and Dance

There are many things that gel to shape and make up the culture of a particular group of people: the geographical location, the customs of the surrounding areas, the climate, the basic necessities, the religious affiliation (if any),  the  food, the music, the dance and art forms. Of all these, dance, art, and music are probably those most associated with culture, and sometimes they are the ones that remain even when other aspects of a culture die off.

Sometimes the specific art forms die off with the genesis of something better. A prime example would be hand-drawn animation. It wasn’t too long ago that the simple cartoon was revolutionary. But with advances in computer technology that allow for the creation of extremely realistic  figures, the demand and need for  hand-drawn animations and their animators is slowly dying out. This is not to say that it will disappear completely, but rather that the demand and supply will decrease to such a point that it becomes insignificant. Especially in American history, hand-drawn animation has left a significant mark. Walt Disney’s foray into the unknowns of children’s entertainment created a whole new industry.

There are many reasons for why an art form or tradition may not survive. As in the case above, it may be the simple result of advance in technology. But in other cases, it may be because of what the art form represents. One of these, which is currently the center of a small controversy, is the dance form of “they yam.” Theyyam is a dance form that is from the Malabar side (north side) of Kerala, one of the southern most states in India. It is a custom firmly tied to the religious leaning in that area, with almost 400 different forms. Performers are heavily made-up and wear heavy costume and jewelry, to the point where they are not recognizable. They then begin to play out using subtle body movements the stories of various gods and goddesses. But even at its inception, theyyam was very marginalized.

Brahmins, the highest in the Hindu-Indian caste system, acknowledged the importance of the dance as part of their worship, yet it was considered below their status. As a result, the task was left to some of the poorest and most despised of society. While the theyyam himself (the person actually performing the dance) was respected for what he represented (people believed that he was essentially a god), it was seen almost as a necessary evil. Fast forward centuries, and find an art form dying out because of its previous association with the least of society. While it may seem silly from a middle-class western perspective, in certain parts of the world, social status is everything, and one’s family line can sometimes be a more effect recommendation than your personal accomplishments. Association with such an art form could lead people to consciously or subconsciously draw conclusions and affect their decisions regarding a particular person.

Another dying art form is part of the traditions and cultures of places from all over the world: story telling. While story telling still has a presence in the bedrooms of children around the world, it is no longer sought out as a popular means of entertainment for the general populace. Especially in African and American-Indian tribal cultures, story-tellers were held in high regard, and were responsible for the instruction of that group’s history. Even in Medieval times in Europe, people looked forward to the presence of bards and minstrels who would regal the court with their music and their representations of comedies and tragedies. With the changes and advances in the media through which we  gain entertainment, story-telling has been left by the wayside. But the amount of skill required to be a successful story-teller is not something that is come by easily… more importantly though, the art of listening to a story being told, is also one that is slowly being lost over generations.

The preservation of these art forms is important in part for the sake of the art forms themselves, but also in part for the sake of what they represented for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years. Is that something that the art world can justify inactively throwing away by their passiveness in their attempts (or lack thereof) to learn and preserve them?

 

Clarke, Christa. “The Art of AFRICA A Resource for Educators.” Metrapolitan Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/~/media/Files/Learn/For%20Educators/Publications%20for%20Educators/The%20Art%20of%20Africa.pdf>. 

“Hand Drawn Animation: A dying art form.” letsbeARTticulate. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://letsbeartticulate.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/hand-drawn-animation-a-dying-art-form/>.

“Is Story-Telling a Dying Art?.” BBC News. BBC, 16 July 2004. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3898337.stm>.

“Plea to save the dying art form of theyyam – The Times of India.” The Times ofIndia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Plea-to-save-the-dying-art-form-of-theyyam/articleshow/25719180.cms>.

 

Love Your Language!

Language. Lengua. 語. Bhaksha. Langue. 언어. Lingua. Język. Limbă. Jazyk. γλώσσα. Dil. Lisan. 语言. Teanga. Yǔ yán. لغة. Taal. Basa. мова. भाषा. Kalba. ენა. Språk. Ulimi. மொழி. Harshe. שפה. Wika. Jezik. хэл. Bahasa. Keel. ਭਾਸ਼ਾ. јазик. Kieli. Sprog.  ಭಾಷೆ. Lingvo. Gjuhë. լեզու. Idioma. భాష.  Hizkuntz. aезик. Pinulongan. Sprache. Lang. ভাষা. Lus. Nyelv. ภาษา. Tungumál. Asụsụ. ພາສາ. Valoda. јазик. Lingwa. Reo. хэл. Lugha. भाषा. язык. Língua.  زبان. Ngôn ngư. Iaith. שפּראַך. Ede. Ulimi.

Above is “language” in approximately forty-five of those languages. Forty-five, of over six thousand spoken languages in the present day. Of these six thousand plus languages, approximately two thousand have less than one thousand speakers. So what’s the big deal?

Let’s look at what language itself is. It is one of the things that make us unique and human. It is the result of a complex set of social interactions that develop into a set of structures that reflect the values, beliefs, culture, and even political system of a certain group. So when we lose a language, what exactly are we losing? History, the stories of thousands before, the livelihood, mannerisms, behaviors of all those from that certain area in that certain time period. Unique ways of expressing things impossible to express in any other dialect.

Just how fast are these languages disappearing? When Columbus made his first journey, the linguistic variety in North America was similar to that of Mexico. The U.S. itself was host to approximately 300 languages– a far cry from today. As stated in the World Watch article, “only five of [the original native languages] have more than 10,000 speakers. Of the 260 native tongues still spoken in the United States and Canada, 80 percent are no longer being learned by children. Idaho’s “Coeur D’Alene” has just five speakers. Marie Smith (page 35) is the last remaining speaker of Eyak, native to the coast of Prince William Sound, Alaska. Cupeño, another North American language went extinct in 1994 when the last speaker died. California is considered one of the world’s linguistic treasure troves; it has produced perhaps 100 languages, including Esselen from Carmel and Obispeño from Santa Barbara-both now extinct. Only 50 Californian languages remain, and just two or three have as many as 200 speakers.”

This is just in America. The international stats are far more staggering. Again, World Watch states that, “Fewer than 4 percent of the world’s languages have any official status in their country of origin… the 15 most common languages (primarily European) are now on the lips of half the world’s people; the top 100 languages are used by 90 percent of humanity.” This is a trend opposed by the majority of languages, as most of them have a very limited distribution. These areas are extremely rich in biodiversity, particularly the Pacific Region. To name just a few, “the island of New Guinea, [is home to just 0.1 percent of the world’s population], yet these people speak perhaps one sixth of the world’s languages, [and the small geographical area has spawned some 1,100 tongues]. Another 172 languages are spoken in the Philippines, and an astounding 110 can be heard on the tiny archipelago of Vanuatu… inhabited by fewer than 200,000 people.” Perhaps even more surprisingly, more than half of all known languages, have their roots in the following eight countries: Papa New Guinea, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia, and Brazil. Of these languages, we lose one anywhere from every two weeks, to 3 months.

This, to my mind, is a tragedy to an extreme. While not on the levels of world poverty or war, this takes on a sadness of its own. Being bilingual myself, there are certain things that, try as I might, I could never express in English (though it is my first language). There are also just certain attitudes, certain ways of saying things, that taken on a different life based on the language. When we lose a language, we essentially lose a way of life. It speaks of the death not of just a few words, but of a people. Call me crazy, but I think that all these different cultures, mindsets, and languages have something to offer to modern society. Perhaps it’s something small, but it is unfair that we allow it to die without thoroughly examining it first. Granted, there are many cases where there’s not much one can do. But to raise awareness and cultivate in oneself a sincere appreciation for language can go far in how these things are perceived. You may be surprised at what you find, and how it changes you.

 

 

“How many spoken languages are there in the world? Read more: How Many Spoken Languages | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/many-spoken-languages.html#ixzz2zs0AKr2e.”Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. <http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/many-spoken-languages.html>.

“Last Words: The Dying of Languages.”Worldwatch Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. <http://www.worldwatch.org/node/500>.

“Linguistic Society of America.” How Many Languages Are There in the World?. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. <http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/how-many-languages-are-there-world>.

The National Struggle — Staying Chinese in China

Now I’m sure that at one point or another we have all heard that “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” And generally speaking, when visiting other places, that’s a great idea! It allows you to get the full effects of your travel experience, while at the same time keeping you out of trouble and aware of your surroundings. Increasingly however, the problem becomes that all the Romans have begun to take on traits that are suspiciously like those of the Egyptians… What does this mean, and where do we see this one everyday life? But beyond that, why do we care?

For many in developing countries or NICs (Newly Industrialized Countries), being a Roman who acts like an Egyptian is something that is really concerning to these people. Before I continue, I’d just like to clarify that this is not an attack on individual expression– please, by all means do what you do. However in the broader sense,  we in a global sense stand with much to lose in terms of how these things are handled. To be more precise, it’s the thought of culture as heritage, something of one’s own, and therefore part of shaping your personality, that is really threatened.

Several years ago, a form of Chinese opera, called Kunqu was listed by UNESCO (the United Nations organization that deals with education, science and culture) an “intangible cultural heritage.” What is an intangible cultural heritage? Before answering that, let’s think about just what culture as heritage really means. In symposium held in a university in China (partially in reaction to the actions of UNESCO), several educators, scholars, officials and artists discussed the same thing. An article that summarizes their discussions, talks about the those things that actually make up what we view as a whole as the heritage of a particular group of people.

Culture as heritage consists of “material or ‘built’ aspects… such as buildings… monuments, [paintings], and [other] objects” and “non-material or ‘living’ ” aspects, which are built into the “social practices, community life, values, beliefs, and expressions” (ie. language, arts, music, dance, and poetry). At the time of the aforementioned symposium, Qiao Xiaoguang, a professor and director at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, discussed the slow demise of several long-standing Chinese traditions as result of modernization– a trend that is seen not just in China, but again, in many developing countries, especially in the east. “There is not enough awareness of what these cultural heritages are, let alone the necessary personnel, funding and legislative efforts to rescue and protect them. What’s more worrying, is that random tourism development in many local areas have misled people’s understanding of aboriginal culture and have proved to be destructive to the maintenance of the original cultural ecology,” he said.

Yet another researcher, Yuan Li, emphasized the importance of developing the cultures of ethnic groups and encouraged a respect of their cultural diversity. “Modernization does not mean Westernization…,” Yuan said. “Although the development of cultural industry can help with the economy in ethnic areas, it is certainly not everything. We need to protect the traditional cultural heritage of these areas.” In other words, there’s no need to bring in the dirt with the diamonds or throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are most definitely bad things along with the good in any culture or system, just as there will be in any system we adopt or accommodate in our own.  The trick is in taking out the bad without removing the different, and adopting modern technology and schools of thought without changing identity– granted, that all these things are easier said than done.

It’s not so much about what we’d gain from preserving these aspects of culture. It is unlikely that our quality of life would improve or change based on our acceptance or rejection of the particular things. It’s about the potential enormity of what we could lose.

This approach may be overgeneralized and simplified, but I wanted throw it out there– what do you guys think? Or is this not at all relevant when compared with some of the larger issues we face globally?

 

 

“Preserving Culture in the Face of Globalization.” Preserving Culture in the Face of Globalization. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.china.org.cn/english/culture/47161.htm>.

“What are Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs).” About.com International Investing. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://internationalinvest.about.com/od/gettingstarted/a/What-Are-Newly-Industrialized-Countries-nics.htm>.

Against the Melting Pot

Cultural Assimilation. The “process by which members of an ethnic minority group lose cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant cultural group or take on the cultural characteristics of another group.” Essentially, this means a loss of all or many characteristics which make the newcomers different. A region or society where assimilation is occurring is sometimes referred to as a “melting pot.”

You know, it’s pretty funny, I was thinking about how exactly I would approach this topic when wonder of wonders, the television provided the answer. Super Bowl commercials are a show unto themselves, and many times, they spark their own controversies. One that struck me particularly, and one that I thought opened perfectly to my topic, was the Coco-Cola commercial, which featured America the Beautiful in different languages.

In case you haven’t seen it:

Personally, I thought the commercial was absolutely beautiful. It brought to life the image of America that I, as a child of immigrants, have. But the moment of awe and goosebumps faded when I read the comments. Not that comments of this sort are ever that fun to read, but the overall tone was overwhelming.

“Wish it was all in OUR language… English.”

“They should all learn to speak English— like hello? This is America?”

“It’s fine if they come over, but they should at least assimilate.”

Assimilation. Losing characteristics that make you who you are, in order to fit in with the dominant group.

Why is this a problem? Now before things get crazy, let me just state that I do think people who come to the U.S. with the intention of living here should definitely attempt to learn English. But I think that many times we forget that almost the families of everyone who lives here were once a part of some immigrant community.

The issue with the melting pot comes down to this: it prevents the propagation of culture; it limits creativity and openness; it lessens the fullness of what living in this country entails; it diminishes the need for greater cross-cultural understanding, which can translate to our interactions overseas; it takes away from our nation something beautiful that it could have claimed as part of its own.

While the current state of affairs in this regard are sad, it is most certainly not unexpected. People do have to adjust when moving into a new place. They have to know the language, become aware of new norms, new attire, new customs, rules, and celebrations. This only takes a different turn if when in learning these new things, they lose others essential to their identity.

If asked to picture an “all-American girl” or an “all-American boy,” what is the image that typically comes to mind? Blond hair… blue eyes…. denim? America’s population of European-descendendents are as guilty of this as people like me are. All-American. No one thinks of a girl in a long skirt with a hijab around her head. Or of the Jewish boy walking to synagogue on a Saturday owning with his prayer cap perched on his head. The lady with the elaborate African headdress. The woman in the sari. No one thinks of them.

English is important. Know the history of the country you live in is important. Participating in the customs is important. But learning the people of your country? Is most important.

America has so many hidden jewels within it that with just the right amount of exposure can be bright to a shine. In my vision for America, in my dream, I don’t see a melting pot. I see trail mix. A mix of salty and sweet, crunchy and soft. Energizing, making all kind of things come alive.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at some of the cultural groups across the states. What have they lost by assimilation? What have they gained? What have we lost by their loss? Is this attitude something that needs to be altered? Decide with me 🙂

 

 

“Cultural Assimilation.”TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/cultural+assimilation>.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/ncr.4100840103/asset/4100840103_ftp.pdf?v=1&t=hr1awnym&s=cc9ea27572e505cf2eb94486cbfdd49317b8c522