Urban Drift: The Erosion of Our Culture

Globalization has led to the rise of urbanization in many developing countries as seen here in the Pacific.
According to research, the proportion of the worlds population living in large towns or cities has grown
from around 5% to 50% over the centuries (McMichael, 2000). This increasing migration to the cities
has negatively impacted the younger generation of today in that life settings in urban areas do not allow
for one to learn, and participate in activities that will strengthen or increase ones knowledge of their
culture (Whiting, 2010). The erosion of ones culture is also the loss of ones identity. As stated by
Marcus Garvey (2014), A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a
tree without roots. In this Matai performance using what we have learnt in the past week we will
attempt to portrait the ways in which urbanization has led to the erosion of the Fijian culture in the
younger generation and also examine ways in which this problem can be solved through film and meke.
References
Garvey, M., 2014. Brainy Quote. [Online]
Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marcusgarv365148.html
[Accessed 6 July 2014].
McMichael, A. J., 2000. The urban enviroment and health in a world of increasing globalization: issues
for developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, p. 1117.
Whiting, B., 2010. Effects of Urbanization on Children's Behavior. [Online]
Available at: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/effects-urbanization-
childrens-behavior
[Accessed 6 July 2014].