My favorite definition of sustainability that I found was from the Free Dictionary. \u00a0Sustainability was defined as “to keep in existence, maintain.” \u00a0This definition was my favorite because it was the most inclusive one I could find. \u00a0Many other definitions spoke specifically about the environment. \u00a0While sustainability is most commonly used in reference to the environment and a “green” lifestyle, it can also be used in an economic or cultural sense as well. \u00a0I will be focusing on the cultural definition of sustainability.<\/p>\n
In terms of culture, sustainability refers to maintaining certain cultural markers, such as language, traditions, ancestry, and religion. \u00a0Some of these can be very positive, such as keeping a language alive, or participating in a family ritual. \u00a0A negative example would be forbidding intermarriage as a way to continue “racial purity.”<\/p>\n
Since the English began to rule Ireland, the Irish Gaelic language has been in steady decline. \u00a0Even in the Victorian Era, James Joyce wrote about university students enrolling in Irish classes to keep the language alive (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man).\u00a0<\/em>Today, according to a census reported in\u00a0The Guardian,\u00a0<\/em>about 25% of the Irish population speaks Irish, which is odd, considering it is officially the country’s first language. \u00a0While some of the Irish refuse to speak a language other than English, in Irish speaking parts of Ireland, Irish Gaelic is taught in schools. \u00a0According to the Irish Central website, the number of Irish speakers is on the rise. \u00a0This is due to people wanting to preserve this language, an example of cultural sustainability. \u00a0Just as we try to conserve natural resources, Irish speakers are trying to conserve their language. \u00a0 The other example of cultural sustainability I will use is quite different. \u00a0This is because it is a movement to revive something that has been arguably gone for thousands of years. \u00a0The pagan revivalist movement is a movement dating back to the 1950s, that is attempting to revive the various world pagan religions that disappeared after the rise of Christianity. \u00a0Religions such as Druidry, the ancient religion of the Celts, or Greco-Roman beliefs are being followed by some people in modern society, particularly in the UK and US. \u00a0Some people are trying to revive these old religions because they identify with the culture that used to practice them. \u00a0For example, a German or German-American may worship the old Germanic or Viking gods. \u00a0Others just find a spiritual truth in these ancient practices. \u00a0 \u00a0While this example is not the most well-known, I find it extremely interesting, because it is a movement to resurrect a religion believed to be extinct. \u00a0 Which brings up a question: \u00a0Does sustainability encompass not just keeping in existence, but bringing back to existence?<\/p>\n So, while one can maintain resources and economic structure, one can also maintain languages and religions.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.paganprincesses.com\/an-introduction-to-different-pagan-paths\/<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.thefreedictionary.com\/sustainability<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/travel\/2007\/jan\/05\/ireland.features<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.irishcentral.com\/news\/Irish-now-the-third-most-spoken-language-in-Ireland-after-English-and-Polish-145200025.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My favorite definition of sustainability that I found was from the Free Dictionary. \u00a0Sustainability was defined as “to keep in existence, maintain.” \u00a0This definition was my favorite because it was the most inclusive one I could find. \u00a0Many other definitions … Continue reading
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