What is a tradition? How does a tradition come to be? Who decides whether a tradition changes or remains the same? Why do traditions change? Are there benefits to traditions? What about the consequences?

These are all important questions to ask, questions that are not discussed often enough. As there are both benefits and consequences to traditions, we tend not to question why things are done the way they are done. 

Like street names. There are thousands of roads in Canada. In Toronto, there’s Yonge Street, Dundas Street, and Alexander Street, to name a few. What do these street names all have in common? They were named hundreds of years ago, after white men. Many people do not even know the history behind the name of their street, and so there are many street names in Canada that have existed for a long time, some of which people are unaware of their history and some of which people are aware but choose not to change anything because it’s just ‘how it’s always been’.

A tradition is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a belief, principle, or way of acting that people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time.” While it can be fun to keep up traditions and pass them along, it is important to recognize when something needs to change. Otherwise, people will get too wrapped up in the fun of it and won’t realize the damage and/or destruction they are causing. Street names are an example of ignorance regarding tradition – millions of people have walked by Yonge Street, but how many have questioned where the name “Yonge” comes from? Probably not many. As a kid, most people wouldn’t necessarily think about where the name of their street came from because it’s just the street they live on and that’s that. And then when they become adults, well, many will have the same thought process. It is just more convenient that way.

Another example of something that seems to have just ‘always been this way’ is the practice of rituals when someone joins a club or a team. Hazing is a way of acting that is commonly performed in a university context. Hazing most frequently occurs upon a new member’s arrival to a club, a team, or a group of some sort. A recruit to a sports team will likely experience some form of hazing, which will typically involve alcohol. These recruits, also known as ‘rookies’, believe that this is just how it is, and they have to suffer through a night of overconsumption of alcohol to finally be recognized as a “true member” of the team. Times are beginning to change, and there is a movement on eliminating hazing in sport. However, I think some people believe they want or ‘crave’ hazing because it’s almost as if they can never be a ‘true’ member of the team until they have endured the same hazing activities as those who came before them.

A last example of traditions in a university context is the changing of curriculum and the courses offered at universities. One course that is fairly new and offered by the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies is Contemporary Issues in Human Sexuality. This course discussed topics such as the history of sexuality, reproductive justice, and pleasure. The course is a mandatory course for health studies and kinesiology students, one of two options. Most people who take the course are interested in health and the factors that affect health, so the discussions tend to be quite fruitful, and people tend to come out of the course recommending others to take it. More recently, Queen’s University announced that three new courses in Indigenous studies were to be offered in January to April of 2022. These three courses were offered by remote instruction through the Faculty of Arts and Science and focus on Indigenous perspectives on climate change and sustainability practices related to water, Indigenous theatre and performance, and the significance of language in relation to collective and individual identity. Offering these three new Indigenous courses allows students to grow their understanding of Indigenous knowledge and experiences. Having new courses offered throughout the years is an example of the shift towards new ways and new practices. It is important for Queen’s to recognize that the university must keep up with the changing times, even if that means switching up their traditional ways of doing things.

Traditions have two sides to them. They can be fun, special, and can bring a community together in a positive way. People can feel a sense of belonging and purpose within their community, and positive relationships can flourish from the practice of traditions. However, while traditions can be valuable to an institution, an organization, and to groups of people, they can also cause us to be resistant to change. People tend to get comfortable with certain ways of doing things and so this mentality of “it has always been this way” can prevent progressive changes. There are both benefits and consequences to traditions, and we must find an equilibrium between the positive and negative aspects to ensure we do not get stuck in our ways and end up harming individuals, communities, or groups of people.

When is it time for a change? A simple question, but challenging to answer.

Header by: Sam Andersen