Excerpt
2
Introduction
The values in the communities of Bhutan as per researcher's knowledge are: to advice not to
quarrel; not to call elders by names; not to sneak a look when guests are served tea. Invite
relatives to festivals; endow assistance similar to what Rinpoche (1992) unveils the Tibetan
culture of providing strong spiritual, emotional and practical support to dead person's family;
welcome guests with warmth; help construct house for mere sum or without penny charged;
share with neighbors the salt and sugar; help friends to book transport bus tickets and a lodge
to find; carry beaten maize/tegma or dried chesse/chugo if a villager to give as presents when
met with relatives; keep contact with parents either through sending money, clothes and
ration or visiting once a year.
For marriage, consent sought from parents; parents expressed gratitude to their children's
teachers; students paid back with manual services to teachers as did by Melarepa to reverend
mother Dakmeth-ma (Evans-Wentz, n.d.); students in boarding schools showed admiration to
the seniors, and regarded high the school principals by fellow colleagues. Pagoda/choiten
been erected to guard from diseases, famine, and conflicts; from very early age inspired
children to join monastic institutions; young and old irrespectively used to participate in
annual ritual/tshechu, and recite mani and bazaguru (mantra) with intent to cleanse one's sins
and for others.
If citizens would not gain knowledge of values might call elders in names; would use slangs
and inappropriate terms. Might not discern reverse effect of being detached to friends and
relatives. Children would show disrespectfulness to teachers; younger students might go
against seniors; subordinates would demonstrate impoliteness to supervisors; managers might
fail to deal staff understandingly; would become least alarm to receive visitors. Namgyel
(2011) in connection states that people blame change of time when human themselves behave
badly. Initiating get-together in the families, friends, and neighbors is seeing less; daughters
and sons of some parents pay no attention to come home; demands payment for the minor
help offered, and organize tsechu infrequently in mass seldom participate. Marriages take
place by not asking parents, and wives often experience mistreatment from husbands.
Some mothers have started abandoning their children. Affirmed by the incidence occurred in
one housing colony in Thimphu that mistook the head of a newborn to be of a doll which
stray dogs have eaten the body (Kuenselonline, 2013, June 20). Kuenselonline (2013, August
24) has envisaged in this regard that similar development might occur as country leapfrogs to
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modernization. Similarly caution by Bagaria, Gaur and Sangal (2015) that since world goes
through rapid transition bringing closer economically; with almost not infused values in
curricula; producing graduates without have learned humanitarians and social sciences will
experience deprivation and conflicts within societies and families.
Therefore to make more familiar with the values stand at this time, the subsequent questions
are framed to look for answers.
1.
How differently analysts identified values?
2.
What are some inherited Bhutanese values prevailing in the communities?
3.
What are the causes affecting values' sustainability?
4.
How values deterioration concerned Bhutanese and people worldwide?
5.
What kind of scenarios emerge by being values not practiced?
Literature review
The literature review is presented in five headings such as values identification, values
significances, Bhutanese values and deterioration concerns, worldwide discussion on values,
and values not practiced scenarios.
Values identification
It is principle, standard or one's judgment valuable in life (Illustrated Oxford Dictionary,
2003). Veugelers (2008) believe as idea, hope and honesty, loving and giving. Schwartz1
(2006) deduced as obedience relevant at work in school, sports, business, in politics; RGoB
(2007, in Sakurai, 2011) and student development curriculum division (2012) identify as
respect, loyalty, responsibility, resilience, care and harmony. Curriculum for excellence (n.d.)
distinguishes as justice, wisdom, compassion and integrity. Jokilehto (2006) asserts that the
values in actuality are produced by maturing of awareness and being participated in cultural-
social processes. Fulton (2006) thinks as forgiveness; UNESCO (2002) delineates as kind of
thinking teachers are parents, parents are learners, students are future parents, and community
members the civil society builders. Singh (1991) perceives as sense of worthiness we
experience and interpret relations to ourselves, to others and world.
Hogan (1973, in Tucker-Ladd, 2004) agreed value by five factors: becoming aware as a child
of society and parents; reasonably thinking about own ethics; internalizing moral beliefs to
the degree one feel shame and guilt when fail to do; being conscious of other people's
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situations, and believing one is capable for helping. Tucker-Ladd (2004) realizes; it is moral
character finding a place in the family and school, adjusting with opposite sex, handling
sexual and overwhelmed love needs, and coping with children. Universal values (n.d.) reveals
as human endeavor and social order. As per Bansal and Bansal (2012), the values namely
generosity, kindness, tolerance, cooperation, sensitivity, belongingness and gratefulness are
the eternal qualities for individuals. Khedikar (2013) believes truth/satya, right
action/dharma, peace/shanty, love/prema, and non violence/ahimsa as core human values.
Values' significances
The values bring happiness within neighborhoods (Anderson, Jones, Kahn & Russell, n.d.);
make less stressed and self-satisfied (Berkowitz, 2005, and Wilis, 1998, in student
development curriculum division, 2012; Rimland, 1982, in Tucker- Ladd, 2004), and even
put back to normal the troubled nations (Bausch, 1999, in Evans, n.d.; Curriculum for
excellence, n.d.; UNESCO, 2002). The development of values by being in a particular society
have an effect on (Bansal and Bansal, 2012) whereby an individual becomes empathetic and
less delinquent (Tucker-Ladd, 2004); accepts the superior control and inferior should
conform (Schwartzl, 2006); understands how to take care of oneself and house; shows
gratefulness and agrees on to non
living and living beings' advantages and disadvantages
(Bansal & Bansal, 2012). The acquired values also have certain roles to play in the time of
wealth increases, advancement of technology, have new relationships; a job make new
demands, becomes parent, succeeds and fails, reflecting on decisions and choices, and when
death approaches (Bebeau, Borden, Muskavitch, Pimple and Smith, 1995; Schwartzl, 2006;
Tucker-Ladd, 2004).
Bhutanese values and deterioration concerns
The values considered as vital by Bhutanese people are: allow expressing views; make
information available, and have access to fair system. Look up to political rights; respect
religion; safeguard nature. Keep abreast kindness, integrity, unity; revere culture and
tradition; have devotion to god. Mull over shared vision, social justice, compassion, empathy,
sincerity, self-discipline, optimism, truthfulness, humility, honesty, perseverance,
cooperation, love, compassion, peace, non-violence, courage, equality, dutifulness, kindness,
piety and righteousness, and concern for others (Evans, n.d.; Sakurai, 2011). In subsequence
be faithful/tha-damtsi, and believe in cause and effect/ley-jumdrey (Galeg, n.d.); have sense
of morality and patriotism (Penjore, n.d.); sustain traditional architecture and dresses
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(
Dombrovskis, 2007); carry on with
unique customs and lifestyles (Dorji, n.d). Bhutan
education in line aims instilling in children the sense of good self concept and self worth; to
know they have special talents and limitations; to be confident, honest, has self discipline;
show self control; take initiative; be self reliant; accepts responsibility; demonstrate sense of
commitment; display hard work and study, dignity of labor; place importance on personal
hygiene; be cooperative and able to share; have sense of charity; know ones behavior affects
others; show empathy; appreciate the need for certain rules and social codes of conduct; love
and respect others; care for property; appreciate the need to keep one's surroundings and the
environment clean; love for Bhutan and pride in being Bhutanese; appreciate the social and
the physical world; be loyal and dedicated to king, country and people/tsa wa sum (Ministry
of health and education, n.d).
The gross national happiness education attributing all these value components infused in
curriculum currently is substituting the value education classes (Dorji, n.d.). There is concern
of infringement due to rapid globalization and digital information deluge (Sakurai, 2011). In
era of values diminishing, the death of village heads is one more becoming loss of important
irreplaceable heritage. The folktales in oral form available in them need proper
documentation (Evans, n.d.; Penjore, n.d.). Priesner (1999) and Ura (n.d., in Rognoni, n.d.)
somehow conversely state that the social structure, the way of life of majority have not
changed. Somehow materialistically preoccupied know how to balance the strong sense of
sufficiency. Thinley (1998) brought in light an analogy of a farmer who double cropped high
yield rice, had enough to consume refused to grow in the subsequent year.
Worldwide discussion on values
Citizens have to recognize national culture and identity (Curriculum for excellence, n.d.; NIE
Singapore, 2009). Should know how home and school attuned together, and fictional and real
life stories construct values (Student development curriculum division, 2012; UNESCO,
2002). Have to make children understand about social relationship and shared goals, the
differences and similarities that strengthen independence and identity (Schwartz1, 2006).
Reinvent education in order to recognize and manage emotions, extend care and concern for
others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, handle challenging
situations, develop respect for, and volunteer to help poor, sick and elderly persons (Student
Development Curriculum Division, 2012; Veugelers, 2008). Individuals should have own
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choices in life, free from overbearing religious and political authority, and let aim for
autonomy in this interdependent world (Taylor, 2010).
The technology is bringing people with wealth and economic power, but exposing to world
without losing culture and identity is becoming challenge (Bowadt & Brandt, 2010; Sakurai
2011; Singh, 1991). Bansal and Bansal (2012) aver that it is becoming disquiet when many of
us do not know what is correct and start copying culture and life style of some countries in
the race of so called modernization. The parents and home environment, the teachers and
schools, religious authorities, peers, government agencies, the work environment, law, and
mass media in this regard have to play critical role. As per Tucker-Ladd (2004) position, if
supposedly values are not inculcated, the rest of life of an individual might suffer in the form
of crime, abuse, violence, and selfishness.
Unlike the ancestors of late 19
th
century, we have knowledge more of scientific, technical and
medical. But do we really know about the meaning of life, the nature of humankind,
mysteries of human heart and soul (Gorman, 2001). To this note, Khedikar (2013) in some
way explicates that the worldly education is not making any as efficient individuals. In
addition, if parents too much focus on children's satisfaction, children might not also
comprehend generosity, to be fair; what is their strength and ability (Anderson, Jones, Kahn
& Russell, n.d). Sathya Sai Seminar (1999) has its similar claim; it is not possible for citizens
and leaders to cultivate values unless have practiced from childhood. Teachers and parents by
now have to shape the lives of children through spiritual education. NIE Singapore (2009)
however as part of curriculum intends to instill in children the value of being intellectual,
how to be responsible and accountable, work collaboratively, commit to lifelong learning, act
with novelty, and shape ones' interactions with environment and people.
Values not practiced scenarios
People are carried away by anxiety, depression, addictions and suicide thoughts; steal even
from close relatives; lie on resume to get job; cheat on important test; use force against
another person, and abandon families. There is decline in spirituality and rise in negative
emotions like anger, jealousy and frustration (Tucker-Ladd, 2004). Layard (2003) in Rognoni
(n.d.) divulged; elders are left behind in rural areas, and migrants feel loneliness in the towns
(Dorji, 2015). Education is focused more on external things, not taught to live together in
peace, and seldom transmit cultural and social values (Bagaria, Gaur & Sangal, 2015;
Penjore, n.d.; Ordonez, 1998 in UNESCO, 2002). Through mass communications,
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- Tashi Namgyel (Author), 2018, Bhutanese values deterioration concerns and scenarios in 21st century, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/388255
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