Page - 79 - in Reflective Cosmopolitanism - Educating towards inclusive communities through Philosophical Enquiry

HANADI (MANUAL) 79 Leading Idea 2: Customs/Traditions/Habits In all societies, in human groups which have a reasonably long and shared history, there are traditions and practices that are carried out by the vast majority of people (maybe even all the people) in that group. These traditions stand the test of time and become part of the culture. They even become part of what defines the group or society; what we could call the identity of that culture. They are therefore very relevant to both the human group and to each one of its members. When they appear, they are accepted because they contribute to the way society is organized. Once they are established, they live on, even when their con- tribution to the group is no longer clear. Traditions are important in countries or nations because, thanks to them, it is possible to provide citizens with a stronger sense of belonging to the country. That is why some peo- ple think it is vital to respect and preserve those traditions, since losing them would mean losing a part of themselves, and their world would become strange to them. These people lack the necessary flexibility to modify those traditions or even abandon them when they are no longer beneficial. It is sometimes possible to know when they started, but on other occasions the origins of traditions are unknown and go back to ancient times. You can find further resources on the concept of “tradition” in the manual to Ella, episode 2, leading idea 4 on “Culture”, and the manual to www.whatisyournme.you, episode 3. Activity/Inquiry: Origin and disappearance of traditions Students are asked to interview their grandparents about the kind of things they did when they were their age. They could also ask if it was common for children to do things like this, and what the reasons were for doing them. During the next class, the whole group shares the information about what activities were traditional when their grandparents were their age and they explain why they did those things. They then investigate which of these traditions still exist and which do not. As a group, students must try to find out why some have disappeared, and if they have been replaced by other activities that are now beginning to be considered traditions (or have already become traditions). Once that task is finished, the class can discuss the following questions and explain their answers. 1. Did you find any of your grandparents’ traditions absurd? 2. Were any other traditions sensible and reasonable? 3. Is it a good thing that those traditions have disappeared? 4. Has society and the people that make up society gained anything with the disappearance of those traditions? 5. Are there traditions nowadays that are equivalent to the ones that have disap- peared? 6. Are they worse, better, or impossible to compare? Exercise: Should everything be changed? Is change always desirable? Does change always mean going from something worse to something better? In the following list of practices that have changed in the last fifty years, state which you think have been changes for the better, and why: