Traditional Values and Modernization Challenges in

FACTAUNIVERSITATISSeries:Philosophy,SociologyandPsychologyVol.6,No1,2007,pp.23-39TRADITIONALVALUESANDMODERNIZATIONCHALLENGESINFORMINGURBANANDRURALCULTURE∗UDC316.72;316.334.56JelenaPetkovićNiš[e-mail]raditionandnewpossibilitiesandchallengesofmodernizationareunavoidableinsocial-anthropologicalandculturalanalysisandunderstandingofurbanandruralreality.Startingfromanideaofdeterminingtraditionandmodernization,inthepapertheirrelationandinfluencetoformingurbanandruralcultureinoursocietyisconsidered.Inthisway,thesetwomodelsofcultureareobservedthroughpersonallifestyleofurbanandruralsociety,aswellasthroughthesystemofvaluesandproperwaysandformsofcommunicationwhichthesesocietiesform.Resultsanalyzedshowthatintertwiningofurbanandruralculture,themodernandtraditional,theglobalandlocal,isthemaincharacteristicofoursocial-culturalrealityinwhichmodernandtraditionalsocialvalueshaveinterfered.Approachingurbanandruralcultureisoneoftheconsequencesofmodernhomogenization,sothat,inoursociety,astrongprocessoftheirinterinfluenceisoftenexpressed,whichinthecontextofglobal,socialandculturalchanges,significantlyinfluencesthecreationofoureverydayevents.Keywords:tradition,modernization,urbanandruralculture,culturaldifferences,traditional,traditionalisticandmodernsocialvalues.INTRODUCTORYCOMMENTSThecomplexityandmultisignificanceoftheconceptof'culture',hasresulted,insocialtheory,invariousapproachesincomprehensionanddeterminationofthisidea.However,thefactthatculturehasalwayspresentedthebaseforallhumanmaterialandreligiousachievementshasneverbeendisputable,whichmadepossibleindividualandsocialdevelopment,mediatingbetweenone'sself-understandingandunderstandingofothers.ReceivedMay12,2007∗Thispaperisbasedonresultsoftheempiricalinvestigationwhichwasdoneformymaster'sthesisentitledUrbanandRuralCultureintheContextofMulticulturalSociety(ExaminationofAttitudesofUrbanandRuralResidentsofPalilulaCommunityinNisinConnectionwithPhenomenonofCulturalDistinction)whichwaspresentedanddefendedattheFacultyofPhilosophy,NisonJune6,2006.J.PETKOVIĆ24Onceculturewasonthemarginsofsociologicalinterests,buttodayitassumesaverysig-nificantplaceinanalyzingcontemporarysocialchanges.Inthenewsocialcontext,scien-tificknowledge,higheducation,information,engineering,technologyarebecomingstra-tegicsocialforceswhichenableculturalchangesandcreationofaplanetaryculture.Thespeedofspreadinganddevelopingofculturesinthecontemporaryworlddiffersincom-parisonwithanyotherperiodinthepast,soithappens,withoutregardtoit,thattheirre-lationshipiscomplementaryormarkedwithtensionsandconflicts,wheretraditionandmodernitycoexistandinfluenceoneanother.Intheprocessinwhichtraditionandmod-ernizationarebeingharmonized,inthepostindustrialsocialmodel,undisputedroleisat-tributedtoculture,soitcanbesaidthatmodernityimposesanewconceptofconcordanceandcollaborationofvariousculturalmodelsintheareaofglobalsociety.1.CULTURE,TRADITION,ANDMODERNIZATIONSpecifyingideasofcultures,traditionsandmodernization,andthenbringingthesecategoriesintoacertainrelationship,retainingthetendencyfortheirsemanticdifferences,shouldn'tberealizedascontradictioinadjecto.Onthecontrary,complexityandinter-weavingoftheirmutualrelationsindeedleadustothefactthatwecannottalkaboutcon-tinuityanddiscontinuity,awayfrominteractiverelationsofthementionedcategories.Analysisofcontemporarycultures,variousculturalmodels,individualandcollectiveculturalidentities,meansacriticalrespectofthepastaswellasturntothefuture.Theoriginofthewordtradition(lat.traditio)directstotheprocessoftransmission,delivery,andmaintenanceofvalues,properties,customs,andprinciples,forms,whichmarktheculturalidentityofindividuals,groups,nations,andmankind.Inaword,tradi-tionisanimportantandpowerfulcentreofcrystallizationofsocialexperience(Đurić1972:113).Asaconstructiveelementofeachculture,asahumanspiritualheritage,asaculturalpedigreeofeachnation,traditionisunavoidableinunderstandingthepresentandgivingvisiontothefuture.So,itisnotaquestionofsomestony,staticspiritualhorizonbecausethegermofthenewcanoftenbefoundinthemostcourageousforebodingsandpredic-tionsfromthepast,andthevalueofthepastispresentedinthepossibilityofitsprojec-tionintothefuture(Božilović2004:451).Traditionhasalwaysbeenrepeatedlyrecon-structedthroughinterpretationandselectionprocess.Membersofonenation,intheirself-determinationandself-construction,unquestionablykeep,butalsomodifyandrepeatedlyformtheirtraditionintheprocessofinter-generationtransmission.Inthisprocess,preser-vationofpositiveculturalheritage,ofsomegenerallyacceptedtraditionalelementswhichconstructculturalidentityofanation,isnotdisputed,.However,thatdoesnotmeanthatrespectoftraditionshouldbeanon-critical,irrational,ormechanicalacceptanceoffuturecontents,autopianfuturecreation,whichwouldbedeniedofeverythingthatishappeningtousineverydaylife.Futurerequiresfromthepresentmomentacriticalvaluationofthepast,asanindispensableconditionandmethodfortraditionalelementstojoinandadjusttocontemporarydevelopmentnecessities.Onlyinthatwaycanthatstatebe