The need for roots?

[Lark]

Given the other thread in which everyone pretty much didnt see the point in any sort of heritage, certainly felt no pride in the matter, and questioned the need of any kind of ancestoral memory does this effect the question of "roots"?

It was once a matter of course that people had a very strong sense of being rooted in people and place, I've read accounts by Americans which suggested this was an intrinsic part of English life between the wars and earlier, while the English seem to think that the Scots and Irish where much more exemplars of this sort of thing.

The condition or social fact of being rooted in place or possessing roots to me is a mixed one, it could translate into very narrow, as opposed to broad, horizons, in intellect or heart, giving rise to the sorts of serious tribalism and violence I've witnessed here in my native northern ireland, when literally your street means everything to you and is little understood or sympathised with by "outsiders" is easy to see why or how people so easily escalate to violence when they think it is being threatened.

On the other hand there are many examples of how roots have been important within individual and group identity and that itself has proven important to many dealing with challenges and trials in life, which was sometimes nasty, brutish and short.

 

[Domino]

As a Southerner, I could not even begin to imagine what it would be like to NOT be what made me.

 

[kyuuei]

What confuses me is.. many people that claim that roots don't mean shit, or that they have no pride in theirs.. will often look at things like the way native american culture is, or deep-rooted natives in south america and feel that these societies are ones of beauty.. They see the culture thriving, and running the community, and they think that that is something so unique. But the truth is, those people just accept their culture and roots, and stick to it with pride.

Granted, the cultures ARE different. But I don't understand why this:

Is beautiful, balanced, and a thing in need of preserving.. but this:

Is ignorant, or stupid, and who-gives-a-shit about it anyways..

 

[Qlip]

I kept meaning to post in your ancestor thread, I never got around to it. Being proud of your ancestry make sense, they weren't just a bunch of random people, they were a bunch of people who *survived* and made you.

My roots are very shallow because of my family situation growing up, and I feel unattached because of it. I've laid my own, very odd roots out of necessity. I need them, and I need them to get deeper.

As far as being a cause of conflict.. well, I'd have to think about that. It's a complicated subject.

 

[Coriolis]

Part of the appeal of certain cultures, e.g. native American, is how long they have existed, how established they are. American "culture" (by that I mean non-native) is a relative newcomer on the world stage, a bit of an upstart. It is also an amalgam of the cultures represented by our immigrants. As someone who grew up in the U.S. I do not feel the same weight or even distinctiveness about it that I sense in other cultures. I also know that the hyphenated cultures celebrated here (Irish-American, Italian-American, etc.) are often a pale echo of the originals, with ethnic groups differing in how faithfully they attempt to pass down cultural traditions.

That being said, I recognize a sort of culture, or perhaps more a perspective, characteristic of the part of the country where I grew up. I have lived away from there for many years now, but still think of it as "home", and feel I have returned home when I visit. I have a couple poems that are strongly evocative of this region, and they are about the only things that can consistently bring tears to my eyes. My SO, on the other hand, was a military brat, spent no more than a few years in each place, and has no particular attachment to anywhere. So, I suppose we can have roots, but it isn't essential.

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

Part of the appeal of certain cultures, e.g. native American, is how long they have existed, how established they are. American "culture" (by that I mean non-native) is a relative newcomer on the world stage, a bit of an upstart. It is also an amalgam of the cultures represented by our immigrants. As someone who grew up in the U.S. I do not feel the same weight or even distinctiveness about it that I sense in other cultures. I also know that the hyphenated cultures celebrated here (Irish-American, Italian-American, etc.) are often a pale echo of the originals, with ethnic groups differing in how faithfully they attempt to pass down cultural traditions.

I agree with this.