Wednesday 10 December 2014

Essay 55 (Customs not required)

Many customs are traditional behaviours are no longer required in the modern society and therefore they are not worth keeping.  To what extent do you agree or disagree?

People all over the world try to preserve their traditional practices and ways of life, but sometimes many of them seem irrelevant in the present day social life.  Hence, I believe that it is not beneficial to follow them in today’s context.

To start with, some of the age old practices, especially of certain conservative societies are discriminatory to women and would further distance them from the mainstream of society.  For instance, women in India fold their hands as a gesture of greeting when they meet a person, whereas men shake hands.  Traditionally, holding a man’s hand was often considered as an audacious act and an immodest behaviour by women.  However, in modern workplaces in India women increasingly prefer to shake hands with men as a more warm gesture, which can reduce the distance between them and their male colleagues.  This clearly shows the irrelevance of some of the traditional practices in today’s society.

Furthermore, many behavioural patterns of the past do not respect personal freedom and expect individuals to obey the commands of the older member of the family or community.  For example, formerly, in many countries father insisted on his son to choose his own profession or an employment of the former’s preference.  In modern society, children have a variety of career choices and most people think that it is better to leave such decisions to children themselves.  This would ensure that their aptitudes are taken care of and individuality is respected.

In conclusion, it is not beneficial t continue with many traditional customs and ways of behaviour as they do not help modern ways of living.

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