Antique or just plain old skool!

The word “antique” is defined by the Oxford dictionary as a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its age and quality. For example, Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players”, valued at $273 million or Picasso’s “Le Réve”, valued at $155 million. The value of these paintings is not particularly in the art but more in the years that have passed since it was made and the effort and the funds that have gone into preserving it and keeping it as authentic as possible. The people who are willing to pay such huge sums of money for them understand their value.

The term “old-school” describes a behavior and mindset typical of an earlier style or form; based on a way of doing things that was common in the past according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. This term is very broad and general; it does not refer to one thing in particular, it is not limited to a choice, it is a culture and mindset. For example, the afro hairstyle gained its fame in the earlier days and although it is still around, the original style is not as popular as it used to be. Most ideas that gained exposure in the earlier days are still present but they have been adapted, so as to remain relevant. The majority have been adapted because the original version is not as suitable or appropriate, while others have been adapted because of laziness or to justify whatever decision they make.

The main difference between antique and old school is their difference in value. Both are derived from earlier days, but an antique increases in value as time passes by, however, elements of the old school movement lose their value with time. It is important to know this difference because society today has confused these two concepts. Grandmothers may not be “cool” (well, at least for everyone except me) but either way, they are respected and considered wise and knowledgeable. To further explain the differences between old school and antique, I have decided to divide the bronchus into four bronchioles.

1.       Discipline

In today’s society, discipline is a very sensitive subject and it needs to be treated with as much care and wisdom as possible. The word “discipline’ is defined as the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior; using punishment to correct disobedience. In the earlier days, children were often taught that the older person was always right and as such any disagreement from a child warranted punishment. Nowadays, discipline has improved but also deteriorated. It has improved in the sense that parents and people in authority over children now see the importance of talking to a child. They now realize the significance of explaining why the child is wrong and needs to be punished as opposed to just hitting them or yelling at them at the slightest provocation. However, discipline has also disintegrated in the sense that the voice of the child is now heard and even though it fosters mutual respect but there is a very thin line between speaking your mind and being disrespectful and rude. Many children today now speak back to their parents and other people in authority over them under the disguise of voicing a conflicting opinion. The best way to deal with this dilemma is for parents to set a good foundation at home by making a habit of separating fear from discipline and building a good communication system. It is difficult but it can and needs to be done.

2.       Culture

Culture is the most appropriate term to use in this situation because it refers to and spreads across the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular people or society. Culture covers food, music and even dressing.  Old school music is a very specific genre and it can also be considered antique. Old school music may not appeal to the new generation but it still had more depth and content, so in that way it’s valuable. Old school music is listened to less and less and as such it has become more valuable. The only way to have the best of both worlds is to have music that appeals to the new generation but is based on the principles of old school. This has however become increasingly difficult because the sale comes before the message the song portrays. As for dressing, people who are of the old school era are very judgmental and so when someone does not dress a way they deem ‘appropriate’, they automatically label the person irresponsible. The society today is more open-minded to dressing according to the occasion and is not as judgmental. However, people again have a large tendency to abuse this privilege by dressing indecently and camouflaging it as freedom. It is imperative that parents teach their children to dress the way they want to be addressed and to be able to adapt their dressing in a decent way.

3.       Respect

Respect has become one of the most controversial issues in the mind of this generation. The Oxford Dictionary describes respect as a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements. There are few differences between respect in the old-fashioned sense and as it applies to the people of the present time. Another very important difference is the adaptability and versatility of respect. In the mind of an old-fashioned person, respect is very rigid and straight-jacketed; it is and can only mean one thing. In this kind of comprehension of respect, it quickly becomes fear which is why in some cases it is not advisable. Some old-fashioned views on respect are antique, for example respect for parents and other people in authority over one. There is no religion, or school of thought or belief system that supports disrespect for authority. Nowadays, young people especially teenagers feel like they can talk back to their parents and they camouflage it as “standing up for themselves”. The role of a parent or guardian is to correct their child when the need arises, and the role of the child in that moment is to listen and then apologize. After which, he or she can explain their own side of the situation if the parent asks. The main downside of old-fashioned is its inability to adapt, sometimes the adult is actually wrong and the child is right but there is no allowance for such. Also, respect for a person who is younger is a relatively new but very important concept. Versatility is also extremely crucial; one has to know when a handshake shows enough and other times when a little more is required.

4.       Gender roles

Most westernized countries claim to be very concerned that gender equality is still a huge problem but yet they are yet to take any drastic measures to rectify the situation. I admit this is a huge issue and therefore it will take more of an effort to deal with. I also think that this change we want to see can start by a change in the mindset of one person. Old fashioned values about gender roles are still prevalent. The notion that the man should work and the woman should raise the children is old fashioned. The main problem with the eradication of this disease is that most of it is hidden. The big companies will not explicitly voice that they would prefer a man in their highest positions because they do not need a maternity leave but a man and a woman with the exact same qualifications employed at the same time will not climb the company’s ladder at the same time. Men are never passively required to make a choice between their family and their career. Also, certain careers are socially associated with men and others with women and I think such a mindset is archaic and old-fashioned. For example, jobs that need a higher level of strength and agility like engineering and sport-related fields are generally viewed as masculine. Recently, ESPN ran a headline that read “The San Antonio spurs hire woman as assistant coach” but after some criticism, they changed it to “Spurs hire WNBA star Hammon as assistant”. I know that it is news for a woman to be hired as a coach in the NBA but the headline further emphasizes the fact that society always views a woman for her gender before her qualification. Although gender inequality is more dominant for women, it is not less important for men. In this society, when a man is a chef or an interior decorator or a hairstylist or a makeup artist, he is automatically viewed as a homosexual. Such judgmental attitudes make it more difficult for people to chase their passions without fear and doubt. Even though, there are some values associated with gender roles that are old-fashioned, there are a few that are antique. First, a wife should respect her husband even if she is better than him in any aspect of life. A man is the head of the household and should be assigned that much respect.

It is very important for people who have young children to make the effort to separate antique and old-fashioned values in the minds of their children at a tender age. It is equally as important for parents to let go of their old-fashioned values as it is for their children to be willing to hold on to the antique values. So, before you give the reaction you think you are supposed to give to that situation, ask yourself if the value you are about to instill is antique or just plain old-school!