Stojan posted an interesting view on the understanding and practicing tradition in the new age. I started to write a comment, but it eventually turned to be another post:
We all learn the "traditional values" during the processes of socialization. Part of those values, as such, we contextualize in our contemporary lifes and put them into practice.
The efforts, by the government of the Republic of Macedonia, to bring back those "traditional values", in this sence could not be assessed as a policy to promote them, but rather, change the way they manifest in the everyday life.
Example: Family values > the notion of what family does, the idea of a close family that supports and helps has never changed.
What had been changed (since the time when todays promoters locate "tradition" (before 1945, which is problematic in addition) are (1) production forces; and (2) the role of women in societies. Understandably, these are only part of the changes, but I will focus just on them.
The industrialisation of the village, one of the primary resources of income in agricultural countries, such as Macedonia until 1945, decreases the need of big families. Up until then, large families meant comparative advantage in farming. This meant that the household (as a commercial unit) could grow. Because of that, a "policy" of large families was somewhat of a "natural" and dominant lifestyle in the country. But, with the introduction of technology, the need for large households was lost. The industrialisation, in general, played an important role in shaping the image of families.
At the same time, change in the classic patriarchal family led to alternate role of females in society. These changes, since 1945, introduced an expansion of the gender roles of women, who up until then, could only serve as housewives. "Pater familias" was not the only provider in the family anymore (this could be just formal - the whole debate about the real position of women in contemporary macedonian society is another topic). Such "open space" for women in the society, meant an increae of their activities, resulting in decrease of the amount of household duties, mostly the number of children they should raise as mothers. This, again, changed the shape of the family unit.
Therefore, government calls to bring back "old values" go against, of what could be called, a "natural" evolution of a family unit caused by social and technology changes. The real questions is whether these campaigns are being pushed because of religious beliefs (ex. God wants people to reproduce) or it is some sort of a macho need to put women back in the home. I, personally think that these motives are not mutually exclusive.
