Youngsters are usually reminded of the values and norms that is needed to be practiced daily by the elders, what do you think about that?

For me, the elders are doing their job as they are mature and the wise ones in the society. Why is it their task? Well it is simply because the practice of values and norms were passed down to them by their elders hence they are responsible to keep the tradition going. I take one example, in a Bidayuh family, the rice and paddy plays a big role in every household. As mostly Bidayuh breadwinners were paddy planters in the olden days, the rice symbolizes the hard work, tears, sweat and blood that they had sacrificed to make the living. Hence, we constantly hears children are being scolded because they dont finish their meal. Although not all breadwinners nowadays are paddy planters, the respect for the rice is still being practice or should I say the respect for the hard work and their energy to make a living for the family. Quote the audience (continuity and the relevancy) The continuation of the values and norms dont totally rejects the advancement of todays world because the changes and modifications is a continuous process in all societies. Nothing remains the same, however within societies there are structures which are inherently resistant to change, and this sense we can talk about them as being the continuities. Individuals within societies need to continue the values and norms to a lesser or greater extent, depending on significant factors like age, gender, education access to power and wealth. For example, the animistic ritual during Gawai Dayak like maan ieng is seldomly practice nowadays, can I say that it is a dying norms? Yes because the younger generations hasnt been practicing the norms that their elders used to do. This is because most of the Bidayuh people have their own religion like Christian, Islam and many more that sometimes interfere with the practice of the animistic rituals during Gawai Dayak. Okay, now, what we can see is that the stage of rituals of the rituals whereby people perform the rituals for entertainment and educational purpose. But again, Gawai is still Gawai, the Ngabang practice is still being carried out and we can see that the value of family and friendship is still practiced like the olden days. This norm survives the modernization of the society. In conclusion, the role played by the elder generation has helped to maintain the practice of the values and norms in the Bidayuh ethnic. People in the bidayuh society practice the same values and norms. These values and norms may differ according to the subgroup. What do you think contribute to this phenomenon?

It is true that Bidayuh subgroup like Bau-Jagoi share the same values and norms and they are still practicing the same values and norms until today. One of the contributors to this phenomenon will be their conformity towards the society that they are in.

Conformity is when you converge your thoughts, feelings and behavior towards a groups norms and values.

As the famous Japanese saying goes The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. In other words, act like the rest of the people and if you are being different than the others youll face condemnation and ostracize.

In fact, this form of social pressure exist in almost all ethnic group not just Bidayuh.

Quote from the audience (not acting like others)

For example, as a Bidayuh of Bau-Jagoi, I am expected to listen and never question what my elderly said to me. They are older and possessed more experience hence they have the right to advice me on what should I do.

Does it contribute to the practice of values and norms until today?

Its a yes because once I conform to the society I need to practice the values and norms that were passed down to me by the older generation.

How does conformity helps in maintaining the values and norms?

It is due to the social needs of human. When an individual associates himself to a society, he will need to fell the sense of belonging to certain culture hence he conform himself by doing the same thing to the rest of the people in the ethnic group.

In todays norm, the Bidayuh people is still holding to some values and norms that is more practical and suitable to todays scene.

The old norms and values sometimes are not practical anymore. It is not applicable since most of the norms and values were created to suit the people during a certain period of time.

For example, it is a norm in the olden days for older Bidayuh women to go topless , but nowadays it is totally obscene. Well, why do you have to go topless when you can buy clothes? It was practiced back in those days because clothing was hard to make and get and it required a lot of effort to make clothes from tree bark!

Besides that, back in those days, a woman is expected to do housechores and usually denied the access to formal education but it is a totally different scene now where it is a norm where women pursue education and stand in a par with men.

What I am trying to tell you is that values and norms in Bidayuh ethnic is not stagnant. Although most of the values and norms are still widely practiced, they can be changed through times and the changes are done to suit the people who lives at a certain period of time.

For example, not many Bidayuh born has the skill of hunting in the forest but back in those days people used to hunt for food. Why should I hunt when I can work for money and buy food from the supermarket? Although that is the truth, the Bidayuh still pursue hunting when they want to eat wild animals like wildboar, porcupine, deer. The norm is still there but not practice as it is the main source for food like the olden days.

In conclusion, the conformity of one Bidayuh man will ensure the practice of values and norms that is interchangeable through times.