What are we afraid of
Is it possible that one day we could wake up and the South African culture has dissapeared, that we've forgotten our music, no longer speak our language, don't practice our traditions and don't even know the meaning of our names? Is it a worldwide phenomenon that with globalisation caltures that are not depicted and promoted on television, in movies and through social media die out?If this is true what's the big deal? So what, we become westernized, Americanized isn't that what being civilized is all about?
The South African Culture
what do we even mean by losing our culture. I still respect my mother and father, my elders. I speak Setswana when I'm at home.I might not know our traditional dances and songs but what's the harm in that, does knowing how to dance and sing guarentee me a job, or will it make me a better husband, how does knowing any cultural rituals help me become a better human being. Don't get me wrong I'm proud to be black, to be Tswana not really to be South African because I don't know what that means yet, but apart from sentimental value what is the point of a culture.
Disadvantages of Globalisation
- A lose of calture in poorer less competitive countries
- difficulty for 3rd world countries to compete
- An identity crisis is created in the youth
- The braindrain as people immegrate in search of new jobs
the young generation is slowly adapting to the western culture hey like some didn't grow up deep in the villages.... I'm a swati girl i respect my culture and I respect my elders....What about those who are mixed race Phemelo where do they fit in?
ReplyDeleteI believe mixed-race children are bound to go through an identity crisis much like ourselves because you wan't to please the people around you, and yet you are still finding yourself.
DeleteI say we are losing our culture, we have lost the sentimental value of our customs and traditions. Its a disgrace not knowing whre you come from, not knowing your culture traditional dance is not a very big problem because it's a bonus for me. Just don't lose your values and customs thats the most important thing.acknowledge and appreciate where you come from. And why are you noy proud of being a South African?
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I am not proud of being a South African I just don't know what it means to be a South African i'm still trying to figure that out.,and i do want to learn more about my culture but as it stands my priority is getting a job,educated and start making money
DeleteI also think we are losing our culture, especially us young people, we are adopting the western culture, which is not good. Some young people might not have lost their values yet but the way they potray themselves, you would never say they belong to that particular culture. This all started with the way we dress, music we listen to and now its heading to our values,customs and traditions
ReplyDeleteDo you blame the outh , the parents, the media or is it unavoidable
DeleteYou might not see any harm,or not benefing anything from your culture, or knowing how to dance and sing may not guarentee you a job.
ReplyDeletebut how will you define yourself as an African Child.
From my point of view i think that we are who we are because of cultural values insilled in us.Cultures helped our parents to raise us,so if you fail to follow that or to be proud of being a South African,therefore you are kill our cultural history.
Ladies,agree that we are drifting from our cultures or adapting to life around us but honestly speaking i value my traditional songs and language.i will never wish to be western because i do not think that Rihannah will ever wish to be Pedi.
I rest my case.
Would you marry a man who has kept his culture and is maybe a teacher versus a man who has forgotten his culture but has managed to become a CEO and lives in a better part of town
DeleteNoni, well said. We are losing our culture but what about those who follow their culture but at the end of the day lose values? For instance a guy who went to initiation school would undermine a guy who did not. Culture is important but it is the individual that makes or break it.
ReplyDeletePhemelo I personaly think that we are slowly loosing our culture, because everybody seems to be adopting their second language as their 1st language, i mean when was the last time you saw a person with thier proper cultural atires and im not talking about the mordenised ones, im talking about the ones that were created by our ancesters. I always try to speak Setswana not only at home but everywehre, i can still make TING or what we call MPHERETLHANE (sour porridge and other things...i also think that the media is playing a huge role in this, because people tend to immitate what they see on there. I went to this other funeral and what shocked me was to see girls wearing pants and short skirts, bright colours, heads not covered and at the cemetary there was a DJ, well he was playing Gospel but that is not an excuss
ReplyDeleteElriebabe,that is an extreme case that could become a norm do you think something can be done about it or are we as the youth fighting a losing battle.
Deletei believe culture is important in that we should knw where we come from we might not appreciate but it is good knowing you roots
ReplyDeleteI still follow my culture.it is important to know where you come not where other people come from.Lot of people now more in to the western culture but the truth is you are not one of them,you are an african.
ReplyDeleteyou know we are losing our cultures, globalisation is the issue here... take a look at this... a child who grew up in a rural area will respect and know better with his or her culture... but the same child is moving to a city to study... he or she will adapt city life and might stop respecting his or her culture and think maybe it was just a waste of time
ReplyDeleteHow do you think we can fix this problem
DeleteCurrently i can say that we are slowly coming to the stage of loosing our culture because of americanization/western-nization .
ReplyDeleteAs ypoung people our role models are American musician and we want to adopt thier style of which is bad
We certainly are going astray! As it is, there are so many things that I do not know about my culture - I can only imagine how my kids will be able to know about it! Not enough is being done to enhance our ability to preserve our cultures.
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DeleteI’m perplexed now; at first thought you are for the revival of African renaissance, though at some point you take an about turn “I speak Setswana when I'm at home.I might not know our traditional dances and songs but what's the harm in that, does knowing how to dance and sing guarentee me a job, or will it make me a better husband, how does knowing any cultural rituals help me become a better human being.”
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm trying to get across is that yes i do support my culture and i want the revival of South Africa's identity but as things stand now wether or not we as the youth maintain our values society doesn't really care we are too caught up in the rat race.
DeleteCulture has been lost and forgotten, the only other places where you would find people who are still practicing thier culture and tradition will be deep in the villages of your North West, Limpopo etc.
ReplyDeleteI believe it can be revived it's up to our generation to dectate how this story of Africa's history is going to develop.
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