Cultural Erasure, Retention and Renewal

Cultural Retention, Renewal and Erasure Culture can be defined as the way of the life of a people, with regards to both the material and non-material aspects. However, as a result of a developing and maturing society, in addition to the birth of various generations and external influences, these “ways of life” can be inadvertently retained, renewed and even discarded. Our own Caribbean society, specifically Barbados is not exempt from such occurrences. Cultural Erasure is the gradual removal of various traditions and customs from society. The process of cultural erasure is gradual as these practices generally make a slow but noticeable transition from a state of prominence to a rarity in everyday life. In most instances, cultural erasur occurs as a result of a newer generation disapproving of or having little to no interest or appreciation for certain traditions. A definite example of this would be calypso music in the Caribbean. With the introduction of various genres and artists from around the world, only relatively small groups of individuals actually listen to calypso let alone find it entertaining. In recent times, various Caribbean countries, namely Barbados have experienced a steady decline in the amount of individuals that still have a burning passion for cricket. In the past, people could have been found in large numbers present at live cricket matches, otherwise “glued” to their televisions in the rare occasion that they could not be in attendance, especially if West Indies was playing England. This however, is no longer the case. Other sports, especially football have become more popular and more entertaining to such an extent that it can be found being played on the streets and on our televisions, as well as being a the subject of conversation on a regular basis. Cricket fans and enthusiasts have dwindled significantly throughout the years and has affected the way in which the country views the sport. Cultural erasure also occurs as a result