Conflicts Between Modern And Traditional Culture Cultural Studies Essay

Conflicts Between Modern And Traditional Culture Cultural Studies Essay Probably the most noticeable change towards society in the last few years has been the manifestation of the word change. We talk of changing our processes and ways of doing things, how to introduce new methods, products, and practices into a fast developing world, that can sometimes be resistant to change whether it is good or bad. However when we refuse to give in to this impending storm of modernity which is set out to change our well-established practices conflict arises. This conflict is being fought but countries all over the world who are on the verge of losing their deep rooted principles, its culture to modernity or westernization. Change or modernity can be used interchangeably they are be presented in two forms its either positive or negative. As a result of globalization some cultures and traditions are been lost. When change emerges in such a way that it condemns your own traditions viewing them as old and stale, such situations give rise to conflicts like in the case of Michael Obi. The fact that both modern methods and traditional ways are both important and valuable for our community cannot be over emphasized. What is it about tradition that makes it so important to people, that even as the respond to change they still dont want to part with it? We usually think of traditions as something that is passed down through the generations, they can also be started again by doing the same thing for three years in a row to positive emotions and feelings of love. Traditions today are our most prized possessions that stay the same it reminds and links us to our past, our roots, and our family. Eventually as we yiel d to change we can only come to the realization that modern methods and traditions are both important to us, and with the help of our knowledge and experience we have gained over the years we can confidently say that a common ground can be established on which modernity and tradition can coexist in such a way that it benefits the parties involved. Chinua Achebes Dead Mens Path is a short story, where the writer embellished the conflicts between modern and traditional culture of a society. For someone to understand this short story you have to dig deeper into the plot, the conflict, the characters, and the whole setting itself in order to fully understand what the writer is trying to convey to the readers. This story tries to highlight some aspects of human nature through the character of Michael Obi. Michael appears to have adopted the ways of the western world or the modern society. He has a very ambitious dream to modernize the school where he has been deployed. Mr. Michael Obi is a reflection of how blind the human mind can be at times. His aspirations have gotten into his head too much that he loses respect of other cultures which he himself is from by virtue of his name Obi which is an Ibo name. Obis high aspirations have certainly infiltrated his mind in such a way that in his conversation with the priest of Ani he conde mns the traditions of the village when he says: The whole purpose of our school, he said finally, is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. Obi feels appalled at how their traditions blot the splendor of the school that he runs. He is too engrossed over creating a good image of himself and the inspectors, that he feels the inhabitants and their petty customs are a big obstacle to attaining his goal. Although the belief of the village people appears to be illogical and futile, any agent of change should be open-minded and respectful to their beliefs and practices. Michael Obi fails to accept the varieties of cultures existing in his community, and by imposing what he thought is right he gets his reward: a bad report from the government inspector. A man who couldnt think of a more civilized way of achieving his dreams, thus, yielded to the bad influences of modernization and affecting the peaceful spiritual beliefs of the occupants in the village. In the character of Nancy, Michael Obis wife we are able to see that she has fully adopted modern ways of doing thing. He character symbolizes the western influence. The school r epresents the attempt to separate tradition from modernity, and on a greater extent eradicate superstitious belief completely from the future. The school is where young minds are molded and is a perfect place to begin inserting ideas of change.   One of such similar situations was an incident that happened many years ago in my own native land. The name of my village is amokwe which means in our community which is called ibuzor there were many villagers who were pagans. This traditional worship had been in existence even after the missionary came in and built a church. Most of these traditionalists subsequently became parishioners at St Patricks Catholic Church. Some of the villagers denounced their beliefs and accepted 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 diabolical the traditional beliefs were and how they hindered the progress of the people. The teachings of this priest infuriated some parishioners. They held a meeting with other members of the community and came up with a solution. The decided to strip him of his cloths and make him walk with his boxers round the village. Usuall y public disgrace was the highest form of punishment you could face. It basically entailed that you had to walk around the village with no cloths and palm fronds were tied on your waist and head while people followed you at your back and sang songs and flogged you occasionally. This happened to be the punishment that the meeting concluded. Some days later early in morning the villagers set out to the residence of the priest and subjected him to the above explained punishment. This went on for some hours till they reached the local government head quarters called UDI were through the advert of some policemen the priest was speared and released. The case was reported to the bishop of Enugu diocese. The bishop came in and took the priest along with the Blessed Sacrament. The act of taking the Blessed Sacrament meant that masses could not be celebrated at that parish. For one year the community was without Sunday service. After a while some elders came to an agreement and decided to go back and plead with the bishop to reinstate a priest to celebrate Sunday services and have the Blessed Sacrament retuned. Though the bishop agreed a meeting was held with the entire community was a conclusion was drawn. This solution was exactly what the priest of Ani said. Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch which basically means lets let everyone live. This meant that whoever chose to stick to their traditional belief was left to do what they wanted as long as they didnt cross or condemn each others practices. They basically had to learn to coexist in peace and harmony. This coexistence was finally achieved with time and things gradually returned back to normal. Although today I can say 90% of the villagers are now Christians but there are still the remaining 10% that still practice these traditional religions.   Traditions are very important but when these traditions start to affect us negatively its best we do away with the bad aspect of it or make an effort to modify it into something positive. In our lives today we can only posses maturity when were able respect the various beliefs of people around us; even if, we think it is absurd. These stories explained above re basically reminding us that tradition and modernity should not exist as exclusive entities; rather they should complement each other. It is necessary for Traditions to progress with modernity, yet it should not be destroy the past as was portrayed by Michael Obi when he said, Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas. Well indeed must look at the past with reverence than with disgust because no matter how modern one maybe our tradition makes us complete. There should always be an ideal blend of modernity and belief each person posses. The plot however is somewhat unfinished for full understanding it will depend on what the readers imagination may perceive. Every now and then human beings 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 foreigner to that place just like the priest but as a head principal or public figure he should have observed their culture and not impose his own way. Given the wrong education, the students may be detrimental to society, in the same way that Mr. Obi has been detrimental to the village people. In our world today, the younger generations are too busy trying to advance their everyday life by having everything explained scientifically. They tend to neglect the beliefs of their ancestors. However, the destruction of the school created a turning point for the people to accept that the beliefs of the ancestors are as powerful as the innovations of the western world. No matter how powerful a structure may appear to be if its components are empty on the inside, there is practically no doubt that it will disintegrate. The obstruction of this path could mean that education in Africa becomes not a real education of impartial learning but a shrouded way of reaping of the people of their heritage and wealth. The schools purpose becomes not to teach but to create wealth for the colonial masters. The school is a symbol of oppression to the people of Africa where they are mocked in the face by being referred to as some crude, backward and illiterate people, simply because they lack the op timism and contemporary thoughts of their colonial masters or the western world. Sources   Gusfield, Joseph R. Tradition and Modernity: misplaced Polarities in the Study of Social Change.American Journal of Psychology  72.4 (1967): 351-62.  Jstor, Web. . Liscombe, Rhodri Windsor. Modernism in Late Imperial British West Africa: The Work of Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, 1946-56.  Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians  65.2 (June 2006): 188-215.  JSTOR. Web. .

Doctor Faustus Essay

Born in Canterbury in 1564, Christopher Marlowe was an actor, poet, and playwright during the reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth I. Traditionally, the education that he received would have prepared him to become a clergyman, but Marlowe chose not to join the ministry. After leaving Cambridge, Marlowe moved to London, where he became a playwright and led a turbulent, scandal-plagued life. He produced seven plays, all of which were immensely popular. Among the most well known of his plays are Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta, and Doctor Faustus. Marlowe was a great innovator of blank verse, unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. The richness of his dramatic verse anticipates Shakespeare, and some argue that Shakespeare’s achievements owed considerable debt to Marlowe’s influence. Doctor Faustus was probably written in 1592, although the exact date of its composition is uncertain. Doctor Faustus is a play of deep questions concerning morality, religion, and man’s relationship to both. England was a Protestant country since the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s father, Henry VIII. Sorcery and magic were part of widespread belief systems throughout Europe that predated Christianity. But as Christianity spread and either assimilated or rejected other belief systems, practitioners of magic came to be viewed as evil. In the fifth century CE, St. Augustine, perhaps the most influential Christian thinker after St. Paul, pronounced all sorcery to be the work of evil spirits, to distinguish it from the good â€Å"magic† of Christian ritual and sacrament. The view of the sorcerer changed irrevocably. As this new Christian folklore of sorcery evolved, certain motifs rose to prominence. Once Christ was rejected, a sorcerer could give his soul to the devil instead, receiving in exchange powers in this life, here and now. Numerous Christian stories feature such bargains, and one of the most famous evolved around the historical person Johanned Faustus, a German astrologer of the early sixteenth century. Marlowe took his plot from an earlier German play about Faustus, but he transformed an old story into a powerhouse of a work, one that has drawn widely different interpretations since its first production. Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is first great version of the story, although not the last. In the nineteenth century, the great German writer Johann Wolfgang van Goethe gave the story its greatest incarnation in Faust. Faustus’ name has become part of our language. â€Å"Faustian bargain† has come to mean a deal made for earthly gain at a high ethical and spiritual cost, or alternately any choice with short-lived benefits and a hell of a price.

Detailed Lesson Plan in Grade 6

A Detailed Lesson Plan in Biology I . Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to : 1. distinguish cellular structures; 2. distinguish the functions of each structures; 3. familiarize what the cell looks like and 4. compare the factory to a cell II . Topic: Cellular structures and functions Skill: describing, explaining, illustrating Materials: pictures, photocopied materials and video clip (cell biology) References: †¢Aquino, Jesunino R. et. al, Biology II. St. Augustine Publication Inc. †¢Capco, Carmelita M. Et. al, Biology Textbook, Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. Biology Sci. And Technology Textbook for second year, Book Press Inc. †¢Olivares, Maria et. al, Science and Technology for the Modern Worl Diwa Scholastic Press †¢Villamil, Aurora M. Sciance and Technology, Phoenix Publishing House †¢http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=zufaN_aetZI †¢http://www. google. com. ph III. Learning Activity A. Motivation Picture Analysis: I will divide the class into group, five members each. Assign a recorder You are going to do this in five(5) minutes. Show them the different pictures of cell tissues and some parts of cells ( e. g. Ribosomes, mitochondria, lysosomes ).Allow them to examine the pictures carefully and choose among them is the cell. But before the student give their answers, let them first read the situation below: B . Presentation Situation Analysis : Larry works in a forensic laboratory. His boss James instructed him to get a cell sample from the child victim that has run over by a truck. Which of the following is the cell that Larry should send to James? Teachers ActivityStudent’s Activity From the pictures i have given you, Student will select from the given choose what James should get from the child pictures of tissues, organs, parts of a cell victim. nd cell. (5)minutes. After hearing the student answers, let them explain why they think their answer is correct. Then allow for differences in an swer. Let’s find out if your choice is correct. Later on, since Larry is a part of forensic team, lets see what he actually choose. To find out which is the cell lets watch this video. C . Preparation: Film viewing: (cell organelles and their functions) NOTE: Take note of the important information about the cell especially its parts and functions. Follow up questions: ?What do you see? ?What do you call each of the structure? In which picture in the previous activity is it similar? ?What is your idea about the cell? Teachers ActivityStudent’s Activity What is your idea about the cell? The cell has many parts Ma’am and Yes Nica. they have their own functions. Definitely Nica. Now I will let the students give theirFrom the movie we have just watched answers on the situation analysis. Ma’am, we got it right. This is a cell ma’am (show the picture). Very good, you got it right group 2. So you are now familiar what a cell looks like. Now its time to kno w and distinguish he different structures of the cell and its function. D . Generalization You are going to compare the factory to a cell. This time I need five (5) groups, six (6) members each. Complete the table posted in front: you are given fifteen (15) minutes to answer . â€Å"CELL AS A FACTORY† JOB/PART OF THE FACTORYCELL PARTFUNCTION IV. Evaluation I will distribute each student a copy ( poem of a cell ). They are going to fill in the blanks with the corresponding parts of the cell with their functions as their clue. They are given ten (10) minutes to answer. Poem of a cell:I am a cell A structure of life I’ll tell you my components And what they all do First off I have ATP It and the ___________ Make energy The ________________ Is my buddy too It covers me To protect me and you Then theres a ___________ Which is much like clear jelly It fills me up Like food in your belly The ________ are passageways They’re close like good brothers Taking proteins From one part to the other There is a ____________ But despite its odd name It carries through mail Out of my membrane I have ________________ There aren’t many in plants It breaks down your foodWith much of a chance Ah then there’s my __________ My control center or brain It gives me chromatin From it, instructions i gain But the nucleus needs Protection too And this is what its membrane Is assigned to do Tiny structures Where proteins are made These are __________ They do that everyday A _______________ Is like a water balloon Holding in water Inside of you I also have ________ Honest I say They contain protein Along with DNA My fruits the plant cells Has parts to it too Now i’ll show these exclusives And what they all do The cellulose _____________ Is sturdy and strongAround a plant cell membrane It lasts very long There’s one more component Exclusive to plant cells Its the ___________________ Where photosynthesis happens so well This is a cell And all my parts Its like a puzzle In your body, like arts I’ll keep you feeling Oh, so great If bodily care You do demonstrate I am complex Through my twists and bends I hope you learned much Cause this is the end V . Assignment Research on the types of cell, its parts and functions. Pinili National High School Pinili, Ilocos Norte Detailed Lesson Plan In Biology s Shery-lyn Q. Agaran May 09, 2012

Inequality Is My Wicked Problem - 1211 Words

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