The Editor, Sir:
Globalisation and technology have caused us to come to the realisation that culture is not static. It is clearly a dynamic phenomenon with diminishing returns for sustained national identity. No longer are we eating at the dinner table which assisted in instilling strong family values. No longer are we doing the home-cooked meals which helped to foster closer family bonds while passing on valuable lessons for sharing and standing together. We have resorted to eating in the living room area in order to flip to every channel on the television and every member of the household is now responsible to put his or her frozen pre-prepared meal in the microwave.
interestingly, our rich cultural history is under threat because there is hardly any room for entertaining an appreciation for oral traditions or folk traditions in the home owing to new lifestyles. This is primarily because we no longer have a large group of older parents who are closer to the past to understand and explain certain expectations. The idea of having older grandparents with strong links to history is also nearly nonexistent in our country, as we now have a large number of children having children, hence, very young grandparents. Consequently, there lies a kind of defiance from the children as they have been deprived of the kind of environment to experience certain customs. This robs them of the chance to know about cultural practices that should be preserved to maintain the unique cultural identity of brand Jamaica.
In addition to the strong
influence of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, I think the teachers colleges must now offer a core or compulsory course in cultural appreciation. This course should explore areas such as cultural practices and retentions, Jamaican history, nationalism., identity and civic pride, so that the level of ethnocentrism that is necessary for students to love themselves, love their country and become better citizens, will be realised.
I am, etc.,
CAROL BLANCHARD
St. Cecelia Preparatory School
