| "Traditional societies in effect represent thousands of natural experiments in how to construct a human society. They have come up with thousands of solutions to human problems, solutions different from those adopted by our own WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) modern societies. We shall see that some of those solutions […] may strike you, as they do me, as superior to normal practices in the First World. Perhaps we could benefit by selectively adopting some of those traditional practices. […] But we should also not go to the opposite extreme of romanticising the past and longing for simpler times. Many traditional practices are ones that we can consider ourselves blessed to have discarded." - page 9  |
| The World Until Yesterday, by 'America's most famous Geographer' Jared Diamond |
Jared Diamond is, to be quite frank (and as explained by The Daily Mail), a master storyteller of the human race.
The thing I love most about Diamond's writing (from what I've read), is the way in which he doesn't give you all the summative answers; he provides the base for the answers in his vast scope of analysis and personal insights, and depicts his opinions on the answers (I say 'answers' in both senses but really refer to subjective answers i.e. what you think the answers to X are), however inevitably he leaves it up to you. Despite the immensely persuasive nature of his own opinions, he doesn't enforce them upon you. The tone and language of his narrative is such that Diamond allows you to formulate your own opinion as well as encourages you to THINK for yourself. Such a style makes his work both engaging and challenging - I couldn't recommend it more.
The World Until Yesterday is a comparative exploration of the differing lifestyles inhabited by Westerners and more traditional societies, and the respective benefits and detriments of both; what could we learn from traditional societies in areas such as child-rearing, treatment of the elderly, and health? What does a study of their approaches to life highlight as preferential in our Western societies? What should we be more grateful for? What could we adopt to improve our quality of life?
'Over the past 500 years, the West achieved global dominance, but do Westerners necessarily have better ideas about how to raise children, care for the elderly, or simply live well? In a sweeping journey around the globe, Jared Diamond explores how tribal people approach essential human problems, from health and diet to conflict resolution and language, and discovers that they have much to teach us. These traditional societies offer an extraordinary window into how our ancestors lived for most of human history - until virtually yesterday, in evolutionary terms.' - blurb
Diamond's central argument is that neither the West nor traditional societies should be romantically acclaimed as 'better off'. He seeks to dispel the common illusion (and egotistic ignorance) that The West Knows Best, along with the associated stigma of traditional societies needing our help to solve their Backward Ways; at the opposite end of the spectrum, he is additionally adamant that one shouldn't seek to loathe the West, dreaming of a simple way of life similar to that led by our ancestors. Rather, Diamond argues, there are many areas of life in which we can learn from traditional societies who perhaps possess higher qualities of life in those respects, just as in other areas they could learn from methods of life that we have adopted, which provide us conversely with higher qualities of life.
"In some respects we moderns are misfits; our bodies and our practices now face conditions different from those under which we evolved, and to which they became adapted." - page 9
The World Until Yesterday is structured into 7 sections: the Prologue / Setting the Stage by Dividing Space / Peace and War / Young and Old / Danger and Response / Religion, Language and Health / the Epilogue. In each section, Diamond lays down the fundamentals of the area in subject prior to exploring the characteristics of modern and traditional societies with respect to the sections title - for example, in Peace and War, he opens by defining war and different methods of maintaining peace, prior to writing of the different ways in which traditional societies and the West approach war/peace. In an attempt to make sense of the mess of notes I made whilst reading the novel, I'll structure this blog post into a similar composition (disregarding reference to the Prologue having already essentially covered it in the quotes and thoughts above).
Side note #1: I would thoroughly recommend reading Guns, Germs and Steel also by Diamond prior to reading The World Until Yesterday, merely to provide a basis with greater depth and scientific breadth for understanding the areas referenced in The World Until Yesterday and hence enhance what you gain from reading the latter.
Section 1: Setting the Stage by Dividing Space
(Friends, Enemies, Strangers and Traders)
The shortest of all the sections, this one essentially covers three elements: travel, relationships and trade.
- Travel - we in the West take freedom of travel for granted. So much so, that we don't even acknowledge the ability to travel as a liberty of freedom worth gratification. How easy is it for us to commute to the next village? Or to visit our family located an hour away? Or even in another country? Encountering strangers is no big deal - we'll probably never see them again and we'll probably never have to acknowledge each other. Now imagine living in a society where you ran the risk of probably being killed if you encountered a stranger (whom you were unable to find a common relationship with i.e. blood, name, friendship etc.) or wandered into another tribe's territory. Such is a fact of life in many traditional societies. Be grateful for that if nothing else the next time you're stuck in traffic on the way somewhere! See pages 37 and 43.
- Relationships - our friendships and relationships in general are based upon chemistry; if we like that person or share common interests, we're likely to form a relationship with them. In the West, a large majority of relationships tend to be formed based upon such elements in school, work or on travels. On the contrary, in many traditional societies, relationships are based upon whether the tribes are politically allied, or other such mundane requirements. See pages 50 - 53.
- Trade - so far, it appears to be West 2 : Traditional 0. However, in trade, the West proves slightly more cynical in nature; whilst we trade largely for our personal requirements and desires, in many traditional societies trade partners are formed not based upon things needed, but upon forming and maintaining a good relationship with said trade partner. See pages 74 and 75.
"Evidently, traditional trade has social and political as well as economic functions: not merely to obtain items for their own sake, but also to 'create' trade for advancing social and political goals. Perhaps the foremost such goal is to strengthen an alliance or bond on which one can call if the need arises." - page 74
Section 2: Peace and War
Fundamentally, before further analysis, it is important to acknowledge that we are no less 'barbaric' than traditional societies, despite wars appearing to feature far more heavily in their lifestyle given our peace-providing state government systems; our wars are merely more 'sophisticated' i.e. nuclear weapons rather than bows and arrows. But then again, just look to the 20th century - repercussions from both World Wars are still felt in several countries, be it demographically (Germany) or economically. And after all, we're all human, right?
Diamond explains that the current state justice system is highly beneficial and with the introduction of European colonisation in several traditional societies (leading to the implementation of such systems), warfare is generally suppressed (if after following an initial surplus). However, there are still things that can be incorporated and learnt from traditional methods of peace - in cases where a relationship between two people is concerned, in compensation and in the main aims of the system. The state justice system of the Western world is predominantly concerned with establishing right from wrong, is henceforth very black and white and consequently objective; while it is very effective at maintaining higher levels of peace, the justice system lacks consideration subjectively for the emotions of people concerned.
"The traditional compensation process [...] has as its aims the dispute's speedy peaceful resolution, emotional reconciliation between the two sides, and the restoration of their previous relationship." - page 87
Such is in complete juxtaposition to the aims of the traditional justice system; here the emphasis is placed upon the restoration of a peaceful relationship (even if the previous relationship was a non-relationship i.e. between two strangers) leading to greater relief from emotional baggage in the future. Diamond persuasively suggests that such an ideal could easily be implemented into the state justice system in the form of mediation - the opportunity to talk through the problem in greater depth/establishing a better relationship between say two divorcees for the benefit of their children/allowing the criminal and victim to meet if both sides want to in order to release mental baggage etc.
Inevitably, War and Peace parallels Diamond's recognition that neither Western societies nor traditional societies are completely better off than the other. On page 116, he explicitly alludes to this acknowledgement, writing that both state justice systems and traditional justice mechanisms consist of two prongs:
- Traditional justice mechanisms - "one prong is admirable peace negotiation and the other prong is regrettable violence and war."
- State justice systems - "one is peaceful negotiation, but the state's confrontational second prong is merely a trial."
Hence, although the state justice system lacks a substantial support system for relationships and people's emotions, it would be foolish to romanticise the traditional justice mechanisms, which, in the failure of peaceful compensation, resort to wars in order to seek justice for the wrong. See also pages 81, 87, 92, 99, 116, 149, 183, 156 and 162 for further references.
"Western adjudication is a search for what happened and who did it; Navajo peace-making is about the effect of what happened. Who got hurt? What do they feel about it? What can be done to repair the harm?" - Chief Justice Robert Yazzie, page 103
Section 3: Young and Old
This section is the one of the two (the second being Religion, Language and Health) that I found most intriguing given the radical differences between Western methods and traditions, and those of traditional societies. As the name suggests, it focuses upon methods of child-rearing as well as treatment of the elderly.
There are countless methods of child-rearing employed in traditional societies which sound like something out of a science-fiction novel and ensure one feels heavy relief at living in a Western society; to list a few, these include the routine infanticide of children when they are born with a defect/within 2 years after the previous child/when twins are born, the expectation of mothers to give birth outside of the village alone, the lack of privacy within homes wherein parents routinely have sex in front of their children leading to much sex-play of the children amongst themselves, the late weaning of children (often only after they've reached the age of 4) and the free-will awarded to children in that in some societies parents can't tell them what to do, but rather the children are able to scream at moreover hit their parents/babies are left to play with fire and knives!
However, don't let what I've just translated taint your perception of traditional societies - there are many things that we could adopt in our own child-rearing practices that reap multiple benefits in later life. These include the position of babies throughout the day (upright, facing forwards, with physical contact, rather than as in the West where they are routinely left in prams lying backwards and without contact) which leads to later feelings of greater social stability in adult life, the response to crying babies (in traditional societies, the average response is 3 seconds, after which the child is physically contacted by hugging etc. whereas in the West they are regularly left to cry so as to 'teach them independence'), allo-parenting and educational/play methods (in traditional societies both education and play are combined - this leads to greater mental stimulation and earlier neurometer development etc. This is due to children playing in mixed age groups, beneficial to both the younger and older children, as well as them spending greater time outside, emulating their parents and discovering the world around them, moreover having to build their own toys thus reaping the educational benefits in addition to the fun).
"He burst out accusingly at me, 'You throw away your old people and your own parents!'"
- Diamond's Fijian friend after visiting the US, page 210
Similarly to the conflicting elements of child-rearing practices in traditional societies, so too can we both learn from and reap gratification from their treatment of the elderly. The bold (in both senses - !) statement above refers to the reaction of a Fijian upon encountering old-age homes/the isolation of the elderly in the US, and underlines one of the darker shades to the Western treatment of the elderly. The chief way in which we can sustainably emulate the treatment of the elderly in traditional societies is through utilizing their invaluable knowledge and experience; in one society, the remaining elderly woman was in effect their encyclopaedia, helping to sustain their food supply with her knowledge of what foods the tribe had to resort to eating following a cyclone in 1910. In Western societies such experience of the elderly could be manifested in child-care, relaxed retirement policies (often workers are forced to retire at their peak performance - make retirement optional), and education (for example, rather than being forced to retire, surgeons could stop practicing and instead focus on teaching younger surgeons). Such will aid in reducing the strain of ageing populations so prevalent in Western societies, like the UK, Germany and Japan, both economically and socially.
To satisfy your appetite and yearning to know of all the kooky methods of treating the elderly in traditional societies, I shall name a couple: treatments most certainly not to be emulated in Western societies range from the routine murder and abandonment of the elderly, and the strangling of widows to join their late husbands.
For further references on both child-rearing and treatment of the elderly see pages 174, 185, 189, 203 - 212, 226, and 231.
Section 4: Danger and Response
You'll be pleased to hear that I have little to comment on this section; it largely speaks for itself thus I feel I have few of my own thoughts to contribute to Diamond's. Overall, unlike other sections, this section maintains that in the area of Danger and Response, the West can learn more from traditional societies than vice versa. In all I have only two points to make; the first is that we could economically benefit from emulating the farming methods of traditional societies, which seek to reduce the effect of crop failure and famine, in our investment methods. See page 306/307 for further information on this. In essence, many traditional farmers do not farm one large section of land, but rather several smaller sections scattered in different environments, such that if one plot of land is affected, he won't suffer a total loss of crops (as he would if all the crops were in one large plot) but only a lower yield.
The second concerns constructive paranoia. To all you adrenaline-junkies this paradoxical term may sound like a ridiculous way in which to lead a monotonous, reserved life; on the contrary, Diamond explains that it is merely an attitude whereby one is more aware of one's surrounding environment and the associated risks, and thereby takes greater care to avoid routinely putting oneself in harm's way. On a larger scale, such of a societal one, constructive paranoia would be a beneficial adoption with regards to obvious dangers like Climate Change, which is routinely dismissed and ignored.
"Are we WEIRD moderns especially prone to misestimate risks because we get most of our information second-hand from television and other mass media that emphasise sensational but rare accidents and mass deaths? Do traditional people estimate risks more accurately because they instead learn only from the first-hand experience of themselves, their relatives, and their neighbours? Can we learn to think more realistically about dangers?" - page 319
Section 5: Religion, Language and Health
For fear of composing a post longer than Diamond's own book (note the use of hyperbole here...), I'll attempt to condense my page-long notes on this section into three points. If I have thus far failed to entice you into reading Diamond's book, at least read this section; words don't justify how interesting it is. I almost wish Diamond would write a book merely on Language and Health!
Point #1: Religion.
I didn't make many (1) notes on this section partly because I feel it was aimed more at those who lack a religion or are at a stage where you're searching for meaning or questioning your faith. I still found Diamond's exploration into the definition, origins and constituents of religion interesting. Inevitably, Religion is not something to emulate from another society hence it was more an analysis of differing religions and their geographical prevalence, than a stark contrast of the West and traditional societies.
Point #2: Language
In primary school I had to learn French, which at the time I thought awful and odious. Then in high school (up until the AS level) it was compulsory to learn a modern language - either French or German. I learnt both simultaneously prior to dropping French in year 9, and taking German to GCSE level; again, I couldn't wait to be free from the necessity of learning a language largely irrelevant to me. However, now a year later (or two, if you count school years (I'm now going into year 13/Upper Sixth)), I find myself missing the ability to semi-fluently write and converse in a language other than my native, English. Diamond's section on Language has further convinced me of the absolute importance, and benefits, of being multilingual/bilingual.
In the world there are currently around 7000 languages, the vast majority of which are situated in traditional societies and rapidly growing extinct as native languages aren't taught to children for fear of holding them back socially and economically. However, as Diamond articulates, being bilingual has far more benefits than initial detriments (of which mastering a single language at a slower pace is the principal one); it has been scientifically proven that being bilingual reduces the risk/onset of dementia by around 5 years, brings greater mental growth and stimulance (is that a word? It should be.) given that executive control is exercised more, and a stronger sense of identity leading to greater performance socio-economically. The things largely cited as being the cause for the extinction of languages are globalisation and the spread of state governments. If you fail to see the importance of preserving languages, Diamond is sure to convince you otherwise; if for no other reason, preserving languages will in turn preserve many different cultures through literature, art, and practices. See pages 405 - 408 and 370 - 397.
Point #3: Health
Basically, what we die of (predominantly non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes), are largely unheard of in traditional societies. Similarly, what a large proportion of traditional people die from (communicable diseases such as malaria, and murder), are of minimal concern in Western societies. So, in terms of health, we mustn't revert entirely back to traditional ways of life, but rather incorporate features of their lifestyle, such as the healthier lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise, into our own. Diamond focuses his exploration into the effect of the Western lifestyle (sedentary with excessive consumption) on our health on Diabetes and diet, with natural experiments (developing countries such as India and China, as well as smaller traditional societies who are introduced to the Western lifestyle) providing the evidence for the lifestyle being a fundamental source of many NCDs like Diabetes type 2.
"But the same NCDs are virtually non-existent in traditional societies. What clearer proof could there be that we have much to learn, of life-and-death value, from traditional societies? However, what they have to teach us is not a simple matter of just 'live traditionally'. There are many aspects of traditional life that we emphatically don't want to emulate, such as cycles of violence, frequent risk of starvation, and short lifespans resulting from infectious diseases. We need to figure out which specific components of traditional lifestyles are the ones protecting those living against NCDs. Some of those desirable components are already obvious (e.g. exercise repeatedly, reduce your sugar intake), while others are not obvious and are still being debated (e.g. optimal levels of dietary fat)." - page 450
See also pages: 370 - 404 (language); 411 - 451 (health)
Phew! Finished but for the prologue; this has taken 3 times as long as I anticipated to write.
The prologue is itself a summative comment upon Diamond's thoughts based upon the evidence compiled in the preceding 450 pages of his novel. Rather than merely reiterate his conclusion and spoil the novel, I'll leave you in suspense (GO READ IT!) and conclude with my comprehensive thoughts.
Overall, what I gathered from The World Until Yesterday was that first and foremost, despite our egotistic opinionative stance, we, the West, are not superior to traditional societies in all aspects indefinitely. Rather, we have much to learn from traditional societies, just as we could bring them many benefits too; it is also not a case of reverting entirely back into traditional lifestyles, but incorporating beneficial elements into our lifestyles to enhance both our quality of life and standard of living sustainably. The second most principal point I gathered from Diamond's novel, is that with regards to a lot of things in both types of society, it comes down to our respective attitudes. Our attitude is at the root of so many things, hence inhabiting different attitudes than those currently exercised may be a starting point, as individuals, to utilize the things of traditional societies highlighted as useful.
I resume school on Tuesday, hence my posts may grow more irregular both in length and frequency :(
Until next time,
C
P.s. I realised I forgot to mention the role of technology overtaking that of elderly in Western societies, especially in terms of things such as 'encyclopaedias' and the environment in which children are being brought up being technologically-orientated. But I think to discard the first-hand knowledge and wisdom of the elderly in favour of the objective second-hand information of the media would be a cultural loss.
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