Mass production and globalization has significantly reduced the demand for traditional arts and crafts. It is often argued that government must continuously subsidize and actively support the industry to preserve cultural heritage, while others believe that the market determines their survival. This essay will discuss both perspectives and explain why the government should be stepping up to protect the tradition.
Traditions are part of history. It traces the audience back to a time when their ancestors lived and shaped today’s society. For instance, an ancient statue can be proclaimed as a traditional landmark where no one could build anything on its surroundings. With that, as the representative of the public, the government has the power to impose laws that reflect the preservation of cultural heritage.
On the other hand, many believe that traditional arts and crafts must be sold to the public. They prefer to know whether such products can survive the growing market or vanish into thin air. For instance, historical paintings made by artists from the 1600s are just viewed as random art without any meaning. With that, even if the arts and crafts were traditional, people would not acknowledge it as something important.
Overall, preserving historical works paves the way for understanding our cultural background and historical roots. I believe that hindering the preservation of traditions would simply erase our identity from the world.