Cultural heritage is one of the milestones of every country. Some people believe that people shouldn’t preserve their culture because it slows down modernization whereas, others think that it must be preserved by everyone even if it has negative effects on modernization progress.
As far as I am concerned, cultural heritage needs to be preserved in any situation. I believe it is one of the most important elements for a country. People that think like that argue that cultural heritage is part of their identity and history. It comes from their ancestors. For instance, African braids are one of the most important and strong elements of African culture. Most people can’t think of these braids and African people separately. Moreover, it comes from their ancestors, so it’s more meaningful for them because of that.
Another reason is that traditions really matter for people. Such as henna culture in Turkey. Turkish people have lived with this tradition or ritual-like for centuries. Cultures are more than just a behavior or ritual. These traditions are also meaningful and emotional things for people. Similarly, the “Haka Dance” is also one of them. While other people who aren’t familiar with this culture find it silly or something, for the people that live with this tradition, it’s not just a dance. There is so much meaning under this dance for them.
On the other hand, cultural heritage may slow or block the progress of modernization or economic growth. For instance, some part of the Turkish population believe that women need to stay at home after marriage and just spend their time on her children or cleaning. Moreover, some husbands don’t allow women to work or make money. It may stop the modernization because it encourages gender stereotypes and makes it look like women were just a creature under the men’s treatment. Since, when people prevent their culture while they are aware of these cons, there are not any consequences like these.
In conclusion, even if some people use cultural heritage without any awareness, the culture needs to be preserved. Cultural heritage means a lot for people, and if there is not any culture everybody has the same thoughts, same dishes or other things. Ancestors became unimportant. Some bad consequences about the economy and modernization can be prevented. Hence, I strongly believe that cultural heritage should always be preserved.