jatkama

Jatkama is a term used in sociocultural theory to denote the process by which communities extend or renew their traditions across generations. It refers to the deliberate transmission of knowledge, crafts, norms, and collective memory through practices that reinforce continuity over time.

Etymology: The word is described as deriving from a root meaning “to continue” in the local language, with a nominalizing suffix -ma that marks the process or product of continuation.

Practice and domains: Jatkama typically involves structured mentorship, apprenticeship, and ritualized repetition. It appears in crafts, music, language revival, oral storytelling, and ceremonial life, often using tangible artifacts, performative routines, and place-based knowledge that learners imitate and internalize.

Significance and debates: Proponents argue that jatkama supports cultural resilience, social cohesion, and adaptive identity in the face of social change. Critics caution that strict jatkama can hinder innovation or gatekeep access to knowledge for outsiders or marginalized groups.

Examples and study: The concept is discussed in anthropological and sociolinguistic literature as a framework for analyzing how communities sustain practices across generations, documenting processes of mentorship, memory work, and material culture in various settings.

See also: cultural transmission; tradition; intergenerational learning.