Traditions of their Fathers

Having a week to contemplate, and time to physically recover, I have had many thoughts on my first personal experience with circumcision. J I have come to understand more fully the term "traditions of their fathers". In the eyes of many people in the community (all of them God-fearing), circumcision is right, but the rituals and traditional celebrations that accompany it are not. Many boys, 16-18, get in their heads that now that they have undergone circumcision they are men who are ready to be on their own, marry, have relationships, etc. Many of them drop out of school, get involved with women, and take up the habits of the older generation. Anciently, this was the time for men to marry and leave home. But with education, things have changed. Teacher Peter will have his children go through circumcision, but he will not have them dance in the celebrations because of what it symbolizes. Headmaster Thomas openly condemned the rituals in an assembly to the whole school, saying circumcision is good but the traditions that follow are not. Remember, children, that you are still boys and that you are still in school.

I found out yesterday that one of my favorite students in the sixth grade has "disappeared". He's been absent from school for 3 days, now, which is directly related to ideas he has adopted and influences he has accepted in light of his recent passage to manhood. Sixth grade!!! He might be 15 (age does not necessarily matter in grades as much here as in the US). And already he has begun drinking and forming ideas that do not fit his age and station in life.

I have often wondered how much "western" influence is good. How much of your culture should you lose to education, technology, westernization? Luckily Uganda is one place McDonalds has not yet conquered. But I have wondered if education and modernization do more bad than good. What is a good balance between the two? How can you reconcile both? Education is essential to breaking the poverty cycle. Knowledge is power. We believe technology is good. I have often struggled with the fact that adopting education and technology often go hand in hand with adopting western culture. Just yesterday I was talking with Thomas about how "fat" is a good word here. Africans like their women with curves and a little bit extra to hold on to. But this is also changing…and girls are falling into the same traps here as in America, starving themselves, trying to be skinny, etc. But there is no doubt in my mind people are better off with more education than less. I have even seen it here – those that are educated live far better lives than those that are "peasants".

From this past week's experience I have found that culture is good. I fully support remembering who you are and where you come from. I have also realized that with culture comes tradition, most of which is good, some of which is bad. I understand on a greater level the idea how people can be corrupted by the traditions of their fathers. I understand better how not all traditions should be kept, that we must use good judgment in deciding what is good and what is not. In this case, education and religion have taught the people that the rites and traditions that follow circumcision often lead to sorrowful consequences and loss of interest in education. Sometimes, maybe, the original reason that began the tradition is lost in the celebrating of it. (Wow – the thought of Christmas flashed in my head right when I wrote that). With time, truths and reasons may be lost in place of pomp and circumstance.

And this is a decision we have to make in every culture. What are the good traditions, and which will we let fall away?

I haven't yet come to a conclusion on how to introduce education and technology while still preserving the beauty of one's culture. And maybe that's not even the question. Maybe cultures evolve and this is just another step in their evolution. Which leads me to think what is it that defines your "culture" anyway?

Food for thought.