Culture of Bangladesh

Introduction:-

Bangladesh, a small green speckle overshadowed by India, if looked for in the globe. Yet when looked deep into its root and core, one can find an origin full of history rich with culture and tradition. Although unaware, majority of Bangladeshis are still holding on to their simple and authentic traditions. What other way is there to explain the wonderful come-back of traditional clothing and music in new productions? This just proves that we, the Bangladeshis have not forgotten our culture or at least are trying to retain it in our everyday life.

Unfortunate but true, culture has lost its actual charm to most of the world because of the overgrowing modes of mass communication, which, in turn is creating the “global village” concept. Not that it is not a big step towards an elimination of racism but we cannot forget that all of us are different as human-beings, as races. We should not be trying to stand against racism, but unite as one, respecting each others differences and traditions.

Culture:-

When looked through a thesaurus, one can find “way of life” as a synonym for culture. These three words define the meaning of culture broadly but very easily. It is in fact, our way of life. The roots of the word culture come from the Latin word colere. Colere means to inhabit, to honor or to cultivate. This literal meaning has however changed throughout the years and has evolved to becoming a term to which each and every human being feels related to. The broad meaning of culture can be understood if some major definitions from quotes are taken into account:-

Sir Edward B. Tylor wrote in 1871 that "culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society". UNESCO stated in 2002 that culture is the "set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs".

Thus we can see that throughout the centuries of human evolution, culture has been prevalent and that is what has made us different from the rest of the animal world.

According to McIver and Page, “This (culture) is the realm of styles, of values, of emotional attachments, of intellectual adventures. Culture is then the antithesis of civilization. It is the expression of our nature in our modes of living and thinking, in our everyday intercourse, in art, in literature, in recreation and enjoyment.” From this definition, the realization occurs that culture is in reality a product of the human mind; of the way it perceives, reacts, expresses and reasons. And behind all of these lie the curiosity, needs and wants of each living being. The symbolical expressions of these feelings, opinions, approach lead to arts, music, communication, food habits, conservativeness, attire giving birth to a truly distinctive culture. Geography, climate, fertility, religion also help shaping up a culture and are responsible for is evolution.

Bangladesh is situated in the southern hemisphere, inclined towards the east, almost enclosed by India. Being one of the bigger provinces of India once, its culture reflects much of the Indian Hindu based music, dance, and drama although the majority of Bangladeshis are Muslims. This blend of belief and tradition creates an amazing unison of depth adorned with intricate details of limitations and freedom. The melting pot of different religions, languages the Bangladeshi culture is very close to human beings, their sufferings, hard work, festivals which can be comprehended from the art, folklores, themes of dramas, novels, etc.

Significance of culture:-

1. Means of survival

2. Cultural beings

3. Awareness

4. Rules and curriculums

5. Implementation

6. Effective citizenship

7. Solution of conflicts

8. Global acceptance

9. Originality

10. Individual foundation

11. Ethnicity

12. Stable Society

1) Means of survival:-

It is animal instinct to be social. Human beings are animals but have been blessed with an apt physique and extremely high capabilities of thoughts and communication. From the dawn of human society the inhabitants started learning, creating and understanding. This brought about a significant change in the human mind. Ancestors left a piece of their experience in the name of culture for their next generations. Adapting to this mechanism human mind has become accustomed to the existence of culture. The neurological structure of human mind requires a unique process of maturation and learning from culture, which includes social behavior and following rules. On top of that, the materialistic aspect of culture shelters humans from natural disasters, diseases, etc. Thus an absence of culture would mean the extinction of human species.

2. Cultural beings:-

A popular notion is human beings are social beings, which of course, is true. But in reality, we’re also cultural beings, but unaware of it. The collective perception, understanding, curiosity has given birth to religion, literature and science. Together all of these are a part of the human society and an inevitable part of our lives.

3. Awareness:-

Human beings need to be aware of how culture has an effect on their behavior. For instance, in Bangladesh our collective religious beliefs have imposed certain conservative rules in our everyday life such as a social distance between young boys and girls. This creates a huge gap between the economical and educational well-being of females as they are considered to be burdens and mere reproduction counterparts in some societies. However, education and awareness are bringing about a change in the urban social structure.

4. Rules and Curriculum:-

Culture is at work in every sphere of life. Thus it has a long-lasting impression on every human mind. According to a Nation’s culture, school rules and curriculum are developed. We can see the single-sex education theory widespread in our country. As in