Why Civilizations Will Clash over Cultural Norms?

By David Lony Majak,

Opinion

August 5th, 2014 (Nyamilepedia) – Concern is rapidly growing about obesity rates in the South Sudan with its anonymous cultural diversity in concurrence with modern civilization. This article analyzes the cultural and civilizations will where the two clash consequences. Despite myths about individualism and self-reliance, the different cultures in South Sudan has a long tradition of regulating ostensibly private behavior compared to this modern life’s behaviors?

We draw on the historical experience in four other private realms (alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, and sexuality) to identify seven “triggers” that prompt most traditions to differ to intervene in citizens’ private habits and some other prohibited kinds of customary laws.

The cultural civilization identity are increasingly important for the future generations, and the traditions always shaped in large measure by the interactions among seven or eight major civilizations characters in large assumption in different traditions.

These include Western, Confucian, in the views of majority possibly African civilization are not related. The most important conflicts of the future will occur along the cultural fault lines separating these civilizations from one another and in adopting modern life’s civilization.
In South Sudan today; young ladies and boys have gone so far leaving their cultural identity trying to copy up with so called new civilization as I quoted Godon Konag his song, which says Gatnuer never forget your cultural identity and do not go far for modern civilizations.

In South Sudan today; the people of different civilizations have different views on the relations between God and man as translated in their traditional values and norms, the individual and the group, the citizen and the states, parents and children, husband and wife, as well as differing views of the relatively importance of rights and responsibilities, liberty and authority, equality and hierarchy. These differences are the product of centuries which justify traditions, values, and norms and cultural believes of different tribes but such a culture will not soon disappear and with time modern civilization may over take.

As people define their identity in ethnic and religious terms, they are likely to see an “us” versus “them” relation existing between themselves and people of different ethnicity or religion. The end of ideologically defined states in South Sudan and its states permits traditional ethnic identities and animosities to come to the fore. Differences in culture and religion create differences over policy issues, ranging from human rights to immigration to trade and commerce to the environment.

The cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved than political and economic ones. All the ethnics groups in south sudan, Dinka, Nuer Luo people, Shilluk, Toposa, Lotuho, Didinga, Tennet people, Acholi people , Murle small tribe, Azande, Moru ,Greater Bari people and Baggara Arabs they all have different languages. Some tribes has strong quotations that, the rich can become poor and the poor become the rich, but in class and ideological conflicts, the key question was “Which side are you on?” and people could and did choose sides and change sides as one of the believe. In conflicts between civilizations, the question is “What are you?” That is a given that cannot be changed.

The processes of economic modernization and social change throughout the world are separating people from longstanding local identities which destroys cultural understanding and believing from new generations. They also weaken the nation state as a source of identity if cultures are considered as important part of life. In much of the world religion has moved in to fill this gap, often in the form of movements that are labeled “fundamentalist.” This reflects how socialists and capitalist’s behaviors in South Sudan, This creates a gap between the modern civilization and the traditional one.

The differences among civilizations are not only real in simple understanding; they are basic. Civilizations are differentiated from each other by history, language, culture, tradition and, most important, religion. They are far more fundamental than differences among political ideologies and political regimes. Differences do not necessarily mean conflict, and conflict does not necessarily mean violence. Over the centuries, however, differences among civilizations have generated the most prolonged and the most violent conflicts in most countries because people are derived by their cultural and traditions.

What Could Government Do?

If the federal system of governance in south Sudan is given a chance, we can in future be able to mobilize against obesity, what might it do? Governmental policies toward alcohol, tobacco, and drugs include at least four regulatory strategies: controlling the conditions of sale through direct restrictions or limits (especially aimed at youth); raising prices through “sin taxes”; government litigation against producers of unhealthy substances with damage awards earmarked for health care or healthy alternatives; and regulating marketing and advertising.

Protecting the most oil producing areas from being distorted by oil companies, the federal government may in time to come promote alternatives to unhealthy eating, via education programs warning consumers about health risks; stronger education measures might include government-funded cessation programs addressing compulsive behavior, or direct subsidies for healthy alternatives. The current hostilities behaviors in South Sudan can only derail by changing from most addicted cultural understanding to the new civilization which may prevent why civilizations will clash in its concept.

What may contradict modern civilization and traditional norms? The interactions between the peoples of different civilizations are increasing; these increasing interactions intensify civilization consciousness and awareness of differences between civilizations and commonalities within civilizations. The interactions among peoples of different civilizations enhance the civilization-consciousness of people that, in turn, invigorates differences and animosities stretching or thought to stretch back deep into history.

The clash of civilizations thus occurs at two levels. At the micro-level, adjacent groups along the fault lines between civilizations struggle, often violently, over the control of territory and each other. At the macro-level, states from different civilizations compete for relative military and economic power, struggle over the control of international institutions and third parties, and competitively promote their particular political and religious values without believing in cultural values.

The author can be reached on delonymajak@gmail.com