Culture and modernity – an amalgamation or a disjuncture?
Let’s get into the idea of culture. So, what actually the culture is and what
importance does it have in a society? A society has a certain “way of life”. How
a society functions, how does it affect the behaviors of its people, its norms
and values... everything combined helps shape the culture of a society. Culture
has a specialty to make you dance on its fingertips. Because it influences every
individual of the society, their hopes, loyalties, and even their fears. It's so
widely said, “If you want to know a nation, know its culture”. Nations have
earned a place in this evolving world by portraying their culture effectively
through their media. India being an implicit example. Indian cinema needs no
introduction as it has a widely scattered audience and has begged some great
numbers all around the world. Indian cinema, widely known as “Bollywood”, has
contributed a great deal to its economy. According to a recent report, 1% of the
India’s GDP is represented by the Indian media. The reason behind this
contribution is the huge success of their movies. Bollywood produces more than a
1000 movies per year. And if you look closely, every Bollywood movie has a
cultural element in it. They pay attention to every minuscule detail. Singing
and dancing have been a rather prominent part of their culture and it is shown
in almost every other movie accordingly. Women cladded in saris and gold jewelry
are often shown depicting the true essence of an Indian woman. By demonstrating
their culture worldwide, not only have they boosted their economy but also
earned a name in the world so much so that India’s usually associated with its
cinema in different parts of the world.
Now, let’s take a look at the modernity. Does it ever occur to you that
modernity has had its strong influence on the culture? In the race to win and
beat others, the traditional culture is usually left behind while we embrace
modernity wholeheartedly without thinking of the consequences it has on the
society. The non-western societies tend to abandon their cultural values at the
hands of the modernization. Let's take the example of Pakistan where we are
constantly torn between following the culture or succumbing to the modernity. In
my opinion. Pakistan is more about following the modern values rather than
exhibiting the society’s actual “way of life”. Pakistani culture is taking the
back seat these days making space for the modernization. And it sure is here to
stay. It's not just in the way our lifestyle’s changing, but also in how are we
showcasing our country’s image to the world. Pakistani cinema being an operative
example. It has seen its severe downfall. Now that it is evolving, our actors
and actresses, the supposed role models for many, are often seen promoting the
western culture. Almost every other celebrity has been juggling with the hate
comments either on the item number they’ve performed or on the clothes they
wear. Sleeveless and backless dresses are often tagged as “cool” and are more
“in” the fashion. Fashion shows are often seen showcasing questionable clothes
which are either bottomless or too revealing. Both of which are seemingly
unwearable. There's no way that a Pakistani housewife would dare wearing these
clothes as they are against the society’s “way of life”. Culture is about the
life you live and how you live it. However blindly do we follow the western
culture, our roots reside here in Pakistan. It's important that we promote our
cultural values rather than blatantly following what the west throws our way. I
feel like we cannot grow and progress until we stop exploiting our culture in
the name of modernity. Having said that, modern ways are essential for us to
adapt so that we can survive in the world. But it does not mean that we forget
the basic and core values of our culture. Nowadays, people who live according to
their culture are often labelled as ‘conservative’ and are made fun of. Kids
with the religious backgrounds are the reason of a number of raised eyebrows and
the knowing looks. There's no way a country would flourish, if it does not
recognize its core values and come forward for the effective implementation.
This is because culture benefits the social and economic growth not only of an
individual but of the entire nation.
Now the question arises, traditional culture and modernization, is it really an
amalgamation or a disjuncture? Is there a way for both of them to go side by
side or the enmity remains eternal? Can they co-exist? I think not! Tradition
and modernity are 2 completely incompatible things which can never coexist. They
are like 2 different sides of the same coins, though. As both of them have their
respective advantages and drawbacks. One has to choose either of them or find a
way to adapt the modern ways without forgetting their cultural values.