The world is getting more and more interconnected but one of the major features of today’s contemporary life is still the collision between tradition and modernity that has become a distinguishing sign of our time. This clash between cultures appears in various parts of society starting from such matter as the possible things people have their living style, values and customs, and goes through to a dynamic tension that influences individuals and their identities in the modern world.
1. Technology vs. Tradition
A majorly perceived difference is the conflict between the traditional and modern practices in the technology field. Among the customs of most societies, there is still present the necessity of the traditional system. One example could be a case of face-to-face communication and written letters being replaced by digital methods of communicating such as social media, text messaging, and e-mail technology. The available technology indeed brings the world closer and makes it a small global village, but it has its drawbacks as it takes away the memory of the warmth and depth of relationships which were realized through traditional methods.
2. Changing Family Structures
The modern world brought a great number of changes in the family structure that challenges the traditional norm. Indeed, the nuclear family is the most popular family unit on the face of the earth today. In addition to this, there is a great recognition of a large number of family combinations, the most popular being single-parent families and same-sex couples. These, jostling with traditional values that attach significance to the nuclear family and place specific gender roles-gender- and thus, provoke fierce controversy on a very question such as the concept of- the family- in a contemporary society.
3. Fashion and Identity
Fashion is a platform on which tradition and modernity often wage war. Traditional clothes on the one hand, which generally represent historical and cultural heritage, are more and more concealed by global fashion streams. Some of the younger people receive what they see as traditional clothes very derogatory and they adopt foreign modern styles, while others might decide to go in for a mix of old and new styles contractually known as fusion that will imitate their heritage as well as fall in line with contemporary aesthetics. This collision is embedded in the more general conflict between the preservation of the cultural identity and the adjustment to the globalized world.
4. Education and Values
In the world, the teaching system is an important field where the conflict between tradition and modernity is open. While traditional education mainly focuses on learning by heart, reverence for teachers, and the need to save one’s cultural heritage, the modern education system concentrates on helping students to grow their own thinking, come up with new ideas, and on teaching them how to deal with the drastic changes in the world’s economy. The conflict can also cause debates over the curriculum, the didactic means, and the aims of education for the next generation.
5. Modernity’s Impact on Religious Practices
Traditional religious observances and beliefs are among the cultural elements that are being eroded by the development and spread of secular and individualistic approaches. Traditional religious practices in numerous countries are facing a tough time from the rise in secularism and the individual’s increase in self-confidence. While some people are still tied to their religious traditions, others may opt for a more liberal view or become non-religious. The changes in faith and the secular nature of the world are more and more likely to result in conflicts among the society members as they try to adapt to the changing reality that is characterized by various diverse cultures.
The encounter of the tradition with the modern world is a quite difficult and at the same time continuous happening that constructs the individuals’ and the societies’ identities and values. Successfully going through this crossing needs to be dealt with in an ethical way which is about caring for the past and at the same time open to the future, while keeping the cultural heritage undestroyed adapting the norms of another century.