I grew up thinking that culture was the expression of creative abilities through music, dance, literature, art, etc. This is a misconception that many exponents of culture in Guyana subscribe to, as is evidenced by the way they speak of and treat it. When I became an educator, I began to think more critically about the interrelationships among culture and the various pillars of society: family, education, government, religion, commerce, the arts/sciences, and the media, and my role in helping to foster a deeper understanding of the concept. I started to view culture in its much broader sense. I was enthralled by the interconnectedness of culture and the various pillars and how those interactions shape our society. Societies are built upon these pillars. Society weakens and/or crumbles when these pillars weaken or crumble. A failure to understand that these pillars are part of a broader cultural dynamic can lead to an inability to recognize how the degradation of one pillar affects all others, thus resulting in a breakdown in society. Culture, therefore, cannot and must not be envisaged as mere expressions of our creativity, but rather as the integral thread in the tapestry that determines societal traits, norms, and development. As an educator, I’m interested in being part of conversations about these interactions, particularly as they relate to the interrelationship and interactions between culture and education. I invite you to join me as I analyze cultural and educational issues in Guyana, the Caribbean, and further afield. Any opinions I offer will be grounded in research and theory. However, you are free to challenge or extend my ideas where necessary.
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rootsandeduculture 
Reblogged this on Artist: LENNOX THOM and commented:
I totally agree with your concept on how the creative people could bring about a change in society in a more visionary way and ultimately transform such ideas to reality.We look into life and see it in a different perspective most of the time.
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Solid! Brilliant way of expressing how all pillars must remain for a culture to survive. As you would have noticed the pillars are not being removed but their meanings and value continue to shift. This shift can be attributed to migration which allows for a brain drain, economics and not forgetting the original meaning of what that pillar represented.
Looking forward to having this healthy discussion.
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Competitions are generally organized to Aid in the Expression and Shaping of the various Pillars and Aspects of what is considered Our Culture.The Judging processes of these Competitions therefore becomes a most crucial “Institution ” that would Facilitate or be a Hindrance to the Nation’s Growth. There seems not to be much “Educated “seriousness and understanding of what is of National iimportance as against a moment of Pleasure, Entertainment ,or the fostering of Opportunistic relationships for personal aggrandizement.
The Value attached to the Ministry of Culture, the Resources there provided, Financial, Human and Material as well as the Scope of it’s mandate/mission, sets the Stage on which National Development may be built.
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Reblogged this on Lindi’ Pensieve.
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Living in Antigua a Caribbean island, one would have thought that our cultures (norms, traditions, way of thinking) would be the same but I was in for a rude awakening as Antigua’s way of life is pretty laid back as opposed to the hustle and grind that as a Guyanese, I was accustomed to. I have had to learn their culture to survive. Adopting the parable of “when in Rome, do like the Romans do”. There are numerous positives which I love with Antigua and I have adapted those and being married to an Antiguan, I get the best of both worlds.What would tick off anyone though is the silent rudeness (as we would call it in Guyana). Don’t ever go to a government agency and start an argument about any document you’ve been waiting for. You will be met with cold stares, no response and occasionally, “I’m going to lunch”. Looking forward to adding more
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Interestingly, there are people who believe that Guyanese are a pretty relaxed group of people. Someone once told me, “Y’all do everything so slow.” I love thayou refer to culture in its broader sense. It’s a first step to understanding the cultural dynamic that I speak of, and fixing the problems that result from a breakdown in one or all of the components of that dynamic
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