Traditionalism

Traditionalism is the maintenance of traditional attitudes and a traditional way of life against modernization. It constitutes a barrier to the success of development programmes in developing countries. In developed countries it may create a generation gap and general lack of adaptation of social attitudes to technological changes. In either case it leads to a waste of human resources.

In many rural areas in Africa, ridging, furrowing, sowing and planting seldom follow rectangular patterns. This has many disadvantages when an attempt is made to introduce modern farming machines which require straight line formation. Even animal draught at the most rudimentary level, with an improved hoe, requires a straight line. Yet it may be found extremely difficult to convince farmers that they should adopt the straight line in planting if they wish good yields. For the illiterate farmer, all the natural shapes that evoke wonder and admiration are round or circular: the moon, the sun, etc, so he thinks nature can hardly yield up its riches if its fundamental laws are flouted, the basic law being that all significant things are round.