INDIAN CULTURE

VS
WESTERN CULTURE
SUYASH KEJRIWAL 3MBA C

A Popular View of Culture

O Culture is all about food, language,

dress, customs, holidays, etc.

The Western View of Culture

O Cultures differ in language, cuisine,

etiquette, etc. O But we are all basically the same inside. O Apparent differences are due to levels of development.
O There is a single path of

development toward a rational lifestyle. O The West is obviously ahead, whence the distinction of developed and developing countries.

Cultural Iceberg
O Culture determines our deepest

assumptions, most of which we not even aware.

O Like an iceberg, culture lies mostly

beneath the surface.

The World is Westernizing?

O Capitalist market economies are spreading,

and culture is profoundly shaped by how people make a living.

Shanghai

London

Riyadh

The World is Westernizing?

O The historical wealth and power of the

West attracts elites around the world.

O They speak English, adopt Western ways,

send children to Western schools, cultivate Western connections, etc.

The World is Westernizing?

O Global market and communications homogenize the

world.

The World is Westernizing?

O Youth culture is the same

everywhere (movies, music, sneakers, etc.).

The World is Westernizing?

O The world looks more and

more Western
O Skyscrapers, traffic jams, high

tech O Surfeit of consumer goods O Pollution, overconsumption of resources.

Teipei 101 Tower

Not so Western After All

O Non-Western cultures are resisting Western

cultural hegemony.
O China. O Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore (Harry Lee at

Cambridge). O Islamic world.

Not so Western After All

O People want the baubles and

bangles of the West but may not want the culture.

Just to clarify
O To describe a culture is not to

stereotype the individuals in it.

O Every culture has the full range

of personality types. O They differ in how personalities fit into a system.

O Although most cultures are

influenced by the West

O not as much as people say. O and not in the ways most people think. O I focus on what is indigenous about a culture, not

what is Western about it.

Just to clarify
O I make no judgments about which cultures are

better.

Cultural Classification
O One introduction to cultural difference is

through classification of cultures.

O There are at least 5000 cultures in the O O O

world. Each has a logic its own. Cultural classification doesnt capture this. But it is a start. Lets, look at the greater picture about the thoughts of both Indian and western culture.

INDIAN SAYS LIVE IN TIME

WESTERN SAYS LIVE IN SPACE

INDIAN SAYS BE CONTEMPLATIVE

WESTERN SAYS BE PROFESSIONALS

INDIAN SAYS ACCEPT WHAT IT IS

WESTERN SAYS SEEK CHANGE

INDIAN SAYS LIVE IN NATURE

WESTERN SAYS LIVE WITH NATURE

INDIAN SAYS KNOW THE MEANING

WESTERN SAYS KNOW HOW IT WORKS

INDIAN SAYS MEDITATION IS IMPORTANT

WESTERN SAYS ARTICULATION IS IMPORTANT

INDIAN SAYS FOCUS ON OTHERS FEELINGS

WESTERN SAYS FOCUS ON SELF NEEDS

INDIAN SAYS LEARN TO LIVE WITH LESS ASSETS

WESTERN SAYS ATTEMPTS TO GET MORE

INDIAN SAYS IDEAL LIFE IS LONG

WESTERN SAYS IDEAL LIFE IS BEING SUCCESSFUL

INDIAN SAYS HONOR AUSTERITY

WESTERN SAYS HONOR ACHIEVEMENT

INDIAN SAYS WEALTH/POVERTY RESULTS OF FORTUNE

WESTERN SAYS WEALTH/POVERTY RESULTS OF ENTERPRISE

INDIAN SAYS TRUTH IS GIVEN IT DOSENT HAVE TO BE PROVED

WESTERN SAYS TRUTH HAS TO BE PROVED AGAIN AND AGAIN

INDIAN SAYS IMPROVEMENT IS AN ONGOING CYCLE

WESTERN SAYS IMPROVEMENT ENDS WHEN A PERSON REACHES ITS GOAL

CONCLUSION
O MODERNISATION AND

WETSERNIZATION ARE GETTING SYNONYMOUS O INDIA DESPITE HAVING A HIGH GDP IS STILL A DEVELOPING NATION AND ASPIRERS TO BE A DEVELOPED NATION O VALUES ASSOSCIATED WITH BOTH THE CULTURES HAVE CERTAIN PROS AND CONS, WITH ONLY THE POSITIVES MUST BE IMBIBED.

O ITS TIME TO GROW.. O WITH ALL THE HARDSHIPS, WITH ALL THE

CUSTOMS OR TRADITIONS PRACTISED. O THE BEST ARE TO BE IMBIBED. O AND THE COUNTRY HAS TO RISE. O FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANS AND ITS RACE. O TO SURVIVE AND TO SUSTAIN WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE CULTURE. ALL CULTURE SPEAKS HOW A PERSON SHOULD USE ITS KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMAN RACE. SO, ITS HUMANS ABOVE ALL THE CULTURES.