‘TRADITIONS HAVE NO PLACE IN MODERN SOCIETY.' DISCUSS.

Aaron Lee

Norman Ng

Sim Yu Kit

INTRODUCTION

❖Tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from

generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in

this way. Debates have sparked off on whether modern

societies should be free from old traditional values, or

traditional values are still providing fundamentals for

development & survival of modern society. As Theodore Bikel

once said, “You don't really need modernity in order to exist

totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and

tradition.” I therefore disagree that traditions do not have a

place in society, as they can link the present to the past,

provide a source of identity as well as bind groups of people

together.

POINT 1

❖First and foremost, tradition is what gives people their link

to the past. The traditions handed down from generation to

generation give people a common ground with their families

and friends, something they can do together and share their

time together.

❖Example: For example, Qingming festival is celebrated in

China, where people go to their ancestor’s tomb to clean it,

which is a tradition celebrated locally too. This tradition

ensures that people visit their ancestors to pay their respects,

and to remember their roots.

POINT 1

❖Elaboration: All in all, traditions are a way to make sure the

ones that have left us are remembered, to make sure the things

people hold dear and that touched their lives are continued and

passed on. They are important in ensuring that memorise are

held onto.

❖Link: In the end, I strongly believe that traditional values still

hold value in modern society, and cannot be ignored even

today.

POINT 2

❖Point: Family traditions and one’s traditional history can

provide a source of identity for the children in the family,

teaching them about their family heritage and origins, or

giving them insights into their cultural or religious history,

providing a national identity and rooting them to their

country in the process.

❖Substantiation: Dr Marshall Duke, an award-winning

Psychologist teaching at the Emory University, has found

that children who have an intimate knowledge of their

family’s traditions and history are typically more well-

adjusted and self-confident than children who don’t.

POINT 2

❖Example: In the Singapore education system, many schools stress the

teachings of traditional confucian values, such as the Dunman High School,

where it is even a subject in school. The school feels that it is important for the

students, who are mostly Chinese, to keep in touch with their roots through

these traditional beliefs, as it can strengthen their moral compass, while also

providing a source of identity for these students.

❖Elaboration: Understanding one’s own past and knowing one belongs can

benefit these children in the long run, positively shaping their thoughts and

behaviours, which is integral to a child’s development.

POINT 2

❖Link: Having confidence and being emotionally or

mentally stable can and will help them be more

successful in life. This is especially important in the

21st century, where these qualities can provide an

advantage to help to land jobs in an extremely

competitive work environment in modern society.

Therefore I disagree with the statement, and instead

think that traditions still have a place in modern

society.

POINT 3 ❖Point: Traditions bind a group of people together, across

generations. The purpose of traditions is to remember

events of significance in the past. As such, we could say

that traditions assist in helping us maintain a continuity

with the past. Tradition ties people over different age

groups and people with different experiences with a

common identity by celebrating a same event.

❖Example: Examples of different ages of people bonding

over tradition are common. In Singapore, many families

come together to celebrate National Day. Families

celebrating this event has its significance as National Day

helps foster national cohesion and instil a sense of national

identity among students and younger Singaporeans,

inculcating an understanding of  the challenges and

vulnerabilities that are unique to Singapore

POINT 3❖Explanation As such tradition is integrated into our

culture and binds a society under common ground.

Tradition as it satisfies our emotional needs, at the same

time helping to promote better relationships and a greater

sense attachment between family members.

❖Link As people become more distant and busy with their

individual affairs in an increasingly fast paced and

competitive modern society, bonding and celebrating over

common traditions can become ever so important to

supporting a healthy family and an inclusive society. Hence

I disagree with the statement as traditions still have a

positive impact in modern society, and therefore relevant.

COUNTER ARGUMENT

❖Point: However, certain traditions can have negative

impacts on a society, cultivating the likes of unfairness and

discrimination among citizens of the community.

❖Example: In Dongguan, China, where an underlying belief

that women are inferior to men exist, local officials have

organized classes on "female virtues", where women are

encouraged not retaliate when scolded or physically

assaulted, as it is their society’s tradition to do so. They are

also advised to resign to their fate, and never seek divorce,

even if their marital life becomes unbearable - which is akin

to putting the old Chinese patriarchal society's prejudicial

moral shackles on women.

COUNTER ARGUMENT

❖Elaboration + Link: Society is dynamic and constantly

changing, with its core and accepted values differing with

the passing of time. What was a commonly accepted

practice a century ago may not be appropriate a century

later. 21st century philosophies and ideas that are

generally embraced such as gender equality are be

constantly held back by the chains of traditions,

restricting modern society from progressing, and

potentially even hauling it further backwards. In this

regard, traditions have no place in modern society.

REBUTTAL

❖However, deeming all traditions unfit for our modern

society just because of a few negative ones is akin to

throwing the baby out with  the bathwater. A few negative

traditions, which mostly exist in more backward regions

in the first place, should not cause the benefits and

positive impacts of other traditions to be discarded

alongside with it. Therefore tradition still has a place in

society.

CONCLUSION

❖In a nutshell, it can be seen that tradition does have a place

in society, regardless of how much a emphasis and place it

gets. We must always be cautious about which traditions to

keep, and which to discard. People should be made aware of

harms that some traditions might bring about through the

media, such that those ignorant would be more likely to do

away with it after being enlightened, whilst those who are

apathetic might be put under peer pressure. In the end,

tradition is something people should be upholding, but only

those worth doing so.