Band 9 essay sample about traditional values of older people
Essay topic
The older generations tend to have very traditional ideas about how people should live, think and behave. However, some people believe that these ideas are not helpful in preparing younger generations for the modern life. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Band 9 sample essay
Every generation has its set of values. The values that young people cherish are not necessarily those of their parents or grandparents. In fact, youngsters often rebel against the traditional values of older people. In their opinion, the traditional way of thinking, living or behaving is not appropriate for the modern age. I both agree and disagree with this.
The argument that the traditional way of living is not very helpful in the modern world is true to some extent. For example, many orthodox families in Asia still have apprehensions about sending their daughters to college or work. They believe that a woman’s world is within the four walls of her home. Of course, young women rebel against this mindset and I fully support them. The traditional code of conduct has its limitations too. For example, the older generation does not want young men and women to have excessively friendly relationships between them. While I am against immoral liaisons, I do believe that in this day and age women have to interact with men on various levels and parents or grandparents who prevent their daughters from meeting or talking to men are not helping them in any way.
On the flip side, there are still a lot of things that we can learn from older generations. The older people are used to living in joint families. They believe in sharing the joys and sorrows of life. By contrast, younger people raised in nuclear families tend to be more selfish. They can indeed learn values of kindness, compassion and sharing from their elders.
To conclude, in my opinion, there are still a lot of things that we can learn from the traditional values of older generations. This, however, does not mean that every belief of our parents or grandparents is suitable for the modern life. In my opinion, values also need to change with times.
