The Jordanian social
fabric seems to have been woven with tribal ethos, customs, and traditions that
do not accept any attempt at modernization.
Observers of the
cultural scene in
Jordan may feel that people are living in blissful ignorance while still being
attached to older centuries, when they were once the leaders in arts and
culture.
However, the current situation of Jordanian culture can only be described
by saying that we are stuck at a stage where there is no urge to move forward;
a comfort zone, so to speak.
Being stuck in this
kind of inherited mentality gave birth to the existing culturally-based stigma
that we are facing nowadays in Jordan.
The societal rejection of what is new
and different is rooted mainly in the culture acquired by individuals.
It is
worth focusing here on the concept of culture for most of Jordanians, as the
idea of culture does not go beyond the systemic image of nationalism.
When you go through the
Jordanian archives, all you will find is the glorification of patriotism.
Unfortunately, this concept is rooted in the Jordanian cultural identity.
There
is no harm in patriotic sentiment and integrating it into societal culture, but
that should not cancel the importance of accepting the global concept of
culture, which defines a country's characteristics and its people.
The social fabric of
Jordan is divided into three factions: Modernized, neutralized, and
traditionalized.
The traditionalized segment comprises the majority, who are the
ones who resist any act of change, and feel threatened and exploited when another
angle of the Jordanian culture — the real one — is shown.
Our education system’s
and our government’s approach are the only ones to blame, and it is saddening to
witness such societal and cultural withdrawal putting restraints on the next
generation.
It feels as though the majority of the next generation are being armed
by inherited ignorance to complete the process of destroying culture and any
attempt at restoration, revival, and growth.
The government’s
centralized mechanism fuels such behavior.
Having only one city in the country in
possession of art, cultural institutions, and community programs is nothing but
an act of war against other governorates in Jordan.
We cannot blame the people
for their educational background and limited knowledge of what is new; we can
only blame those who managed to teach them to reject what is new and different
instead of teaching them to accept, understand and respect.
If only we worked
together and closed the gap between us, we would prevail and rise again.
Jordan’s social factions are in a constant war, and without unity, Jordan will
never take a step closer towards modernism, even after a hundred years, as we
would still be unable to accept change and development.
Nonetheless, there is
a revolution, an act of resistance, which tries to eradicate the Jordanian
cultural stigma and allows the change to take form and shape a new
revolutionized cultural identity that represents all Jordanians.
Our
differences should be a tool to achieve Jordan's renaissance, not the other way
around.
A leap of faith into the modernized culture is a must; a role model
should be set and fully supported by those in power to reflect the true essence
of the Jordanian social fabric.
Read more
Opinion and Analysis
اضافة اعلان
.jpg)
.jpg)
