Is our Culture Polluted?

Asitha-K

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    IS OUR CULTURE POLLUTED?
    Sri Lanka as a country we have our own culture. Which has evolved from centuries.
    a day like today(Poson Poya day) was a major turning point of our culture.
    From that day beyond our culture was more civilized and structured very well.

    Now there's a Debate about our culture ! Some says that some TV channels are destroying it etc

    Let's bring this topic in to Discussion In EK PRO!

    • Is our Culture polluted?
    • If u think like that what are the reasons?
    • How does those reasons effect on our culture?
    • What are the solutions?

    I'd love to see ur answers are according to the color code!:)
    Any language any age anyone's opinions are accepted!:yes:
    Your Idea is the thing that matters! :D

    I'd like to post the most simple description(can't call it Definition) about culture I've seen!
    Culture cosists of the values, customs , rituals, language , attitudes, beliefs,ideas, art effects and other meaningful symbols represented in the pattern of life adopted by people that help them interpret, evaluate and communicate as members of society.

     
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    Asitha-K

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    No I don't think our culture is polluted! In here I talk about overall culture of Sri Lanka!

    Culture is different in Colombo and other urban areas but that's because of the busy life style they live and they way they've grown up.

    Colombo is not Sri Lanka! It's just a part of it. Some people who started live in Colombo (came from villages) think that the culture is polluted. No I don't think it is!

    Actually there's no solution for this change of culture in urban areas!
    If someone wants to stop it. They should stop the the urbanization. well that will surely take us backwards from the development!



     

    henderson

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    I don't think its polluted but it has mixed up with some other cultures, which we might have gained some good and some bad additions as well.

    Main reason is the open economy, which in my personal opinion is has more good rather than bad.

    I do not think there is a total solution for that, because people in japan is doing everything in Japanese language, but still Japanese culture is mixing with western culture.
     

    nEoN_wHitE

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    if you think SL is poluted.. den wat can v think about other countries?? lol
    here ppl r kissing in public, even while they r waiting for the green light to cross da road.. lol
     

    jaydis

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    If one gives definitions for the two main words of this topic which are Culture and Polluted, well this whole things gets really complicated..

    My opinion is that yes in deed its polluted. Or rather evolved. Changes are evident. It is a physical phenomenon. But what makes it polluted is the manner in which we adopt and fuse the values, customs , rituals, language , attitudes, beliefs,ideas etc which is thrown at us by the the world in the correct manner.


    The worst case scenario i witness in our society is that SRILANKANS do not know how many characters are there in the Sinhala or Tamil language. Or better some cant speak either of the languages correctly. These are the ill effects and how our culture has been polluted. This is just one minor example.

    Therefore YES our culture is polluted. And we need to take the initiative to clean it up!
     

    CoolCartoon

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    nEoN_wHitE said:
    if you think SL is poluted.. den wat can v think about other countries?? lol
    here ppl r kissing in public, even while they r waiting for the green light to cross da road.. lol


    machan that is not our culture. that is their culture. it is normal thing in western culture. :) :)

    but sri lankan culture is different. :)
     

    CoolCartoon

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    still sri lankan culture is in good situation. but not in colombo. colombo and in some main cities it is polluted.

    reasons open economy. there are good things and bad things. some bad parts badly affected to our culture.

    solution ??? i dont think. we cant change the world. everything is changing so as well as culture. thet is the reality.

    ps :: someone can ask what is culture ??? i dont know how to explain it. but if you born and grown in sl you know it..your heart can feel it.
     

    earthling

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    any society evolves & adopts with time. If it doesn't, it dies out. Ex- Vaddahs, Aborogieis & Red Indians (although the pioneers & the governments helped a lot for this)

    Bt you should keep a balance of taking new things in to your culture & preserving the old traditions. So looking at what has happened, to Japan I dont think Sri Lakna is doing that bad.

    Sure that the new generation is adopting more western trends more than ever, bt still we respect our elders & teachers, we still respect the Buddhist way of life & its customs. Think we have a good balance, even though we hear from time to time some perverted acts (as with any society for that matter).

    Think India & Sri Lanka are in the same position these days. Welcoming Westernization to their cultures bt still trying to keep a good balance between preserving & following the old traditions & believes to some degree.
     
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    westpra

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    I think that our culture is polluted just little bit.... Bcos some western intruders in our society... It's not easy to polluted all of our culture.. cos we belong to Buddhist culture even we have different religions...
     

    monson

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    Culture is a always changing thing. We don't live like people lived 500 years ago. Those who lived 500 years ago did not live like people who lived 1000 years from now. It is hilarious some religious fanatics and so called 'nationalists' are always crying about "our culture", "Ape Kama"
     

    x-pert

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    Can anybody tell me what is Sri Lankan culture now?

    For me, the SL culture is:
    People don't have a right to wear anything they want, people don't have the right to worship the religion they want, attitudes suck to the max within the community, a girl can't go in a crowded bus without getting abused at all, a woman cannot go alone in the night, We do have kawum kokis mun aluwa for the aurudda. But have no peace of mind to eat them with all the parties in the community. People can't love the person they want. A couple cannot stay alone in a room, A loving couple cannot kiss on the road if they want.

    All about attitude and attitude comes with the culture!

    Culture is not corrupted. But has evolved a bit... we don't wear tree leaves anymore, we don't eat BBQs all the time. So it is evolved a bit from the weddas age.

    But still I would like our culture evolved a bit more...

    @ Neon > Personally I don't see anything bad about kissing in public. As Asians we don't talk about sex in public. But hey.. look around! Every small ass kid in SL even before 16 yrs of age watch all the porn movies nowadays.... Helloo... People do everything mate,.... But the difference is in Western countries they do it in an open manner. That's why you can't cheat in western world for long. But in Sri Lanka because people don't go out in public, married men can have 100s of affair in secret.

    It's just a two edged blade :)
     

    just

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    i think the whole good and bad issue depends on definition of them...

    for example you get bars in every junctions and politicians were issued license to start them, although its considered as a bad thing in Buddhism which is the base of the current sl culture, seems culture doesn't reflect so..

    seems to me our culture is not stable although we say it has the oldest written history...its just floating towards no where with no balance.
    so easily been victim of negative consequences globalization..:nerd:
     

    CoolCartoon

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    x-pert said:
    Can anybody tell me what is Sri Lankan culture now?

    For me, the SL culture is:
    People don't have a right to wear anything they want, people don't have the right to worship the religion they want, attitudes suck to the max within the community, a girl can't go in a crowded bus without getting abused at all, a woman cannot go alone in the night, We do have kawum kokis mun aluwa for the aurudda. But have no peace of mind to eat them with all the parties in the community. People can't love the person they want. A couple cannot stay alone in a room, A loving couple cannot kiss on the road if they want.

    All about attitude and attitude comes with the culture!

    Culture is not corrupted. But has evolved a bit... we don't wear tree leaves anymore, we don't eat BBQs all the time. So it is evolved a bit from the weddas age.

    But still I would like our culture evolved a bit more...

    @ Neon > Personally I don't see anything bad about kissing in public. As Asians we don't talk about sex in public. But hey.. look around! Every small ass kid in SL even before 16 yrs of age watch all the porn movies nowadays.... Helloo... People do everything mate,.... But the difference is in Western countries they do it in an open manner. That's why you can't cheat in western world for long. But in Sri Lanka because people don't go out in public, married men can have 100s of affair in secret.

    It's just a two edged blade :)

    machan.... u have points. hmm... i cant agree 100% with you. but TBH i cant think a reply for you. :oo: :oo:

     

    maleemsg

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    maa hithanne ape culture eka polute wela kiyana wata wada hodai eka wenas wemin pawathinawa kiyanawa nam....

    e wagema mama hithanne eka ada iiye hadissiye ethi unu deyaknewei... athiithaye idanma dawasin dawasa eka eka wenas una..podda podda wishehsyenma param parawen parawata tharunayo eka eka dewal ekata ekathu kala (hoda ho naraka-- ee hoda thama thaman kemathi widiyakata sithaa ganithwa)

    cool kiyala thibba eka thenaka open economy eka nisa eka una kiyala.. man hithane iita kalinuth e wenasa sidda wemin pewathiya open economy ekath ekka une speed eka wedi una eka witharai...

    wisaumak nam mama dakinne ne.. hemadaama sidda unu de athiithaye sita sidda wemin pewathi de anagathayeda eseema sidda wemin yanu etha..!
     

    earthling

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  • Jun 15, 2006
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    x-pert said:
    Can anybody tell me what is Sri Lankan culture now?

    For me, the SL culture is:
    People don't have a right to wear anything they want, people don't have the right to worship the religion they want, attitudes suck to the max within the community, a girl can't go in a crowded bus without getting abused at all, a woman cannot go alone in the night, We do have kawum kokis mun aluwa for the aurudda. But have no peace of mind to eat them with all the parties in the community. People can't love the person they want. A couple cannot stay alone in a room, A loving couple cannot kiss on the road if they want.

    All about attitude and attitude comes with the culture!

    Culture is not corrupted. But has evolved a bit... we don't wear tree leaves anymore, we don't eat BBQs all the time. So it is evolved a bit from the weddas age.

    But still I would like our culture evolved a bit more...

    @ Neon > Personally I don't see anything bad about kissing in public. As Asians we don't talk about sex in public. But hey.. look around! Every small ass kid in SL even before 16 yrs of age watch all the porn movies nowadays.... Helloo... People do everything mate,.... But the difference is in Western countries they do it in an open manner. That's why you can't cheat in western world for long. But in Sri Lanka because people don't go out in public, married men can have 100s of affair in secret.

    It's just a two edged blade :)

    Agree to some degree bt not all..

    In th points of kissing in public & kids watching porn movies are 2 different things..

    You watch porn movies in private & it involves either only you, you & your partner or a couple of friends in the worst case scenario right ?... bt kissing in public is different because it involves the entire bloody public which includes little kids, parents, elderly, clergy, ect. in fact anyone who is around at that time..

    machang what ever said & done..we still have healthy respect for our parents, elders & the clergy... thats why we dont swear infront of them, smoke infront of them & sertainly wont kiss infront of them.. in sinhalese we say 'thama lajja baya thiyenawa'...

    If I'm in a theater watching a movie or a in a bus with my parents, my little niece or cousin or my grandparents & if I see a couple kissing or behaving in a vulgar manner I get really uncomfortable..I bet the elders who are with me are feeling the same thing...and if a mother is with her kid & saw this kind of thing..she gets in to a totally difficult situation..

    teens should know how to behave in public..if they behave inappropriately in public (specially in buses & theaters ) they should know that by doing that they put others in difficult positions as well as create a bad impression upon themselves..specially the girl...

    so as I said in my previous post.. we should take what ever that needs to be taken from the western culture..bt we should also know when to stop & draw the line..going over board doesnt help I think....
     
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    just

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    earthling said:
    Agree to some degree bt not all..

    In th points of kissing in public & kids watching porn movies are 2 different things..

    You watch porn movies in private & it involves either only you, you & your partner or a couple of friends in the worst case scenario right ?... bt kissing in public is different because it involves the entire bloody public which includes little kids, parents, elderly, clergy, ect. in fact anyone who is around at that time..

    machang what ever said & done..we still have healthy respect for our parents, elders & the clergy... thats why we dont swear infront of them, smoke infront of them & sertainly wont kiss infront of them.. in sinhalese we say 'thama lajja baya thiyenawa'...

    If I'm in a theater watching a movie or a in a bus with my parents, my little niece or cousin or my grandparents & if I see a couple kissing or behaving in a vulgar manner I get really uncomfortable..I bet the elders who are with me are feeling the same thing...and if a mother is with her kid & saw this kind of thing..she gets in to a totally difficult situation..

    teens should know how to behave in public..if they behave inappropriately in public (specially in buses & theaters ) they should know that by doing that they put others in difficult positions as well as create a bad impression upon themselves..specially the girl...

    so as I said in my previous post.. we should take what ever that needs to be taken from the western culture..bt we should also know when to stop & draw the line..going over board doesnt help I think....
    i agree too buddy, although they say west is good cos they dont hide things its not the healthiest thing for a society. i believe whatever is here currently as traditions had a reason to start.

    blindly accepting everything is same as blindly following everything i think.we already can see the cracks in those western societies.

    and even those who say they can accept anything will have there limits. ie: one who goes to the point of saying kissing is good will have his line a if it goes bit further, ex:he might react "old fashioned" way if he sees couple having sex publicly when he goes with his children..

    just my 2 cents..;)
     

    KishanW

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    First of all i think a culture is formed based on the society it self. From time to time it goes through changes and modifications. So as i think you cannot judge about a culture being polluted or not.

    I think that because, people have to face the changes in the culture for what ever comes. It maybe bad in one person's point of view, but for another one it maybe good. So if we go back to the base of the culture, it is formed within the society and the society is all about people.

    So for me i cannot say it is polluted or not. But i can say i don't like that change in the culture in my view.