Final answer:
People resist cultural change due to cognitive dissonance, cultural imperialism, and culture lag. Long-standing traditions and fears of personal inconvenience also drive resistance to change.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the reasons that people resist cultural change is due to cognitive dissonance, which is the psychological discomfort that arises when a person's behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs are in conflict, especially if these elements run counter to one's positive self-perception.
Another reason is related to cultural imperialism, where there's a deliberate imposition of one's own cultural values on another culture, leading to resistance from those who feel their identity is being threatened.
Additionally, the concept of culture lag explains how society can struggle to keep up with rapid changes, creating a gap between existing social norms and new societal needs that can cause people to cling to old ways even as they become obsolete.
Moreover, long-standing traditions and fears that cultural reform will bring about personal inconvenience can lead individuals to oppose changes, as seen in the historical resistance to ending slavery or the advancement of women due to the fear of life becoming uncomfortable without these social structures.
The same fears can be seen in modern contexts, where resistance to cultural reform often centers around fears of lost privileges or challenges to the status quo.